Kailash Yatris Alert!

HAR HAR MAHADEV

Kailash Yatra - Abode of Lord Shiva

श्री गुरुभ्यो नम:।
श्री महागणपतये नम:।
श्री मात्रे नम:।
ॐ नमशिवाय।

A STEP TOWARDS THE DIVINE - THE ULTIMATE! ADI GURU! ADI TATTVA!

Content Credits: 4 G-s - Genes, Guru, God and Google
Shiva and Shakti - yin and yang of the universe - ida and pingala nadi

सदा शिव समारमभां शङ्कराचार्य मध्यमाम्॥
अस्मदाचार्य पर्यन्तां वन्दे गुरु परम्पराम्॥

Salutation to the lineage starting with lord Sadasiva, with Adi Sankara in the middle and continuing up to my immediate teacher.

Kailash - Panchakritya tandava on Kailash

Mansarovar - Lake is round shaped, Fresh water lake, created by the mind of Brahma and so the name, First Jain tirthankara Rishabha attained nirvana here, pilgrims can take a dip here, believed that saptarishis visit this lake every day in jyoti form during brahma muhurta, also a summer abode for swans(vaahan for Goddess Saraswati) - believed that lord Shiva and Lord Indra swam as swans.

Rakshas tal - crescent shaped lake, Ravana, cried in pain when Lord Shiva crushed his hands under Mount Kailash and his tears formed the rakshas tal, hence salty, has 4 islands. Ravana did penance here, no dip for pilgrims here, no life here, no trees/grasslands, no wildlife also - they detour to other lakes when thirsty. This is known as ghost lake, sacrificed his heads one by one in one of the 4 islands.

Yama Dwar - Yama ensures that anyone entering kailash are cleansed of their negative energy - so one must pass through this dwar. Swayam pradakshinam thrice, then enter yamadwar (don’t stay too long), after exiting - do not look behind till yamadwar is out of sight

Gauri Kund - Place where Parvati created Ganesha, no bath here also because it is believed that Goddess Parvati still visits here and a personal space shouldn’t be occupied or touched - Pray to Lord Ganesha here. Others - Ashtapad & Nandi parvat.

The gestures of the dance represent shiva's five activities known as Panchakritya.

Nataraja, or dancing shiva, also symbolizes the action of cosmic energy.

The cosmic dance of shiva represents five activities -

Srishti, or creation - Brahma - right hand holding damaru

Sthithi, or preservation - Vishnu - other right hand with fingers pointing up

Samhara, or dissolution - Rudra - left hand with fire

Tirobhava, or illusion - Maheshwara - right leg trampling the demon, muyalagan(Apasmara) - Maya

Anugraha, or salvation - Sadashiva - the left leg lifted up and stretched to the right with the toe pointing up.

Points to remember

1. Chant the prayers
2. Massage oil
3. Marma points - Adhipathi, Sthapani, pancha bhuta marma, shakti marma
4. Carry potli, nuts, sweetened sundried amla
5. Mudra - daily 6 mudras, shakti mudra, linga mudra(carefully)
6. Mukha dhauti once in a while - simple inhale through nose, exhale through mouth with “aaaa” sound.
7. Full body pain - index finger bottom - methi, index finger middle - mustard, little finger tip - one pepper on both sides
8. Sprinkle a pinch of Vibhuti on top of head
9. Inhale through mouth, exhale through nose if excess heat in body
10. O2 point on inner side of arm
11. Pankaja mudra
12. Black color for any hurt
13. Drink warm water with 1 or 2 tsp edible oil

Understanding the physical, astral and causal body

• Body as Shareera traya (Tattva Bodha, Mundaka, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad)
• Body as Pancha Bhoota (Sankhya yoga and Taittiriya Upanishad)
• Body as tri-loka
• Body as tri-shakti based on nadi
• Body as Pancha kosha
• 3 malas in sthoola shareera and in sookshma shareera
• Arishadvargas 

Pranayama

Few starting pranayama

Time to learn abdominal breathing for first timers, Mukha dhauti, Double breathing and Plavni – meant to cleanse nadis of their impurities 
Paramahamsa yogananda's Double breathing technique

Smell flowers! Blow the candles!

1) forcefully inhale short, immediately inhale long
2) hold and tense till you vibrate
3) exhale through mouth forcefully short and long
Repeat 5-10 times every hour.

