Stress Factors

Stress factors are what make an event stressful. A stressor does not necessarily equate illnesses or problems. The level of stress is determined by the external stressful events and internal coping mechanisms. The effects of stressors and the coping abilities vary from person to person.

The stress factors that determine a person’s vulnerability to pressures include the following:

1. Nature of Stressor – Stressors that affects the essential parts of your life such as relationships, work are more likely to cause intense strain. The more important the aspect is to you, the more likely you will experience stress. For instance, if your job matters the most to you, problems at work could affect you more than usual.

2. Crisis Experience – Crisis situations especially those unforeseen ones are very stressful. Emergency situations such as fire or earthquake would peak stress levels at the highest.

3. Number of Stressors – The more stressors are present in your life, the more strain. For instance, being ill and losing one’s job due to illness at the same time would be harder.

4. Perception of Stressors – How we view the problem could affect us more than the actual problem. If we think the problem is difficult to handle then more likely, it will be hard for you to overcome the problem.

5. Knowledge and Preparation – Being prepared for the stressful situation and knowing how to cope with it are factors to be considered. Knowing what to expect under the circumstances you are in and preparing yourself mentally or physically for it will greatly help in handling difficult situations.

6. Stress Tolerance – Each of us has different levels of stress tolerance. Some people are overwhelmed by ordinary events. Others are unfazed even in the most difficult circumstances.

7. Support Network – friends, family, extended families even strangers who are by your side during stressful events are important factors to be considered when under stress.

How to Determine Levels of Stress

Knowing how to determine levels of stress in the body is important in order to handle stress effectively.

Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale

The Holmes and Rahe stress scale is a list of 41 stressful life events or stressors that can lead to illness. This scale helps determine the levels of stress. This is developed by psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe in 1967. The scale was formulated based on the medical records of more than 5,000 patients so they can determine stressors that could possibly lead to illnesses.

Adults

Life Events                                          Life Change Units

Death of a spouse                                    100
Divorce                                                          73
Marital separation                                       65
Death of a close family member             63
Imprisonment                                              63
Personal injury or illness                          53
Marriage                                                        50
Dismissal from work                                  47
Marital reconciliation                                  45
Retirement                                                   45
Change in health of family member       44
Pregnancy                                                   40
Business readjustment                            39
Gain a new family member                     39
Sexual difficulties                                       39
Change in financial state                         38
Change in frequency of arguments        35
Major mortgage                                             32
Foreclosure of mortgage or loan             30
Change in responsibilities at work           29
Child leaving home                                     29
Trouble with in-laws                         29
Outstanding personal achievement             28
Begin or end school             26
Spouse starts or stops work             26
Change in living conditions             25
Revision of personal habits             24
Trouble with boss             23
Change in residence             20
Change in schools             20
Change in working hours or conditions             20
Change in church activities             19
Change in recreation             19
Change in social activities             18
Minor mortgage or loan             17
Change in sleeping habits             16
Change in eating habits             16
Change in number of family reunions             15
Vacation             13
Christmas             12
Minor violation of law              11

Score : 300+ means Prone to illness.
Score : 150-299+ means Risk of illness is moderate (reduced by 30% from the above risk).
Score : 150 means Only have a slight risk of illness

Non-Adults

Life Events                                     Life Change Units

Getting married             101
Unwed pregnancy             92
Death of parent             87
Acquiring a visible deformity             81
Divorce of parents 77
Fathering an unwed pregnancy 77
Becoming involved with drugs or alcohol 76
Jail sentence of parent for over one year 75
Marital separation of parents 69
Death of a brother or sister 68
Change in acceptance by peers 67
Pregnancy of unwed sister 64
Discovery of being an adopted child 63
Marriage of parent to step-parent 63
Death of a close friend 63
Having a visible congenital deformity 62
Serious illness requiring hospitalization 58
Failure of a grade in school 56
Not making an extracurricular activity 55
Hospitalization of a parent 55
Jail sentence of parent for over 30 days 53
Breaking up with boyfriend or girlfriend 53
Beginning to date 51
Suspension from school 50
Birth of a brother or sister 50
Increase in arguments between parents 47
Loss of job by parent 46
Outstanding personal achievement 46
Change in parent’s financial status 45
Accepted at college of choice 43
Being a senior in high school 42
Hospitalization of a sibling 41
Increased absence of parent from home 38
Brother or sister leaving home 37
Addition of third adult to family 34
Becoming a full-fledged member of a church 31
Decrease in arguments between parents             27
Decrease in arguments with parents             26
Mother or father beginning work             26

