Happiness

Know your Chakras, Know Yourself - Chakra Manager

The word Chakra means spinning wheel.  Yogic meaning of this word is "Vortex" or "Whirlpool".  

There are seven important chakras, each associated with a different part of the body along the spine from the perineum to the crown of your head.  Each chakra is associated with a particular body location(nerve plexus), a color, a central emotional/behavioral issue, as well as many other personal aspects including identity, goals, rights, needs,  behavioral characteristics etc.

One of my personal research involves connecting the psychic/subtle chakra energies of the physiological & psychological dimensions of existence along with the organizational needs.

In this article I'm going to share with you, how the human needs and the organizational are interconnected through Chakras along with some vital information about them.

7 Chakras - Human Needs & Organizational Needs

Some vital information regarding the chakras...

Mooladhara Chakra

Location: Coccyx, base of the spine, at the perineum
Colour : Red
Rights: To be Here
Identity:  Physical - Self Preservation
Element: Earth
Demon: Fear
Endocrine gland: Adrenals
Psychological Function: Survival
Yoga Path: Hatha Yoga


Swadishtana Chakra

Location: Sacral plexus, genital area
Colour : Orange
Rights: To feel, To want
Identity:  Emotional - Self Gratification
Element: Water
Demon: Guilt
Endocrine gland: Gonads
Psychological Function: Desire
Yoga Path: Tantra Yoga

Manipura Chakra


Location: Solar plexus, navel center
Colour : Yellow
Rights: To act
Identity:  Ego - Self Definition
Element: Fire
Demon: Shame
Endocrine gland: Pancreas
Psychological Function: Will
Yoga Path: Karma Yoga

Anahata Chakra

Location: Cardiac plexus, heart center
Colour : Green
Rights: To love
Identity:  Social - Self Acceptance
Element: Air
Demon: Grief
Endocrine gland: Thymus
Psychological Function: Love
Yoga Path: Bhakti Yoga



Vishudhi Chakra


Location: Thoracic plexus, throat center
Colour : Blue
Rights: To speak & to be heard
Identity:  Creative - Self Expression
Element: Sound
Demon: Lies
Endocrine gland: Thyroid
Psychological Function: Communication
Yoga Path: Mantra Yoga


Ajna Chakra

Location: Pituitary center, eyebrow center
Colour : Indigo
Rights: To see
Identity:  Archetypal - Self Reflection
Element: Light
Demon: Illusion
Endocrine gland: Pituitary
Psychological Function: Intuition
Yoga Path: Yantra Yoga

Sahasrara Chakra

Location: Crown of the head
Colour : Violet
Rights: To know
Identity:  Universal - Self Knowledge
Element: Thought
Demon: Attachment
Endocrine gland: Pineal
Psychological Function: Cognition
Yoga Path: Gnana Yoga



Understanding how to fine tune and control your chakras through yoga and chakra meditation can help bring balance and peace to your mind, body and spirit. 

You can know more about your chakra activation levels by downloading my book Chakra Manager. This book comes with a free chakra test to know your activation levels and with suggestions on how to balance all the chakras.

Know your Chakras, Know Yourself!

World's most Simple and Powerful Meditation

Sit in comfortable place,

Gently close your eyes,

Now,

Breathe....

Feel the air,

Know that you are breathing.

Here, I am not asking you for deep breathing or forcing your breathing or asking you to feel special or thinking whether you are doing it right or not.

Just a plain awareness of breath moving in and out.

Some use mantra or syllable to hold on to the awareness in the initial stages of practice. You can mentally say the word "So" when the air flows in and "Ham" when the air flows out. I am not asking you to breathe in and out. It is happening on its own. Just become aware of it. 

Breathing and knowing that you are breathing is one of simple & powerful meditation technique. 

Here is a simple video on So-Ham Breath Awareness Meditation.

You will know only when you practice it every day. Take action and experience mindfulness & stillness.

