14-day Meditation Intensive
Padmasana (Lotus Pose)
- What: 14-day Meditation Intensive
- Time: 6:00 – 7:30 AM (US East Coast time)
- Access: Remotely via live video streaming (Zoom). If you prefer, you are welcome to join the class in person at my home yoga studio. Login info will be provided upon receipt of registration and payment
- Instructor: Subhash Mittal
- Daily Routine: Light stretching (10-15 minutes), Pranayama (15 min), Relaxation (10-15 min), Discussion and meditation practice (40-45 min)
- Commitment: A firm commitment to follow this schedule and attend every day
- To register: fill out the registration form, providing information in all the fields, and submit it online
Strongly recommended
- Light,sattvic, nutritious, VEGETARIAN food
- No alcohol, drugs, tobacco or any other item of similar nature
- A personal commitment to continue the practice after the program is over
Daily Routine
- Light stretching (10-15 minutes)
- Pranayama (15 min)
- Relaxation (12-15 min)
- Meditation - discussion and practice (45 min)
Benefits of Meditation
A huge amount of research is being carried out at various agencies to study the effects of meditation. Some of the commonly mentioned benefits are given here:
- Reduces hypertension
- Improves health of the heart, blood vessels
- Slows down aging
- Provides stress relief
- Reduces anxiety and depression
- Improves memory, creativity and productivity
- Provides deep relaxation for body and mind
- Meditation can help us transcend the mundane, material aspects of our existence and raise our level of consciousness
Program Outline
Asana Practice
- Cat and Cow (Marjarasana)
- Seated meditative asanas
- Standing arm and heel stretch
- Surya Namaskar with and without mantras
- Shoulder stretching with the help of a strap
- Reclining leg and hamstring stretch
- Bridge pose
- Spinal twist (Ardha-Matsyendrasana)
Pranayama Practice
- Alternate nostril breathing
- Bhastrika
- Bhramari (humming bee)
- Deep sectional breathing
- Interrupted breathing (2 second steps)
- Kapalabhati
- Kumbhaka (breath retention)
- Rapid breathing
- Sama-vritti (equal duration)
- Ujjayi breathing
- Ujjayi pranayama
Meditation (dharana practices)
- Definition of meditation and how to establish ongoing meditation practice
- Pratyahara guided meditation (sense withdrawal)
- Trataka (candle gazing)
- So-hum meditation
- Body, breath and third eye awareness
- Mantra meditation
- Various pranayama techniques as “dharana” practice
- Sama-vritti (square wave) – equal durations of inhale/retain/exhale/retain
- Interrupted breathing (staircase) – 2 second intervals of inhale/exhale and retention
- Udgitha pranayama (OM chanting)
- Breath counting as “dharana” – counting breaths backwards starting at 25
Yoga Philosophy
- What is meditation – definition
- Three attributes of a mantra – shabda (sound/word), artha (essential meaning) and jnana (associated knowledge)
- Definition of yoga
- How the mind functions – how the ego takes over the intellect
- Meaning and significance of OM (AUM)
- Eight limbs of yoga
- 5 Yamas and 5 niyamas