Score : 300+ means the body is Prone to illness.
Score : 150-299+ means Risk of illness is moderate (reduced by 30% from the above risk).
Score : 150 means Only have a slight risk of illness

b. Life-Events and Difficulties Schedule

The Life Events and Difficulties Schedule were developed by Brown and Harris in 1978 to measure the stressfulness of life events. This method does not accumulate the stressfulness of different events; instead they examined specific events in great detail. The schedule makes use of an interview to generate as much information about the event as possible. “Blind” raters rate the event based on the context.

Types of Stress

There are four main types of stress. Stress can be categorized into Eustress (Good stress), Distress (Bad stress), Hyperstress and Hypostress. It is important to note that good and bad stress do not refer to our response to the situation but on how pressures affect the body.

The stress response helps when in an emergency situation such as when responding to fire. It is also important in coping with stressful situations like taking an exam, attending an event and others. A little strain can give you the necessary impetus for change or achievement. The nervous system quickly reverts to its normal state after.

However, prolong stressful situations like coping with poverty, moving to a new place or long-term illness could have negative impact on the body. A weakened body could lead to illnesses and other problems.

Eustress

Eustress is defined in the model of Richard Lazarus (1974) as stress that is healthy or gives one a feeling of fulfillment.

The prefix is from the Greek word eu which means “well” or “good”. Literally, eustress means “good stress”. “Eustress” and “Destress” pertain to the stressor and not on the effect of the stressor to the person’s body.

The word stress is often associated with the negative kind which is in consonance with Destress. Both eustress and distress can taxing on the body, and are cumulative in nature, depending on a person’s way of adapting to a change that has caused it.

Causes of eustress

• Love
• Major Achievement
• Work Promotion

Distress as mentioned earlier means negative stress.

Hyperstress means when a person is pushed to the limits beyond what he or she is capable of handling.

Hypostress is the opposite of hyperstress. It is a state when there is no challenge or problem and the person gets bored for lack of stress.

Knowing the types of stress will enable you to determine the kind of stress you are going through and how to deal with it.

Models of Stress

There are three models of stress: General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), Lazarus Model and Zajonc.
The first model is based on Hans Selye’s theory. He called the universal response to stressors as the General Adaptation Syndrome or GAS in 1936.

A. General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS):

Stage 1. Alarm

This is also called the ‘fight or flight’ stage. When a stimuli is introduced, the body becomes alert due to the hundreds of hormones and chemical activators released into the blood stream. It prepares us physically to meet any threats.

We respond in alarm. Adrenaline comes rushing in our bloodstream to cause the fight or flight response. The HPA axis gets activated to produce cortisol. Cortisol converts glycogen, which is found in the liver, into sugar providing stimulation and energy to the entire body. Males release Testosterone which gives them strength. We can see people lifting objects twice their weight when under strain such as lifting a refrigerator when the house is on fire.

The heart, lungs, brain, nervous system and muscles receive stimulation from hormones. The hypothalamus which is found in the brain releases endorphins or the natural painkillers. Adrenal glands secrete adrenaline which causes palpitations, higher blood pressure and releases of essential nutrients, shallow breathing and muscle tension.

Thyroxin secreted by the thyroid gland affects the metabolic system and controls oxygen usage. Digestive system works slower since blood is used in other essential organs to respond to stress. Alarm reaction causes the body to be in the fight or flight mode.

Stage 2. Resistance

The second stage enables one to cope with pressure if it persists. The body may be able to adapt to the changes in the environment but it cannot sustain its coping mechanism for an extended period of time since resources is slowly used up. Resistance comes in. In this stage, we feel we start to relax.

