Articles by Dada Vedaprajinananda on ArticleSnatch.com

Meditation: The Best Remedy For High Blood Pressure

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0500

I had a routine physical examination recently and the doctor was impressed with my blood pressure. Why? Because it was not too high like it is in many of the other people she sees every day. When she learned that I was a vegetarian, she became interested, making a connection between vegetarianism and controlled blood pressure. But the real secret for my good showing on the blood pressure examination has as much to do with meditation, as it does with my vegetarian diet. Meditation is the best remedy, the best medicine for high blood pressure and heart disease, and I haven't missed a day in the last 37 years. Why is meditation so effective against one of the biggest health problems of today? Meditation de-stresses a person. Stress is one of the biggest causes of hypertension, and it is a part of everyday life that everyone has to face. Our ancestors, the proto-human beings who lived thousands of years ago, mainly had physical challenges to deal with. If they saw a large predator, then danger messages were sent to their brains, and then more messages went to the rest of their bodies. **End Summary** Topics: meditation]]> high blood pressure]]> health]]> hypertension]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Dada Vedaprajinananda is a senior teacher with the Ananda Marga meditation society. He is the author of Start Meditation, Stop Smoking and Yoga Weight Loss Secrets.

What Does A Buddhist Monk Do About Pests In The Garden?

Sat, 23 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0500

I am not a Buddhist monk (I am a yogic monk) but this question was asked to me recently and it deserves an answer. Obviously if you have a pest in your garden you have to make a choice whether you are going to take action or not. To kill the pest would seem to go against non harming which is basic to many Eastern religions and philosophies. Not hurting others by thought word or deed is known as Ahimsa, and it is an important value in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and other faiths. The Jains took ahimsa to its limits and some of them said that any kind of agriculture is forbidden because when you plow the soil worms and other small creatures are bound to be killed. So what did they do about this dilemma? I think in most cases they hired other people to plow the soil for them! Clearly this is no solution to the problem. The solution is to have a more practical interpretation of ahimsa. Life feeds on life. Whenever we want to sustain ourselves we have to take some life, whether it be an animal or a plant. **End Summary** Topics: non-violence]]> ahimsa]]> yoga]]> monk]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Dada is a yoga-meditation teacher with over 37 years of experience. He is the author of Yoga Weight Loss Secrets and an editor at the Free Weight Loss Information article directory.

Why Should I Practice Yoga Postures?

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Yoga has become the in thing to do in many places and more people than ever practice it. But I am sure that there are still many people who would like to be convinced that they need yoga. In case you are one of these people, this article was written for you and presents the reasons why a regular practice of yoga postures may be just what you need. The major argument in favor of yoga practice is that it is one of the best ways to relieve stress. While humans of today have far surpassed the achievements of people who lived in a simpler era, we are paying for this intellectual and technological development with a world that is more stressful. Yoga postures and relaxation exercises help to balance a person's body and mind and directly fight against the build up of stress. People suffering from insomnia and other disorders that have a large psychic component benefit greatly when they practice yoga. How can yoga affect your mind? This is a key question and the answer lies in yoga postures which put gentle pressure on the endocrine glands. **End Summary** Topics: yoga practice]]> why practice yoga]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Dada Vedaprajinananda is a principal editor of the Life Weight Loss Article Directory http://www.lifeweightloss.com, a directory with hundreds of articles on health, fitness, weight loss and self-improvement. Read his book Yoga Weight Loss Secrets

Six Tips For Losing Weight

Sun, 15 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Losing weight is not rocket science. All you have to do is increase your exercise and control your eating and you will lose weight. Of course this is easier said than done, but it is possible to do it. Many people give up the effort because they are overwhelmed with so many things to do. Don't eat this, eat this, do this, do that and many other instructions prove to be too much. OK, if you can't follow a whole program then why not make one change at a time in your lifestyle? I will give you a few examples. One of my yoga students came to me and told me that he had just lost 4 kilos (close to 9 pounds) in one month. How did he do it? He just did one thing: he fasted during one day of each week of that month. That's all he did. If you don't like fasting or are not ready for it, then try one experiment with food. Give up eating foods with unnecessary added sugar such as cookies, cakes, candies, soda etc. I tried this recently and lost ten pounds. **End Summary** Topics: losing weight]]> weight loss]]> how to lose weight]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Dada Vedaprajinananda is a yoga and meditation teacher with over 30 years of experience. He is the author of "Yoga Weight Loss Secrets", http://www.yogaweightlosssecrets.com and "Start Meditation, Stop Smoking", http://www.start-meditation-stop-smoking.com

