Author: Yogacharya Dhakaram

A warm, smiling greeting to you all! Welcome to our “A Step Towards Health and Happiness” program. Today, we’ll discuss the Bipedal Circular Movement, which helps melt fat accumulated on the stomach and waist.

How to Perform the Bipedal Circular Movement (Dwipada Vrittakar Kriya)

1. Begin by lying on your back.
2. Lift your upper body by supporting it on your elbows.
3. Keep your chest expanded.
4. Your shoulders and elbows should both be at a 90-degree angle.
5. Ensure there’s no tension in your neck.
6. Now, slowly lift both legs and make a large circle from the right side, rotating clockwise. Each circle should take at least 15 to 20 seconds.
7. When you feel tired, relax in Shavasana (Corpse Pose). Release all tension in your body.
8. Slowly come back onto your elbows and lift both legs, making a large circle from the left side, rotating counter-clockwise. Each circle should take at least 15 to 20 seconds.
9. Rotate counter-clockwise for the same duration as you did clockwise.
10. Once you’re tired and have completed equal circles on both sides, relax. Lie down in Shavasana.
11. Observe the difference between the initial and final states. Relax the abdominal and waist muscles in Shavasana.

Important Points

• Performing this movement on your elbows focuses the effect on the abdomen, not the lower back.
• A general person should perform this movement 4-6 times clockwise and 4-6 times counter-clockwise, roughly for 3 minutes.
• Individuals aiming to lose weight should perform it for 2 minutes clockwise and 2 minutes counter-clockwise.

Precautions

• Ensure your shoulders and elbows are at a 90-degree angle.
• Try to keep your elbows close together.
• Keep your palms firmly placed on the ground.
• Avoid any strain on your neck.
• Keep your chest expanded throughout the movement.
• Keep your knees straight.
• If you have neck pain, swelling, or stiffness, perform the movement lying flat.
• Avoid rushing; perform the movement calmly and smoothly.
• Do not perform this during pregnancy or menstruation.
• If you have stomach ulcers or back pain, perform the movement with one leg at a time.

Benefits

• Melts fat accumulated on the stomach and waist.
• Strengthens the digestive system.
• Massages the abdominal muscles.
• Reduces fat accumulated on the buttocks.
• Strengthens the thigh muscles.

Thank you all very much. Stay happy, healthy, and joyful.

Yogacharya Dhaka Ram
Founder, YogaPeace Sansthan

Greetings to all with a warm smile! Welcome to our program, “From Health to Happiness.” In our last session, we discussed Jal Neti Kriya, and today, we will delve into the details of “Rubber Neti.”

What is Rubber Neti?

Rubber Neti is a simpler and more accessible alternative to Sutra Neti. While Sutra Neti uses a thread, Rubber Neti employs a soft and flexible rubber material, making it easier to use. This practice is especially beneficial for beginners trying Neti Kriya for the first time.

Preparation for Rubber Neti:

1. Soak the Rubber Neti in lukewarm water to soften it.
2. Apply a layer of ghee (clarified butter) to the open end of the Rubber Neti. Ensure the application is at the end with a small hole, aiding the breathing process.
3. Check your nostrils to identify which one has better airflow, and begin the practice with that nostril.

Preparing the Nostrils:

• The night before practicing Rubber Neti, put a few drops of almond oil or ghee in your nostrils. This helps clean and open the nasal passages.

Practice Procedure:

1. Always breathe through your mouth during the practice.
2. With your neck slightly raised, carefully insert the Rubber Neti into one nostril.
3. Gently rotate and push the Rubber Neti into the nostril.
4. When the other end of the Rubber Neti reaches the throat, use your thumb and index finger to pull it out through the mouth.
5. Hold both ends and gently pull them back and forth.
6. After completing the process, slowly remove the Rubber Neti from your mouth.
7. Repeat the process with the other nostril.

Benefits of Rubber Neti

1. Avoidance of Nasal Surgery:
   Regular practice of Rubber Neti can help rectify nasal bone growth issues (deviated septum), potentially avoiding surgery.
2. Relief from Allergies:
   It effectively clears nasal allergies and blockages.
3. ENT Health:
   Rubber Neti is highly beneficial for ear, nose, and throat (ENT) issues.

Precautions

1. Safe Usage:
   Never insert the open end of the Rubber Neti into the nostril directly, as it may cause injury.
2. Stay Calm:
   Maintain patience and caution during the practice.
3. Practice Frequency:
   Once proficient, practicing Rubber Neti 1-2 times a month is sufficient.

Important Tips

• Sneezing is common during the initial days of practice. It takes time for the nose to adapt to external elements, so don’t worry. This will improve with regular practice.