7 Step Goal Setting Formula

Grab a rubber band.

Stretch it between the pointer fingers of your left and right hands. 

Feel that tension?

Let’s imagine that your left hand is your current reality(where you are right now in life) and your right hand, stretching away from the left, is your ideal(where you want to go). That tension is called “dynamic life tension.”

It’s a good thing.

But most people don’t like that feeling. It’s a little uncomfortable.

Research Question to you....

Q: What do successful people think about most of the time?

Answer:

a) Top People talk and think about what they want and how to get it;

b) Unsuccessful People think about what they don't want, and who is to blame.

The ability to set goals and make plans for their accomplishment is the "master skill" of success.

There is a simple goal-setting formula that you can use to speed up your way to success and increase satisfaction in life.

Watch this short 2 minute video for the 7 Step Goal setting Formula. The key to success is to take action after watching the video.

Will this formula guarantee success? NO...

Well, this is only the start point. Your goals always evolve when you take action. 

But this is the basics of goal setting. Successful people are always brilliant at basics.

Time Machine

Choice

Challenge or Opportunity

Natural Laws of Happiness, Health & Prosperity

Natural laws are like electricity. Whether you understand its functions or not, still you receive the benefits of it. Likewise, whether you agree or not, these laws continue to exist and apply in every facet of our lives. They are very simple and yet powerful. Some of the laws are:-

THE LAW OF THINKING - You become what you think about. The Universe will create the circumstances around you and bring people together to manifest the predominant thought in your mind.

THE LAW OF SUPPLY – There is more Supply than Demand – it is just a matter of Tapping into the source and the Supply becomes visible. The demand of travel faster across the globe, created the supply to the airways. The demand of more shops to cater the growing population – created the shopping malls.

THE LAW OF ATTRACTION - This is a secondary Law to the Law of Vibration. Everything vibrates at a particular frequency. It is through these vibrations, we attract things, people, circumstances towards us.

THE LAW OF RECEIVING - What you put out comes back. As you sow, so shall you reap. The Law of receiving explains that you will get (money, health, relations etc) directly in proportion to what you put out.

THE LAW OF INCREASE – This Universe is expanding since the Big Bang and everything is moving in an upward spiral – and so is your desire. As Bob says – Never be satisfied with what you have. You should be happy with what you have, but never be satisfied – as we are designed that way. We are here to GROW.

THE LAW OF COMPENSATION – The more service you provide to others the larger compensation you will receive.

THE LAW OF NON-RESISTANCE – Energy flows to and through you. Any blocks in the path of this Energy will cause a resistance and will stop the good coming into your life. Understand this law and create a channel for the greater good to flow in.

THE LAW OF FORGIVENESS – Forgive others for their mistakes – Forgive yourself for your mistakes. The more you dwell upon the mistakes and criticise others or yourself, the deeper you will be stuck in the problem.

THE LAW OF SACRIFICE – Sacrifice is when we let go something of a lower nature to receive something of higher nature

THE LAW OF OBEDIENCE – If you work with the Laws and respect the Laws, you will be rewarded will all the good that you desired, without facing any difficulty.

THE LAW OF SUCCESS – You will be successful, no matter what you do. Nature knows no failures. You have all that is required within you. All you need is to gain the right understanding of the principles and laws upon which success is based and then apply the right methods of operation these causes until the success is earned.

THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT - Everything happens for a reason; for every effect there is a specific cause. This law says that achievement, wealth, happiness, prosperity and business success are all the direct and indirect effects or results of specific causes or actions.

THE LAW OF SUBSTITUTION-   This law says that any point in time, the mind can hold only one thought at a time. It means you can either hold a positive thought or a negative thought. You can substitute any negative thought with a positive thought and hold onto this for some time. Successful people are always optimistic and very positive in their life because they always think what they want to achieve and how to achieve it.

70 Books that changed my life

This is a partial list of some of the books I had read which had changed my life. Kindly do invest at-least 30 minutes per day for your own self-development.