Guidelines for Pranayama

• Empty stomach
• Preferably at Usha or Sandhya kale (Dawn or dusk)
• in a clean place, with loose fitting clothes
• sitting tall on the floor or in the chair with both feet flat on the ground
• with total surrendering attitude, seeking for the presence of divine
• The hands should be placed on knees, facing upward with the Gyana mudra
• Facing the sun is of great value
• People with High BP or heart ailments, please follow the below rules:
• Do pranayama only in samanya gati (slow pace)
• Do not hold Kumbhak
• People with abdomen ailments, please do pranayama in samanya gati and avoid putting pressure on abdomen (especially Bhastrika and Kapalbhati)
• Only Anulom-vilom, Brahmari, Udgeeth and Dhyan for Pregnant women
• Savasana - Feel breathing - inhale through feet, raise breath all the way to the head. Feel body bulging. Now exhale from top of head to toes - through toes end exhale. Feel the body energised

Pranayama specially for yatris

Identify Oxygen point in your hand and massage it -
Raise your arm up touching your ear. Turn your head. The point where your nose tip touches the hand. That's the body meridian point of oxygen point. First identify the point, then Massage well on that point.

Let us practise neuromuscular breathing - 360 degree lung breathing -
Stage 1 - Right lung focus - Left palm on right ear, elbow press on chest, right hand on abdomen - Breathe for 6 counts - fill your lungs - empty your lungs
Stage 2 - Left lung focus - Right palm on left ear, elbow press on chest, left hand on abdomen - Breathe for 6 counts
Stage 3 - Lungs at the back focus - Criss cross both hands - press on chest, feel the breath expand the lungs at the back - breath for 6 counts
Stage 4 - both palm cover the ears - elbows parallel to ground - press middle finger tips at the back of your head. - Full lung capacity used in this round - 6 counts here too.

Pranayama second type

Increasing CO2 threshold - For Trekkers and yatris - Source: YouTube link - https://youtu.be/0HYwc28sxcs?si=lIrMUSHaSZRCGgc8 (Ref. book - "Oxygen Advantage" - Patrick Mcewen)
No zero to hero in one day. Listen to your body rule should be followed. Start a week before trek/yatra.
Compiled the above content with daily-to-follow simple instructions
Breathing practice while walking - Increases the CO2 threshold

A) Preparatory phase steps - (5 times repeat)
Hold breath while walking
1) 4 secs inhale through nose
2) 6 secs exhale through mouth
3) hold breath outside - walk 10-15 steps
4) stand still and normal breathing - 30 secs - 5 breaths
Altitude simulation creating air hunger

B) Advanced phase steps - (5 times repeat)
First 3 steps same as (A) -
1) 4 secs inhale through nose
2) 6 secs exhale through mouth
3) hold breath outside - walk 10-15 steps
Then without inhaling,
4) continue walking fast/jogging till you hit your threshold (might make you light headed initially)
5) 6 quick small breaths - no deep breath
6) 10 Deep breaths - one minute (45-60 secs)

Visit Pranayama link for the 8 types Pranayama - Link to Pranayama 8 Types

How to destress self?

Steps:

• Place your fingers at your temples. Hold for one deep breath, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth;
• On another deep breath, slowly slide your fingers up and around your ears, smoothing the skin while maintaining some pressure;
• On the out breath, slide your fingers down and behind your neck and hang them on your shoulders;
• Push your fingers into your shoulders, and when you are ready, drag them over the top of your shoulders and smooth them to the middle of your chest over your heart.
• Shakti marma (8 finger widths from pit of throat on sternum) - massage gently - thumping - tap gently with thumb or 3 fingers for 1-3 minutes to energise and boost immunity

Sound Therapy

Seed Therapy Link - Link to Seed Therapy

Mudra Therapy Link - Link to Six Daily Mudras

Color Therapy Seed Therapy specific to Yatris

1) Headache/wound - Indigo or black at this point on both hands for headache, migraine/ draw a black circle around the wound for fast healing

2) Oxygen boost - Brown colour/brown bindi here on both hands for oxygen boost.

3) Immunity - This is in center line of hand at a distance of three fingers from wrist crease. Applying pressure here or a mutter/ black channa seed will help in immunity.

4) Palpitations/cold/cough/nausea/vomiting/stomach pain -

• Applying seed at orange point in case of palpitations.
• Applying seed at point marked in brown is for cold/cough
• Apply seed at point shown with black Circle for nausea, vomiting, stomach pain - for just an hour and remove