Once alarm reaction is recognized and the urgent threat is over, we become resistant to tension. The resistance phase sets in and the bodily functions go back to its normal state. Heart rate, breathing and metabolic actions go back to its usual level but the body is still in a heightened, alert state. More cortisol, thyroxin and other hormones are secreted to repair tissues quickly which could been affected when undergoing tough times.

Stage 3. Exhaustion

Final stage of GAS, the body’s resources slowly used up and it could no longer continue normal function. This is the point where autonomic nervous system symptoms may appear once again. If stage three continues for some time, long term damage could result because the glands are used up to exhaustion and the immune system goes full swing for prolong periods.

Decompensation could follow as a result of this. This dilemma is manifested in various symptoms such as ulcers, depression, digestive system malfunctioning, cardiovascular problems and mental illnesses.

B. Lazarus Model

Richard Lazarus published in 1974 a model dividing stress into eustress and destress. Eustress occurs when the stimuli improves function of the body such as exercise or doing creative work. Destress, on the other hand, causes anxiety or depressive behavior. Lazarus points out those cognitive processes are essential in determining whether a situation is harmful or not.

C. Zajonc

Robert B. Zajonc (1984) maintains that emotional reactions come before cognitive reactions to stress. As a matter of fact, emotions could go against cognitive responses. James-Lange hypothesis (1890, 1922) also promoted similar notions that the body’s emotional reactions occur ahead of conscious reactions.

This theory takes into consideration two modes of reactivity, one conscious reaction and under volitional control, and the other automatic and uncontrollable. Some scholars believe that reactivity is simultaneous or parallel processing approach while others think that it is sequential where emotions come first before cognition, or what they called sequential neurological processing model.

Stress Overload

Stress Overload occurs when a person is undergoing too much strain in his/her life. For instance, a person could feel strain if he is about to undergo job interview. But too much strain could make you flunk the said interview.

Stress Overload can be brought by intense pressures or long-term difficulties. Poverty, for instance, some people are comfortable living a simple lifestyle. Others would strive hard to overcome poverty. Still others would feel burdened trying to ward off poverty on a daily basis. The person could feel overwhelm if he thinks he is alone in his problems or feels inadequate to handle such difficulties.

Some possible causes of Stress Overload are:

- injury or violence such as bullying
- relationship problems
- death of close friend or family
- school problems
- juggling too many tasks
- job

Due to its prevalence, overload is considered one of the occupational hazards. The US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that some 3,400 cases of illnesses associated with occupational strain were reported in 1997.

The most tension-inducing jobs according to BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses are: bookkeepers and accountants, sales, cooks and mangers and proprietors. Women outnumbers men in tension-related illnesses by 1.6 : 1 ratio.

Job burnout is another sign of strain. It is often in the final stages of work strain. At this stage, one feels loss of enthusiasm and energy for the job. It is important to address the problems or take time out in order to revive old zest for work.

Extremely difficult situations could lead to Posttraumatic stress disorder which requires medical attention. Posttraumatic disorder occurs if a person undergoes an extremely traumatic situation such as rape or an accident.

If you frequently feel worried or anxious over the smallest things then you could have chronic anxiety which also requires medical attention such as psychiatric counseling or taking medications. The sufferer should be cured of such illness in order to minimize difficulties producing strain.

What are Stressors

The outside forces or events that trigger stress are called stressors. What are stressors? These pertain to a whole range of situations that causes a person to feel a whole gamut of emotions either positive or negative. These stimuli can be physiological, mental, emotional, anatomical or physical define what are stressors. Minor or petty details such as attending a party, meeting complete strangers or coping with illness could be potential source of strain.

How does the Human Body Respond to Stressors?

The human body responds to them by stimulating the nervous system and releasing particular hormones. The hypothalamus tells the adrenal glands to release more hormones adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream. These hormones cause faster heartbeat, quicker breathing and higher blood pressure and metabolism.