1. Awaken the Giant within - Tony Robbins
2. Unlimited Power - Tony Robbins
3. Seagulls - Richard Bach
4. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
5. Yoga Nidra - Swami Satyananda Saraswathi
6. Success Principles - Jack Canfield
7. Master key system - Charles Haanel
8. First, Break all the rules - Marcus Buckingham
9. Tao of Physics - Fritjof Capra
10. Millionaire Mind Set - Harv Eker
11. Flow - Mihaly Csikszenmihalyi
12. Thought Power - Swami Sivananda
13. Goals - Brian Tracy
14. Many Miles to go - Brian Tracy
15. Autobiography of Yogi - Paramahamsa Yogananda
16. A Whole New Mind - Daniel Pink
17. Delivering Happiness - Tony Hsieh
18. You can Heal your life - Louise Hay
19. Science of Breath - Yogi Ram charaka
20. Encyclopedia of Brain - V.S.Ramachandran
21. Vedanta Treatise - Swami Parthasarathy
22. Change your thoughts; Change your life - Wayne Dyer
23. Blink - Malcolm Gladwell
24. Hatha Yoga Pradipika - Swami Muktibhodananda
25. Swara Yoga - Swami Muktibhodananda
26. The Elegant Universe- Brian Greene
27. God Talks with Arjuna - Parmahamsa Yogananda
28. Divine Romance - Parmahamsa Yogananda
29. Holy Science - Sri Yukteshwar Giri
30. Happiness Advantage - Shawn Achor
31. Eat that frog - Brian Tracy
32. Frogs to Princes - Richard Bandler & John Grinder
33. Kundalini Tantra - Swami Satyananda
34. Short history of everything - Bill Bryson
35. Brief history of time - Stephen hawking
36. The Artist’s Way - Julia Cameron
37. Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki
38. The Saint, Surfer & CEO - Robin Sharma
39. Serpent Power - Sir John Woodroffe
40. Mystic Musings - Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
41. Victory - Brian Tracy
42. Change your thinking, Change your life - Brian Tracy
43. Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus - John Gray
44. Turbo Coach - Brian Tracy
45. Speak to Win - Brian Tracy
46. The Book of Hexagrams(I Ching) - 
47. NLP Workbook - Joseph Connor
48. $ 1 Million dollar reason to change your mind - Pat Mesiti
49. The Talent Code - Daniel Coyle
50. Emotional Intelligence- Daniel Goleman
51. Power vs Force - David Hawkins
52. Philosophy of life - Swami Krishnananda
53. A Course in Miracles
54. I am That - Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
55. Getting things done - David Allen
56. $ 100 Dollar Start Up - Chris Guillebeau
57. ZeNLP - Murli Menon
58. Only the Paranoid Survive - Andrew Grove
59. Living with the Himalayan Masters - Swami Rama
60. Apprenticed to the Himalayan Master - Sri M
61. 7 Habits of highly successful people - Stephen Covey
62. Built to last - James Collins
63. Know-How - Ram Charan
64. The Biology of Belief - Bruce Lipton
65. 7 Laws of Success - Deepak Chopra
66. Book of Secrets - Deepak Chopra
67. Getting things Done- David Allen
68. Power of Intentions - Wayne Dyer
69. Change your thoughts, Change your life - Wayne Dyer
70. Nature of Happiness - Desmond Morris

Keep learning...

Lessons from a Human Cell

Congratulations. I am delighted that you are reading this article. Why? Trillions of cells in your body somehow assemble in a curious, intricate and obliging manner to create YOU. It is an arrangement that is so special and custom designed only for you and will only exist this once. For the next many years(I hope so), these tiny cells without any complaints will engage in billion ways of team work & co-operative efforts to keep you intact and let you experience the grand event called “Life”. But, your microscopic cells doesn't actually care about you-indeed, they don’t even know that you are there reading this article. Yet somehow for the period of your existence till you log out from life, they will keep you as YOU! What a miracle!