Ahimsa: Not Hurting Others By Thought, Word Or Deed

Thu, 07 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Ahimsa is the first of the moral principles that form the basis of yoga. It means not to hurt others by thought, word or deed. It sounds simple enough, but through the ages there have been different interpretations of Ahimsa and even today there are a lot of questions about the application of this yogic principle. Let's take a look at a definition of Ahimsa that is suitable for the 21st Century. We shouldn't hurt others, but what does this mean? Does others refer to other human beings only, or does it also mean other living beings. In the past, followers of an extreme interpretation of Ahimsa did not even want to plow their land, because they didn't want to kill a worm or other small living beings. In the same vein, some people wore face masks so that they would not kill tiny creatures when they took a breath of air. If this version of Ahimsa was widely adopted, then humans would hardly be able to exist. Later on the idea of not causing pain was restricted to humans only, and the slaughter of animals was considered to be OK. **End Summary** Topics: yoga]]> meditation]]> morality]]> yama]]> niyama]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Dada Vedaprajinananda is a senior yoga teacher with the Ananda Marga spiritual movement http://www.anandamarga.org . He is also a musician and author and you can read and hear his work at his websites: http://www.dadaveda.com and http://www.myspace.com/dadaveda

Yama And Niyama: The Foundation Stones Of Yoga

Sun, 16 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Yoga is more popular now than it has ever been. Famous entertainers and other celebrities practice it and thousands or perhaps millions of other people are also doing yoga exercises in one form or another. Yet, despite this widespread popularity, yoga is still misunderstood. Many people think that yoga is primarily a physical activity, something that they can use to get their body in shape. While it is true that yoga has a great role to play in the physical realm, yoga is much more than this. Yoga is, in its deepest sense, the science of human perfection. It is the means by which a person can attain his or her fullest development: physical, mental and spiritual. Human perfection? This is a tall order. It does not come with just a few stretches of your thighs. While yoga has its external practices and exercises, its true foundation is proper conduct. Proper conduct means living a life that will put you in harmony with the society around you and with your own inner self. When I first began practicing yoga, I told one of my friends about it. He became interested and wanted to begin. **End Summary** Topics: yoga]]> morality]]> yama]]> niyama]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Dada Vedaprajinananda is a senior yoga and meditation teacher with the Ananda Marga Society, http://www.anandamarga.org He is the author of Yoga Weight Loss Secrets, http://www.yogaweightlosssecrets, and Start Meditation, Stop Smoking, http://www.start-meditation-stop-smoking.com

Five Reasons Why You Should Stop Smoking, Now!

Sun, 16 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0400

If you are reading this article it means that you have already thought about stopping smoking. The first step in quitting a habit or in changing your life is to take a firm determination or a vow to yourself that you are going to do something. However, in order to take this first step you have to be convinced that it is the right thing to do. If you need some more reasons why it is time to do something about your smoking habit, here are five things to consider: 1. You can live longer if you stop smoking now According to a study in the British Medical Journal, quitting smoking now could add 7-10 years to your life. No one can be sure that he or she will be alive tomorrow. Anything can happen, due to circumstances beyond our control. Despite this, we should do whatever we can that is within our control to live a long and happy life. You can’t prevent yourself from being injured in an earthquake, but you can prevent yourself from dying due to a smoking related illness. 2. **End Summary** Topics: yoga]]> morality]]> yama]]> niyama]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Dada Vedaprajinananda has been teaching and practicing yoga and meditation since 1970. He is the author of Start Meditation, Stop Smoking and is the editor of a directory with hundreds of articles on health, http://www.lifeweightloss.com

6 Tips For Quitting Smoking

Thu, 29 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0400

If you are currently a smoker, quitting the habit could be one of the most important things you will ever do in the next part of your life. In fact, if you quit now, you will most likely be adding seven years to your life. While many people try to quit and fail, it is not an impossible task. Thousands of people, just like you, have decided to quit and have succeeded. You too can be among the successful former-smokers. Here are six tips that will help you to quit smoking once and for all: 1. Make a vow that you are going to quit smoking from today onwards Success in all spheres of life begins with firm determination. If you are wishy-washy you can never do anything. However, if you make up your mind, once and for all, that you are giving up the habit, whenever a craving comes, you will remember your vow and not give in. 2. Exercise more and get your body in shape If you sit idle there is more chance that you will light up your cigarette and relax. Fill your spare time with sports and vigorous activity. **End Summary** Topics: stop smoking]]> quitting smoking]]> quit smoking]]> tips]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Dada Vedaprajinananda is the author of "Start Meditation, Stop Smoking" http://www.start-meditation-stop-smoking.com . He is also the editor of a directory with hundreds of articles on health, fitness, weight-loss and self-improvement, located at http://www.lifeweightloss.com