Blood vessels expand to enable the blood to flow toward muscle groups alerting the muscles. Pupils widen to enhance vision. Liver releases glucose to add to body’s energy. Sweat cools off the body. These changes are referred to as the stress response. These kinds of response enable the body to react quickly to the situation. If the response works well then the body responds to pressure well. If not, it could overreact or might have a hard time turning off the response.

What is Stress

What is Stress? The word is often associated with challenges, problems and stressors. In order to solve the problem effectively, it is essential to know and understand the problem first. So we start with defining and getting an in-depth look on what is stress before we learn how to deal with it.

Stress, challenges and problems are facts of life. It is our natural reaction to forces operating outside us, in the environment we revolve in. These forces are what we refer to as stressors.

Strain is not exclusive to a certain group of persons (although some people are more prone to pressures than others like the Type A personalities). It is not all negative per se. Strain can be a positive force in our lives depending on how we view it. It is how the individual responds to it that makes it healthy or unhealthy.

What is Stress? Lightly put, it is a reaction to certain external factors or events. It is the body’s way of responding to a challenge. It’s the same Challenge and Response, Fight or Flight formula which define human nature since time immemorial.

Strain brings about emotional, mental and physical strain in our bodies. Ordinary reactions to it are: tension, irritation, fast beating of the heart, headache and a host of other symptoms.

It is impossible to live without experiencing pressure. Most would welcome the thrill and excitement brought about by a challenge either big or small. Some work in fields where exposure to it is unavoidable like a professional athlete, policemen, doctors, businessmen,nurses, lawyers, accountants and others. Overcoming a problem or a difficult situation is a very fulfilling experience for other which encourage them to seek more challenges.

Strain to a certain extent is actually helpful in order to make our lives more meaningful. It is only when stress goes beyond our individual’s ability to deal with that it becomes a problem. We all have certain levels of tolerance of strain. Some are capable of withstanding or being exposed to almost constant pressures. Others have lesser capacity to handle stressful situations. It is important therefore to determine what is stress level of tolerance.

Everyone, at one point or another, experiences these extraordinarily difficult situations or ‘stressors’ that are almost impossible to cope. Some difficult stressors are death of a family member, sickness, break-up of a relationship or marriage and others.

So what is stress? Depending on how you view it, stress could be a positive or negative unavoidable factor in our lives. It is a given fact. Sometimes, a necessary evil that will push us to the limits and make us attain impossible feats. How you deal with it makes all the difference. Learn more about Stress Overload here.

Too much pressure could lead to the ‘stress overload’ syndrome. This is where the problem comes from. When a person finds it hard to handle strain, his or her health may suffer.

What is stress? Stress is also a manifestation of our inability to adapt to change. Medically speaking, it is the disruption of homeostasis due to physical or psychological stimuli. It is a manifestation of perceived discrepancy whether real or imagined between what is required of the situation and the social, biological, psychological capacity of a person.

For instance, a person get stressed out when he feels inadequate to solve a difficult math problem because he thinks his skills and knowledge are insufficient even if his training proves otherwise. Sometimes we could just be imagining our inadequacies. Sometimes, the fears are real. It all boils down on how we view the problem. If we think we are defeated at the start of the endeavor then chances are, we will be. This seeming inadequacy in the face of what appears to be overwhelming odds is what is stress all about and are the main causes of stress. The word ‘Stress’ was coined by endocrinologist Hans Selye in 1936.

How the Word Stress Came About

How the word stress came about is largely through the efforts of one man. Stress history started as far back as the 14th century. How the word stress came about is important part of its history.
It was only recently, particularly through Hans Selye’s efforts, that the word has attained general acceptance.

Stress is derived from Middle English word destresse which is associated with hardship or difficulties. It has its roots in the Latin word stringere or to draw tight. In physics, it was used to refer to internal distribution of a force on a body which causes strain.

During the 1920’s and 30’s, the word was used to refer to mental pressures or unwelcome situations. In holistic medicine, it means dangerous environmental substances that can cause sickness. In 1934, Walter Cannon used it to pertain to external stimuli that can disturb the “homeostasis”.