Wishing you all a joyful and healthy day!

Yogacharya Dhaka Ram
Founder, Yoga Peace Institute

A warm and cheerful greeting to everyone! Dear friends, welcome to our program, “A Step Towards Health and Happiness.” Last time, we discussed *Jal Neti Kriya. Today, we will talk about *Netra Shakti Vikasak Kriya, which is highly beneficial for improving eye strength and vision.

How to Perform the Exercise:

1. Starting Position: Sit straight. Keep your right hand upwards and your left hand downwards.
2. Focus Your Vision: When you say “one,” focus your gaze on the thumb of your right hand.
3. Look Downwards: When you say “two,” shift your gaze downwards.
4. Repeat: Perform this exercise for 15 seconds.
5. Relaxation: Close your eyes and rest for 30 seconds.
6. Change Position: Now, keep your left hand upwards and your right hand downwards.
7. Repeat: Perform this exercise again for 15 seconds.
8. Relaxation: Close your eyes and rest for another 30 seconds.

Complete Cycle: Repeat this entire cycle six times.

Benefits:

• Enhances eyesight.
• Strengthens the eyes.
• Relieves eye fatigue.

Note:

• Regular practice of this exercise offers greater benefits.
• It can be performed anywhere.
• Ensure you are seated in a comfortable position while practicing this exercise.

By incorporating this practice into your routine, your eyes will stay healthy, allowing you to view this beautiful world with clarity and joy.

With this, we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone. May your day be blessed, harmonious, and filled with happiness.

Yogacharya Dhakaram
Founder, Yoga Peace Institute

By Yogacharya Dhakaram

Smile Greetings!
Welcome to our program, “From Health to Happiness.” Today, we delve into a simple yet profoundly beneficial yoga practice: Lion Pose.

Also known as “Singh Mudra,” Lion Pose is a powerful yoga posture that promotes strength, courage, and confidence while helping to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.

Benefits of Lion Pose

1. Physical Benefits

• Strengthens the immune system.
• Tones the chest, shoulders, neck, and back.
• Encourages deep and regular breathing, supporting healthy lungs.

2. Mental Benefits

• Reduces stress, anxiety, and depression.
• Calms and focuses the mind, enhancing sleep quality and meditation practices.

3. Other Benefits

• Boosts confidence and cultivates a positive mindset.
• May lower blood pressure and improve mood.
• Enhances facial beauty and gives your eyes a natural massage.

How to Practice Lion Pose

1. Start Position:
   • Come down onto your knees and palms with your palms at shoulder level.
   • Spread your feet hip-width apart.
     

1. Alignment:
   • Keep your hands aligned with the shoulders, forming a 90-degree angle from shoulders to palms.
   • Create another 90-degree angle from hips to knees.
2. Inhale and Move Backward:
   • Slightly move your body backward.
3. Exhale and Engage:
   • Stick your tongue out completely.
   • Inflate your chest forward and direct your gaze upward.
   • Exhale completely, ensuring all facial muscles stretch.
     
4. Observe:
   • Slowly bring your tongue back and return to the starting position.
   • Focus on your throat and facial muscles, ensuring a “scary lion-like” expression.
5. Duration:
   • Perform the pose 5-7 times for 3-4 minutes, followed by a minute of observation.

Precautions

• Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure or neck issues.
  

Lion Pose is a transformative addition to your yoga practice. It cultivates physical strength and mental calmness, empowering you to face life’s challenges with grace and confidence.

We pray for God’s blessings upon you. May you be happy, healthy, and joyful!

Yogacharya Dhakaram
Founder, YogaPeace Sansthan

Greetings to everyone! Welcome to our program, “From Health to Happiness.” Today, we will discuss a simple yet highly beneficial yogic exercise known as Bicycle Pedaling Movement. This practice resembles mimicking the motion of cycling and offers numerous health benefits.

Benefits of Bicycle Pedaling Movement

1. Helps Reduce Belly Fat: This exercise is effective in burning excess fat accumulated around the abdomen.
2. Strengthens Abdominal Muscles: It enhances the strength and endurance of the abdominal muscles.
3. Improves Digestion: The exercise promotes a healthy digestive system by activating the core muscles.

How to Perform Bicycle Pedaling Movement

1. Lie down on a yoga mat or a soft surface on your back.
2. Place your elbows close together, aligned with your shoulders.
3. Keep your chest expanded, resembling the posture of Lord Hanuman.
4. Bring your heels and toes together and slowly bend your knees towards your chest.
5. Lift both legs up at a 90-degree angle and then slowly lower them without letting the heels touch the ground.
6. Perform the exercise in a clockwise direction for 1.5 to 2 minutes.
7. Rest briefly, then repeat the exercise in an anti-clockwise direction for the same duration.
8. After completing both directions, relax in the Shavasana (Corpse Pose) for a few minutes.

