Wellness Practices
Prevention Is Better Than Cure
Yoga Tips
“Yoga is about attaining to absolute Balance, piercing Clarity, and an inexhaustible Exuberance. With this, you are immensely fit for life”
- Sadhguru
If you practice yoga, you can experience a profound sense of harmony both within yourself and the world around you. Before you get into it, though, it’s important to set the right kind of atmosphere both inside and outside. Here are 5 pointers to keep in mind to optimize your yoga practice:
1. Make sure your stomach and bowels are empty.
Yoga is not just an exercise but a way of enhancing the human energy system. As Sadhguru explains, “Anything that is not the body should be out of the body if you want to move your energies upward.” So make sure to do your yoga practice before you eat (ideally in the morning before breakfast) and after emptying the bowels. And in the same vein, there should be no intake of food or water while you do the yoga practice itself.
2. Take a shower or bath.
Bathing is not just about cleaning your skin; when water comes in contact with your body, one’s interiority gets washed as well. Sadhguru recommends cool or tepid water as it makes “the pores between the skin cells open up, and that’s important for practicing yoga because we want the cellular structure of the body to be charged with a different dimension of energy.”
3. Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothes.
As we looked at, yoga works on one’s energy system. Wearing loose-fitting clothes assists in this process. Sadhguru says, “When your energies begin to expand within you, you will notice tight-fitting clothes will not be comfortable on your body. Naturally you would want a very loose fitting cloth.”
4. Consume neem and turmeric before the yoga practice.
“The consumption of neem and turmeric with tepid, light honey water is a wonderful way of cleansing and dilating the cellular structure in such a way that it is able to absorb energy. When you do sadhana, the dilation brings flexibility to the muscles. The flexibility helps you to slowly build the system into a more powerful possibility.” -Sadhguru
5. Start with an invocation.
An invocation is a way of bringing out the best in you before you practice yoga. In the yogic culture, invocations are usually in Sanskrit, an ancient language that directly connects sounds with forms. Using sounds to activate the human system is the basis of Nada Yoga, or the yoga of sound. An invocation is a very simple form of Nada Yoga. A simple invocation that you could start with is:
- Asato ma sadgamaya
- Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya
- Mrityor ma amritangamaya
- Aum Shanti Shanti Shantihi
Lead me from untruth to truth
Lead me from darkness (ignorance) to light (knowing)
Lead me from death to deathlessness
Meditation
Sadhguru: So what is meditation? Generally we assume that people are referring to what is known as dhyan or dhyana. In that context of referring to dhyan as meditation, it is not something that you can do. Nobody can do meditation. The reason why most people who have tried meditation have come to the conclusion that it’s very difficult or impossible is because they are trying to do it.
You cannot do meditation but you can become meditative. Meditation is a certain quality. It is not a certain act. If you cultivate your body, your mind, your energies and your emotions to a certain level of maturity, meditation will naturally happen.
So…how do you get started?
Step One: You Might Want to Sit Down for This
For many beginners, meditation without guidance or a specifically designed meditation technique for beginners can prove frustrating. You might be able to sit peacefully for a few minutes, but slowly your body becomes uncomfortable, your mind begins to wander and wonder, “How should I be breathing?” and “How long should I just sit here?” and of course, “Am I even doing this right?” If you seek advice, chances are you’ll get a different answer from everyone you consult.
Whatever may be the obstacle between you and meditation, there’s no need to struggle against your body and brain, especially when you have access to a simple, authentic and proven-effective method that actually puts your body and mind to work in helping you to relax effortlessly into a meditative state.
Meditation for Beginners:
Take a step towards your well being with these free offerings, designed by Sadhguru and suitable for beginners.
Learn Isha Kriya
- Free Online Guided Meditation
Power to Create: Help you manifest love, health, peace & success in your life.
Nutrition
We at The Ryan Gordy Foundation believe that Prevention Is Better Than Cure. We strive to promote health care and the benefits of healthy eating through Proper Nutrition. Healthy eating and consuming important nutrients can help individuals achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, as well as reduce the risk of developing health conditions.
A healthy diet can prevent deficiency-related diseases such as:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Osteoporosis
- Iron deficiency
- Dental Health
Eating a proper, nutritious diet offers numerous health benefits that maintain physical and mental wellbeing. Proper nutrition means eating a well-balanced diet, full of nutrient-rich meals like lean proteins, fresh vegetables and seasonal fruits. Well-balanced meals also ensure that your body obtains immunity boosting nutrients that help fight diseases.
Benefits of Healthy Eating:
- Boosts immunity
- Increases energy levels
- Encourages weight management
- Emotional well being
- Combats diseases
- Improves mood
Essential Oils
The Ryan Gordy Foundation advocates the use of essential oils. Essential oils provide healing properties, health benefits, as well as aromatic scents and effective healing due to the potency of each oil. The naturally occurring, volatile aromatic compounds are found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. Due to their powerful fragrance, essential oils have long been used extensively in aromatherapy and various traditional medicines for food preparation, beauty treatment, and health-care practices. When purchasing essential oils, make sure that they are 100% pure therapeutic grade and organic, to achieve full benefits of the oils.
There are hundreds of essential oils, but some basic oils are: Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint, Tea Tree, Sweet Orange and Frankincense. These oils can benefit your health, your daily life and the live of others.
Benefits of Essential Oils
- Balance hormones
- Boost Immunity & Fight Infections
- Supports Digestion
- Boost Energy Levels
- Improve Brain Function
- Reduce Emotional Stress & Anxiety
- Pain & Inflammation Relief
- Boosts Skin & Hair Health
- Reduce Toxicity
- Promote Restful Sleep
- Alleviates Anxiety
Areas You Can Apply Essential Oils
- Back of Neck
- Forehead and temples
- Chest and abdomen
- Arms, legs, bottom of feet
- Topical Application
- Add a few drops of oil to a warm bath
- Make a hot or cold compress by soaking a towel in water, add essential oils, and apply
- Add oil to a lotion or moisturizer and apply to skin
- Sensitive Areas to be Avoided:
- Some facial areas, such as the skin around the eyes
- Eyes and inner ears
- Broken, damaged, or otherwise injured skin
Learn More About Essential Oils by contacting Anne Menik: anneholistichealth@gmail.com
Hiking
The Ryan Gordy Foundation’s 30-day Hike Challenge began in 2017 as Ryan’s memorial hike. The hike takes place at the Runyon Canyon trails, the same trail that Ryan hiked with his dog Rooney. Runyon Canyon offers scenic views, family and pet friendly trails that are primarily used for hiking, walking, trail running and is accessible year-round. Ryan loved to hike for exercise and found hiking to be a great bonding experience with others.
Here are some of the benefits of Hiking
- Solitude
- Nature
- Great Exercise
- Mental decompression
- Lowers risk of cardiovascular disease
- Helps prevent and control diabetes
- Boost in energy
- Decompression and releases stress
A healthy body is a happy body! One of the best ways to stay healthy is to get plenty of exercise. Hiking has the ability to promote general good health and leads to a healthier lifestyle. Walking at a safe and steady pace on the hiking trails can provide a reliable, economical form of exercise.
Happy Hiking!