It was Hans Selye, however, that developed a new scientific usage for the term and changed the course of stress history. Selye conducted a series of laboratory experiments in 1930s. Selye used it to refer to the state an organism is in when confronted with changes in the environment. He created theories on the general stress response which spurred public interest and debates. His efforts to conduct research programmes and publish materials about it, further fanned the term’s popularity.

Selye wrote books and conducted lecture tours. He focused on the US military for further research to help counter combat neurosis and psychiatric casualties. His international bestseller “Stress of Life” was widely acclaimed. He coined the terms “eustress” to mean positive pressures and “stressors” to refer to environmental stimuli that causes pressures.

Selye’s concepts gained wider popularity in the 1960’s. In the 1970’s, the term became one of the interests in the medical field. In the 1990’s, the word gained wide acceptance especially in the modern scientific field. Further studies were conducted particularly on workplace strains. Techniques to manage tensions were developed soon after.

Today, the term “stress” is used to connote several meanings. It could mean problems or illness or situations and difficulties to varying degrees.

How does South Beach Diet Work

How does South Beach Diet work? South Beach Diet is based on Glycemic Index which measures the effects of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels. South beach diet recipes encourage consumption of carbohydrates with low glycemic index which are reported to make blood glucose and insulin more stable in comparison to high glycemic index carbohydrates which lead to sudden rush-and-crash of glucose levels.   This is not good for the body and makes one gain weight.

How does South Beach Diet Work?

The South Beach Diet is a low-carbohydrate diet.The low carbs is instrumental to weight loss.  What can I eat on the South Beach Diet? The diet demands that only good carbohydrates and good fats are ingested.  The popularity of south beach diet hinges on the fact that it does not only limit carb intake and make you lose weight, it also replace unhealthy eating habits with healthy diets resulting in a more positive lifestyle change.

South Beach Diet and the Glycemic Index

Glycemic index pertains to the effects of carbohydrates on the blood glucose levels.  Basically, there are two effects: High GI carbs makes one feel full but minutes later makes one crave for food. This is not good because sugar levels in the body become erratic with sudden highs and lows.

Ingesting carbohydrates with high glycemic index causes in quick rise and subsequent quick drop of blood sugar. The result is that the person feels energetic at first then feels tired and hungry moments later.  This could lead to weight gain which if not contained could lead to a host of other ailments later like heart disease, diabetes,etc.

Carbs with low GI is the exact opposite of high GI, resulting in small fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin. Food cravings are effectively addressed. Consuming low GI carbs will eventually leads to good health.  It contributes to weight loss and reduces risks of heart disease and diabetes.

Reduce Carbohydrate Cravings and Burn Fat

The secret behind how does the south beach diet work is it helps you choose foods with low glycemic index. Foods with low glycemic index release sugar slowly into the bloodstream creating a more steady supply of energy and effectively satiating hunger pangs. This, of course, will eventually lead to weight loss.

Phase 1

What can I eat in Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet?

The South Beach Diet has three phases. The first phase – Phase 1 is good for two weeks. During Phase 1, a person is required to eat three meals a day but should only limit food intake to good carbs like – lean meats and poultry, fish, egg whites, sugar-free treats, nuts and lots of vegetables.

In Phase 1, a dieter eats until hunger is satisfied.  This is to get rid of food cravings and begin the weight loss. A mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack is required between meals but refrain from eating bad carbs such as bread, pasta, rice, fruit, baked goods, and other sweets with sugar and starch. This is to lessen bad carbs – sugar and starch – intake. Alcohol consumption is not allowed.

Phase 2 – Make Healthier Food Choices

This is after 2 weeks of doing Phase 1.

Weight loss is not considerable in Phase 2 compared to Phase 1. But weight loss is not the main goal of Phase 2. Phase 2 is all about instilling discipline in eating. Weight loss will continue but improvement is more noticeable in one’s health. This is because one’s appetite for bad carbs is reduced in this phase. One can eat whole grains and fruits again in Phase 2 but should be added slowly to the diet so as to acclimate the body to eat these foods by eating in small portions.