Precautions

• Elbow and Shoulder Alignment: Ensure that your elbows and shoulders are in a straight line.
• Expand Your Chest: Keep your chest expanded during the exercise for maximum benefits.
• Relax Your Neck: Keep your neck muscles relaxed throughout the practice.
• Knees Together: Maintain contact between your knees while performing the exercise.
• Difficulty in Lifting Legs: If lifting your legs to a 90-degree angle is challenging, try lifting them to a 60-degree angle instead.
• Practice with One Leg: If both legs are difficult to lift simultaneously, perform the exercise using one leg at a time.
  

Special Considerations

• Pregnant women, those experiencing menstruation, or individuals with hernia, ulcers, or stomach pain should perform this exercise with one leg only.
• Practicing with eyes closed can increase the benefits of the exercise.
• After 3-4 minutes of practice, take at least 1 minute for self-observation and relaxation.

Suggested Duration

• For General Practice: Perform for 1.5 minutes from bottom to top and 1.5 minutes from top to bottom.
• For Those Aiming to Reduce Belly Fat: Practice for 2 minutes in each direction for better results.

After completing the exercise, rest in Shavasana, keeping your legs apart with toes pointing outward. When ready to get up, roll to your side before sitting up. Regular practice of this exercise can help melt away excess belly fat and promote a healthy and toned body.

May the blessings of the Supreme Power always be upon you. Stay happy, healthy, and full of joy!

Yoga Instructor Dhakaram
Founder, YogaPeace Institute

Greetings to all of you with a smile!
Welcome to our program “One Step from Health to Happiness.” In our last session, we explored Agnisar Kriya and Uddiyana Bandha. Today, let’s move forward with Nauli Kriya, the next step in our journey toward holistic wellness.

Introduction to Nauli Kriya

As outlined in Maharishi Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga, the yogic path consists of several steps like Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, and more. In a similar sequence, the Gheranda Samhita describes six purification practices known as Shatkarma: Dhauti, Basti, Neti, Nauli, Tratak, and Kapalabhati. These practices purify the body, with Nauli Kriya specifically focused on cleansing and strengthening the stomach. It is also known as Lauliki Kriya.

Steps of Nauli Kriya

1. Madhya Nauli
   Stand with balanced posture, placing equal weight on both feet. Place your palms on your thighs, lean forward slightly, and attempt to pull your abdominal muscles to the center.
2. Left Nauli
   Shift all abdominal muscles to the left side by applying gentle pressure on the left thigh.
3. Dakshina Nauli
   Similarly, apply gentle pressure on the right thigh to pull all abdominal muscles to the right side.
4. Nauli Sanchalan (Bhramar Nauli)
   With both hands on the knees, rotate your abdominal muscles from right to left and then from left to right. Repeat both clockwise and counterclockwise rotations equally.

Benefits of Nauli Kriya

• Enhances Digestive Power: Strengthens the stomach muscles and digestive system.
• Relieves Constipation: Helps alleviate constipation by massaging abdominal organs.
• Supports Weight Loss: Contributes to reducing belly fat.
• Alleviates Gas Problems: Eases gas-related issues while toning abdominal muscles.

Precautions

• Practice Nauli Kriya on an empty stomach only.
• Avoid this practice if you have high body heat or bile dominance.
• Pregnant women and individuals with hernias or recent abdominal surgeries should refrain from practicing.
• Women should avoid Nauli Kriya during menstruation.
• People with back pain should also avoid Nauli Kriya.

Post-Practice Tip

After practicing Nauli Kriya, enjoy a glass of warm milk mixed with two spoons of ghee, dry ginger, and black pepper. This combination strengthens the abdominal muscles from within. Practice Nauli Kriya in repetitions of seven: seven clockwise rotations and seven counterclockwise.

Thank you, and with heartfelt gratitude!
Stay happy, keep smiling, and may God bless you with health and joy! 🙏

Yogacharya Dhakaram
Founder, YogaPeace Institute

“Yoga can transform everyone, but we cannot change anyone.” These are the words of Yogacharya Dhakaram Sapkota, a renowned yoga instructor from Jaipur. Yogacharya Dhakaram, the founder of Yoga Peace and a recipient of numerous national and international awards, began his yoga journey in 1989 under the guidance of his guru, Suraj Karan Jindal, in Jaipur.