There are enough life lessons that can be learned from these micro-intelligent cells in our own body.

Lesson # 1 – Hoarding is not an option 

Every cell inside you and me functions with the smallest possible expenditure of energy. Typically, a cell stores only three seconds of food and oxygen inside its cell wall. The cell totally trusts on what is being provided at that particular moment only. Excessive consumption of food, air or water is not an option and not part of the natural design. Trillions of cells are performing this continuously, even right now, when you are reading this update. We are the bundle of these trillions of such micro-intelligent cells. When we just turn inward, we can learn this profound spiritual wisdom from your own cells. Live life simple, less is more and live in the moment. Do not worry about the future; do not hoard anything beyond your capacity. Force, control or struggle is not the way of life.

Lesson # 2 – Selfless Service is the motto

Every cell in your body is marching with this slogan “I am here to serve, I am here to inspire, I am here to love, I am here to live my truth”. Do you hear that? Every cell lives with a higher purpose. It is ready to die to protect the whole body. Every minute thousands of skin cells perish; immune cells die off in fighting against invading microbes. Every cell agrees to work for the welfare of the whole body. Selfishness is not an inherent option. Selfless service is the mantra. Just ask yourself, am I living like my own cell?

 Lesson # 3 – Be flexible 

The cells in the body do not have rigid belief system. They live moment to moment. Adaptability is their biggest strength. They remain flexible to address the immediate needs of the body. They live in full awareness. They do not get caught up in rigid habits. Like your cell, can you live a life of heightened awareness? Can you drop your rigid habits? It is a simple habit to form. Just sit for ten minutes observing instead of speaking.  Just sit quietly to sense how the body feels. If someone irritates you, without taking your attention away, keep asking yourself, what you ‘really’ feel beneath that anger until it is gone.

Lesson # 4 – Accept yourself & others without any judgement 

When you observe through microscope, you will find that every cell in your body has a set of unique functions. Liver cells functions are completely different and unique from that of stomach or spleen. Every cell recognizes that all of us are unique and important. They do not reject others, but understand and live by accepting and embracing all other cells. Every function in the body is interdependent onto others. Going alone is never an option. Acceptance & Team work is their mantra. Do you accept your own self? Do you accept your peers, colleagues, boss or your partner as they are? From now on-wards  just spend five minutes every day thinking about the best qualities of the person you dislike. Read about a group/person/society that you consider intolerant and try to see the world from their point of view for five minutes.

Lesson # 5 – Communicate freely & effectively 

Cosmically powered cells in my body communicate continuously irrespective of the fact whether it likes it or not. The information should be transmitted and it agrees to serve as a channel for the flow of information. The messenger molecules race to any part of the body in no time to express even the smallest desire or intention or feeling. Refusing to communicate is never an option to the cells. Look at your own self. How many times you deliberately withdrew from a conversation or a communication flow. How many times you did not communicate what you actually intended. You fall prey to the mind intelligence rather than following the cosmically powered body intelligence. From now, let us appreciate or express our true feelings to other person immediately without holding it back. Create the habit of expressing at-least any one feeling of joy, happiness, remorse, embarrassment, guilt etc to the other person. Just allow it to flow through you. Let us communicate freely like the cell in our own body.

Lesson # 6 – Action & Non-action is essential for living 

What will happen if you do not sleep for one day? Why we need sleep is still a medical mystery and we become dysfunctional if we do not enjoy its benefits. In the silence of inactivity, the body is rejuvenated, restored & incubated. Every cell in the body obeys this nature cycle and enjoys this period of inactivity daily. It helps the body to realign the hormonal and chemical imbalances to maintain homeostasis. Cells intuitively understand that being obsessively busy and active is not a healthy option. In this materialistic world, we are the busiest creatures today. We are in continuous action right from morning to night either at home or office. We are very busy satisfying others opinions & feelings. We are very busy working to pay all our debts & loans. Just spend half an hour a day in a peaceful place doing nothing except feeling what it is like to exist. When time permits, lie on the green grass and feel the earth. Practice simple relaxation techniques like whole body scanning, powerful techniques like yoga Nidra, or even taking five slow & deep breaths and feel the air coming in and going out can instantly relax yourself. Being obsessively busy is not a cosmic design. Just let go of your bus(y)ness of being busy and practice doing nothing.