Phase 3 – Succeeding at Lifestyle Change

Phase 3 is when one reaches the desired weight. Phase 3 is simply a continuation of Phase 1 and 2 and maintaining the healthy food choices that the body is getting used to by now.  Calorie counting is no longer necessary but one should stop from eating saturated fats, sugar and starches.  In Phase 3,  healthier food choices and eating habits are changed around this time.

Methods of Yoga

Samadhi refers to the Super-conscious or trance-like state which is also known as the state of liberation

1.  Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti yoga, or devotional yoga, is the path most suitable for people who wants to seek emotional fulfillment and well being.  The “bhakta” employs the practice of meditation where one visualizes, thinks and feels that he or she is always in the presence of the Lord. The bhakta opens up his heart, gives his love and communicates his innermost views and worries with the Lord until awareness flows through the devotee and the Lord repeatedly. This continual flow of love and life force leads to the superconscious state of awareness which is commonly referred to as mood, or bhava.

Often in bhakti meditation, one is aware of two things: the relationship between the self and Lord and the separation of being – that of the Lord’s and of his own. In certain occasions the devotee is no longer aware of the self and becomes aware only of the Lord. At times other times, the bhakta feels that spirit of the Lord fills and dwells in him.

In both situations – twoness and oneness – transformation occurs within the person.  Character markedly improves. The periods of higher consciousness regularly occurs.  With constant practice, the bhakta develops a permanent relationship with the Lord.

This permanent relationship does not imply constancy. It evolves further into one dimension of love to another. These relationships are constantly evolving and frequently bring joy to the bhakti yogi for the rest of his/her life.

Bhakti yoga also enables the yogi to experience the great samadhis or the condition of attaining higher states of awareness which other yogis strive for.

2.  Karma Yoga

Karma is defined as “to do”.  Karma pertains to the principle of cause and effect which influences all of us.  Karma is the effect of our previous thoughts and deeds. The devotee of Karma yoga must first realize the indisputable fact that his/her thoughts and feelings results in the future. In order to lead a more fulfilling and blissful life, he has to change his old thoughts and feelings to affect a pattern of new causes.

By replacing old habits with new causes, he can be assured that positive and successful karma awaits him and his beloved.

Karma yoga meditation requires the following:

a. Knowingly surrendering our selfish interests to the Lord. One no longer works, speaks, acts or meditate in such a way that is self-serving.   A karma yogi ceases to live for oneself but to serve the greater purpose of God, or the higher self which is exemplified by the person’s soul, no longer for the ego.

b. One must offer oneself – one’s actions, thoughts, words, and feelings – to God. The karma yogi believes that God is the doer. The lower self consisting of the mind, the heart, the hands exist solely to serve God’s purposes.  The devotee aims for nothing else but to be the means of expressing the Lord’s love, light, and will.

3. Jnana Yoga

Jnana means wisdom. The end sought for in Jnana yoga then is wisdom.  The central purpose of jnana meditation is to detach the mind and emotions from erroneous perceptions of life and self to be able to be in tune with the unblemished truth or Spirit.

To achieve “jnani”, the devotee of discernment must meditate to let go or ignore all thoughts and feelings until the bright glow of the soul fills the mind and heart and begins the work of conversion and enlightenment within the immersed yogi.

To do this almost impossible task of ridding oneself of wayward thoughts and emotions, jnana yoga uses of the technique called neti-neti is encouraged.  Neti-neti simply means “not this, not this.”  You utter those words silently when a thought or feeling which is not in harmony with the aim of the meditation and does not reflect the soul or the inner self comes to mind.  The meditator simply repeats, “Not this, not this,” and ignore thoughts, views, feelings, sounds, or anything that can cause disturbance to the meditation. These unwanted thoughts and emotions are patiently set aside over and over again until a state of clarity of mind is achieved and the soul is finally revealed.

It is important to keep in mind that meditation should be done consciously that is in a state of alertness. It is not attained by meditation in a passive way.