In 1998, Dhakaram, along with his dear friend Sharat Dhakad, established Yoga Peace, an institution that offers classes and workshops for people of all levels, with a focus on therapeutic yoga. He is well-versed in acupressure, acupuncture, Sujok therapy, twist therapy, smile meditation, smile yoga, and naturopathy. To date, Yoga Peace has trained over 3,000 yoga instructors who are now spreading the art of yoga across the world. The institute has also helped more than 50,000 people overcome ailments like high blood pressure, arthritis, asthma, thyroid issues, knee pain, and sciatica through regular yoga practice, without the need for medication.

What types of yoga training or classes are offered at your institute that benefit people?

We offer six distinct types of services:

1. Yoga Teacher Training Program: A rigorous 8-month, 1,800-hour program with daily 8-hour sessions. People from India and abroad participate in this program to become certified yoga instructors.
2. Therapeutic Yoga: Therapeutic Yoga session at YogaPeace is a personalized session that uses props, yoga poses, breathing exercises, and meditation to improve physical and mental health for people with specific health conditions.
3. Anandam for Corporates: This program trains corporate professionals to be energetic and productive, helping them perform their tasks with joy and enthusiasm.
4. Yoga for Sports: Since yoga is recognized as a sport in India, we prepare individuals for yoga competitions.
5. Anandam: This program teaches techniques for physical, mental, and spiritual growth, aiming to bring joy into one’s life through regular asanas, pranayama, and meditation. Dhakaram emphasizes that while yoga can transform everyone, we cannot change anyone.
6. Anandam for Students: Designed for parents, teachers, and children, this program helps improve children’s concentration, memory, and personal development through engaging and fun methods.

Many people with busy schedules cannot attend yoga centers for one or two hours a day. Can you suggest 10-15 minute yoga routines for different times of the day to help them stay fit?

Any amount of yoga is beneficial, and an hour to an hour and a quarter daily is ideal for feeling your best. However, if time is limited, here’s a short routine:

• Morning: 3 minutes of Tadasana, 3 minutes of Bhastrika pranayama, and 3 minutes of meditation.
• After lunch: 5 minutes of Vajrasana, 5 minutes of Bhramari pranayama, and 5 minutes of deep breathing or Anulom-Vilom pranayama.
• Before dinner: 2 minutes of Konasana, 5 minutes of seated Katichakrasana or Bharadvajasana, and 3 minutes of Uttanasana.

How can we use breathing exercises to stay fit, and which exercises should we do?

Breathing is essential to life, but dedicating 15-20 minutes daily to deep breathing is highly beneficial. It can be done at any time of the day and is simple yet effective.

However, for maximum benefit, deep breathing and meditation should be done on an empty stomach in the morning or evening, or in Vajrasana after a meal.

How have you improved your health through yoga, and what changes have you experienced?

I remain joyful and never compromise my happiness. No matter the ups and downs of life, I don’t stress. I’ve been passionate about yoga since the age of 9, and I continue to practice yoga for about two hours daily.

This year’s International Yoga Day theme is ‘Yoga for Self and Society.’ What does it mean?

If you are healthy, only then can you talk about health and fitness with others. You can inspire those around you by practicing daily. First, love yourself, then your family, and finally, show love for society.

Many working women and housewives don’t practice yoga due to time constraints, and some believe yoga should only be done in the morning. Do you think it’s okay to practice yoga whenever time allows?

If our Prime Minister and legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan can make time for yoga, why can’t we?

Women, in particular, should fit yoga into their schedules in small portions, as surgeries can be costly. For hormonal issues, poses like Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Setubandhasana, Baddha Konasana, and Uttanasana should be practiced under the guidance of a yoga teacher. Pranayamas like Kapalbhati, Bhastrika, and Bhramari are also recommended. Regular practice can provide relief from PCOD, stress, and thyroid issues, and even lead to their resolution.

BMI tests show that organ weakness can reduce longevity. Which yoga practices help maintain organ health?

For healthy organs, practices such as Baddha Konasana, Tadasana, Uttanasana, Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Halasana, and Shashankasana are beneficial. For knee and leg health, practice Utthita Trikonasana, Uttanasana, and Gulp Naman Kriya. For back health, practice Tadasana, Bharadvajasana, Jathara Parivartanasana, and Markatasana. For cervical health, practice Griva Shakti Vikasak 1, 2, 3, and 4, along with Skandhchakra. For brain health, Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Uttanasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Bhramari, and Nadi Shodhana pranayama are highly beneficial.

It’s said that you have helped many people control addiction through yoga. Is that true?

Yes, many people struggling with addiction come to us. We incorporate yoga into their daily routine for a few months, and practices like Purvottanasana, Supta Baddha Konasana, Supta Sukhasana, Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, and Setubandhasana help them overcome addiction.