I got the inspiration to write this article after reading Deepak Chopra's Book of secrets. Kindly do read the book.

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• 46 ways for Happy Living
• STOP and be Happy, Peaceful & Useful
• 17 Ways to Enhance Listening - Secret of Success

Success Formula

Success Formula explained in a simple & powerful way

Thermometer Vs Thermostat living

Look at the graph below. This is a live recording of a Head of Operations of a large MNC. This recording was done using an advanced technology from Institute of Heart math, US. This biofeedback device helps us to measure the number of breaths per minute, depth of every breath, thoughts impacting the breath, the impact of heart rate and how breath, heart and brain work in synchrony at that particular moment (the technical word is psycho-physiological coherence)

When you observe the graph you can find that the subject is breathing at the rate of 22 breaths per minute with an average heart beat above 100 and a 90% low brain coherence.This person is like an emotional volcano, ready to burst at his sub-ordinates with a slightest disruption of emotions. Many of his sub-ordinates are actually scared to approach him for any issues or help. He is an unfriendly autocratic leader who is completely unaware that this physiology has a greater impact on his psychology, emotions & actions.

Do you know anyone like this subject in your work-spot?

Heart is the switch board of the mind and when the mind racing against time with innumerable thoughts, it affects the heart beat and the breathing rate. He is a classic example of a thermometer based living. The mercury will rise instantly when exposed to conditions of slightest stress, sudden change in customer priorities, boss priorities, when someone criticizes, make a cynical remark or when client service/project go haywire in the corporate arena.

Have you experienced such situations involving instant raise in anger & emotions disrupting your physical, mental & emotional balance.

There is a very simple solution to bring a balance in our body & mind.

Welcome to the world of Thermostatic living!

Thermostatic living in times of crisis ensures inner balance & harmony. All the knowledge that you are going to read should be applied during times of crisis to experience what is meant by true balance & peak performance. But only when the knowledge is applied or practiced daily, it will help you in times of crisis.

Let’s proceed with this understanding….

Inner well-being & Peak Performance can be achieved by anybody when they understand the basic mechanism behind this world’s best super gadget called “My Body”.
Let us look at the graph below of the same subject after two minutes of training.

The same subject whose heart was beating at 100+, was instantly brought down to 75 just by altering the way of breathing. The simple lesson to learn is we can instantly reset the thermometer rising to a thermostatic living by altering the way of breathing.

Every breath you inhale impacts the heart beat. The heart in turn impacts the brain. As mentioned by all the great masters & yogis, the way you breath determines which part of your brain to function and hence determines your peak performance & capabilities.


For the brain to achieve peak performance & inner well-being all you need to do is breathe slowly & deeply at 5 breaths per minute. This is an ideal breathing graph of 5 breaths per minute.

By breathing slowly & deeply ensures an instant shift from the volcanic/thermometer living to thermostatic living.

On an average, we breathe between 14-20 times per minute. It is not an easy task to bring your breath rate to 5 immediately. It requires a consistent practice of at-least 10 minutes daily. But atleast you can breathe 8 times a minute.

Just close your eyes and start counting from 101 - 104. As you count, slowly inhale with your focus on your nose tip. Count from 105 - 108 and slowly exhale. This is one round. Continue 40 such rounds without breaking the counting.

Do you have 5 minutes in your life to bring harmony & balance in your body & mind.

Then, start this practice for the next 21 days till it becomes a habit for you.

Always remember, habits deliver results.

Good Luck!