The “neti-neti” habit enables the jnana yoga practitioner to let go of negativity such as those feelings of worry, insecurity, or fear.  The inner self becomes apparent. Those negative emotions no longer have power over the person.

4.  Raja Yoga

Raja literally means royal or kingly. Raja yoga meditation is based on focusing one’s energies to put the mind and emotions in a state of balance that facilitates in focusing on the Lord immediately.

The Raja yoga process is done by directing the life force to move up and down the spine until it achieves balance and the mind and emotions are in a state of contentment. Then the awareness is moved to a place at the center of the lower forehead. This meditation point is called ajna, or the third eye which is found around half an inch between the eyebrows.

If the life force is in a state of balance throughout the mind and body and is directed in the meditation point ajna, the mind achieves a state of utter calmness. In this state, the mind continues to be conscious but is no longer muddled by empty thoughts and worries. One naturally feels a state of bliss and well-being and the mind seems to be overflowing with velvety darkness.

As the consciousness is directed to the third eye, one can see pastel colors appearing in the forehead. Pastel colors could be bright shades of pinks, yellows, whites, blues, indigos, greens, and purples constantly run through your forehead alternately.  It is similar to seeing fireflies as the energy gets more intense and more actively readies the practitioner to be in a state of higher consciousness. This process allows the person to be in her/his true nature where pure consciousness, pure spirit, pure awareness abound.

The light in your forehead glows brighter than the sun.  Despite the glowing brightness, it appears soothing to the eyes and not blinding. This is the person’s inner light manifesting itself.

A teacher is necessary in learning Raja yoga, because this particular yoga could strain the beginner.  Experiences of seeing the light could be a result of hallucinations instead of attaining higher level of higher consciousness.  A raja yogi who surrenders his or her will to God would eventually attain bliss.

Raja Yoga comes by repeated effort to follow the disciplines that result in permanent thought control.  It must be made over a long period with earnest devotion, deliberately expelling desire for what is experienced, and uniting or identifying with one’s higher Self.

Patanjali’s text enumerates the eight “limbs” of yoga practice.  Despite its connotations, in reality, only one of them requires physical postures which are limited primarily to seated positions. The eight are:

1) Yama refers to the five “abstentions” or things to abstain from which are violence, lying, theft, (illicit) sex, and possessions.

2) Niyama refers to the five “observances” or the things to do which are purity, contentment, austerities, study, and surrender to god.

3) Asana: The literal meaning is “seat,” and was intended to refer particularly to seated positions. With the popularity of Hatha yoga, it came to mean as yoga “postures” too.

4) Pranayama: Refers to the control of prāna or vital breath

5) Pratyahara  refers to “Abstraction” or those “that by which the senses do not come into contact with their objects and, as it were, follow the nature of the mind.” — Vyasa

6) Dharana refers to “Concentration” or focusing the attention on one object

7) Dhyana means “Meditation”

Samadhi refers to the Super-conscious or trance-like state which is also known as the state of liberation

5.  Hatha Yoga

Hatha yoga has come to our attention as the yoga necessary to attain health and vitality.  Hatha Yoga exercises, stretches and liberates the body to make it healthy and essential tool for the mind and soul.  Hatha yoga practitioner also notices extreme clarity of the mind and concentration.  Some yogis use hatha yoga as the primary means to attain spiritual realization.  Clear minds and healthy bodies make it easier to go into meditation.

Hatha literally means sun and moon, being ha as the word for sun in Sanskrit and tha means moon. Hatha yoga emphasizes the need to unite the body’s inner currents specifically Feeling, Thinking, Willing, and Acting until they are in perfect harmony.

Generally, the hatha yogi directs energy at the ajna or around half an inch above the point between the eyebrows to attain a calm mind then moves the awareness into a super-conscious state. The individual life, the temporary state meets, touches and combines momentarily with the infinite.

Hatha yoga meditation is not as popular today as it was then.  It also demands that the practitioner strives for the purity of life which demands a lot of time and energy. However, those who become hatha yogis attain health and universal unity.

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