Related articles

• Stillness - Antidote for STRESS
• How to Simplify Life & Stay happy
• Mindfulness - A Receipe for Happy Living

TGR Happyness Course - First time in India

Be Happy

Raise your BP

Life is the period between one breath and the next; a person who half breathes, only half lives. He, who correctly breathes, acquires control of the whole being. HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA -Ancient Yogic Literature

Each human being has a fixed number of breaths allotted. If one breathes slowly then one lives longer; if one breathes rapidly the given number of breaths get used up quicker resulting in a shorter and more stressed life. And that’s not the only problem……

Whatever aspect of life you need to succeed in…

• Health
• Wealth
• Relationships
• Career
• Personal Effectiveness

Everyone is faced with the challenging question, “Can I have a better life, while pursuing my goals?” Yes, you can. All you need to do, is learn and practice how to breathe your way to success…

You probably know that your thoughts and your feelings, decide who you are and what you become. But do you know what connects your thoughts & feelings?

It’s your breath that connects thoughts, emotions, desires and actions.

Do you know how many times you breathe everyday? 21,600 times

Which body part  moves when you Inhale? Is it your tummy, chest or nothing moves?

When I asked the question “When you, Inhale, your tummy comes up or goes down”?, more than 50% of participants answered me that the tummy goes down below and many said, there is no movement at all. Very few answered that the tummy bulges up as they breathe in.

By learning to manage your breath, you can learn to manage your thoughts, emotions & actions. India had developed this scientific fact thousands of years ago and passed it down from generation to generation. Whether its meditation or yoga, the fundamental learning is, how to breathe right – number of breaths per minute, pattern, depth, etc

Change in food habits, sleeping pattern, physical activities, stress levels, etc, have all contributed to increasing man’s average breathing count to between 14 to 20 breaths per minute and made it more shallow.

Every emotion has a strong impact on your breathing pattern. Some emotions make the inhalation shallow, some make it slow, and some make it rapid while others make it deep. Since emotions affect our breath cycle, we end up breathing in an inefficient way.

Inefficient breathing leaves us drained and chronically fatigued, irritable, tired, emotionally strained and intellectually dull. In such a state, one cannot understand people or situations correctly; one cannot take proper decisions; and cannot communicate appreciations or critical suggestions in a positive manner. Such people become personally ineffective.

My Personal Research:

Look at the image below which is the breath-heart-brain pattern of one of my research subject.

The subject is breathing 18 times/minute in a shallow and improper rhythm. The heart is conditioned to beat at 105 times per minute and 93% low coherence with the brain. This is the way this person has conditioned his breath-heart-brain-emotions & actions. Many of us are unaware of this fact and continue with our lives expecting peak performance and inner well-being. 

Indian Yogic Science had maintained that one’s breath needs to be slow and deep to improve one’s  Peak Performance & Inner well-being.  Now modern technology and neuroscience has discovered that the perfect balance of the autonomic nervous system happens at a breath count of 5 per min. Peak Performance & Inner Well-being requires a perfect autonomic balance.

This is how 5 breaths/minute will look like with a proper breath pattern, heart beating at 63 and a 100% coherence with the brain. This is my personal score using Heartmath emWave Biofeedback tool.

True, slow & deep abdominal breathing has a profound effect onto your thoughts, desires, action, behaviour and even your belief system.

If you want MORE in your life, then LESS & deep should be your number of breaths per minute.

Breath@Work, a revolutionary new program that combines ancient Indian Science, Management Science & Neuro-Science. This potent mix empowers Breath@Work practitioners with the techniques needed to go from good to great in their chosen roles and professions.

As a Co-creator & Chief Scientist of Breath@Work, I say that, Leadership starts from within and we now have the technology and know-how to understand, practice & implement ancient yogic techniques for Performance & Well-being.

Upcoming workshop in Chennai, India on 17th Mar 2013.

https://www.facebook.com/events/159877387497256/