How To Meditate With A Mantra

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0400

These days whenever a politician repeats a promise over and over again commentators say that this promise has become a “mantra” for that politician. For the journalists, the word “mantra” means a meaningless phrase that is repeated endlessly. For yogis however, a mantra is a word or collection of words, which has the power of liberating a human being from all limitations. How can the repetition of a word or a few words have the capacity to bring about such miraculous results? It is all based on a simple psychological principle, “as you think, so you become.” If you someone tells you “You’re stupid,” that’s of course a bad insult and will hurt you. However if you start to think “I am stupid,” and keep repeating this phrase over and over, then that is far worse. When someone tells you that you are stupid, then this is a negative outer-suggestion. When you start to think about it, then you are giving yourself, a negative auto-suggestion. If you keep thinking in a negative way, then your personal development will be harmed. Meditation mantras have a positive meaning. **End Summary** Topics: mantra meditation]]> meditate]]> mantra]]> meditation mantra]]> mantras]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Dada Vedaprajinananda has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for the past 35 years. He is the webmaster of the Ananda Marga meditation societyâs website, and is the author of Start Meditation, Stop Smoking and Yoga Weight Loss Secrets

Lose Weight With A Balanced Vegetarian Diet

Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0500

When it comes to healthy weight loss, one of the secrets of success is to eat a balanced diet. Balance here means eating the right amount of nutritious food. In our fast food, take-out world, it is easy to get the quantities wrong and also miss out on the quality as well. So eat when you are hungry but don’t overdo it. Getting back to the basics is important. Instead of snacking constantly during the day, do your best to eat three regular meals. Cook or have your food cooked using wholesome, natural ingredients and then eat with others in a relaxed manner. It is not only a question of what you eat, but how you eat that counts. You may be surprised to know that in France, the land of fatty cheeses and gourmet foods, people in general stay slim. The reason is apparent if you go to a local outdoor market where large quantities of fresh vegetables are sold. The French prepare balanced meals and still manage to eat together more often than their counterparts in the USA. So, sit down with your family and friends and eat nice meals together. **End Summary** Topics: lose weight]]> vegetarian diet]]> vegetarianism]]> vegetarian lifestyle]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Dada Vedaprajinananda has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for the past 35 years. He is the webmaster of the Ananda Marga meditation societyâs website, and is the author of Start Meditation, Stop Smoking and Yoga Weight Loss Secrets

The Greatest Secret Of The Universe

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500

The goal of human life, according to yogis and sages, is to unite one’s individual consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness. This union of one’s small “I” with the Cosmic “I” is also known as yoga. Anyone who has ever tried to meditate knows that achieving the final goal of yoga is not as easy as it sounds. Many people, in fact, give up the pursuit before they reach the goal. Despite this seeming difficulty there is a simple technique that can put the achievement of ultimate bliss within the reach of everyone. Before I reveal the “greatest secret of the universe” it is useful to understand how the process of meditation actually works. “As you think, so you become” is the principle upon which meditation is based. If you think about something that is limited or small, then your mind becomes small. On the other hand, if you forget about the physical world around you, turn your attention within and begin concentrated thinking on an infinite object your mind begins to expand. If you continue the process in a systematic way, regularly every day, then your individual consciousness will one day merge with the Supreme Consciousness. **End Summary** Topics: meditation]]> yoga]]> bliss]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Dada Vedaprajinananda has been practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for the past 35 years. He is the webmaster of the Ananda Marga meditation societyâs website, and is the author of Start Meditation, Stop Smoking and Yoga Weight Loss Secrets

Seven Tips For A Long And Healthy Life

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0500

As good as modern medical technology is, it can never save you from the problems caused by a life style that is unhealthy. Instead of getting a modern medical fix for every problem, it is far better to live in such a way that you will hardly ever fall ill. An ounce of prevention is certainly better than a pound of cure. Here are seven tips on how to live a long and healthy life. In addition, the same life style that helps you to avoid illness also helps you to lose weight. 1. Get Enough Exercise In the past people had to use their physical bodies in the course of their normal work. But today someone may get up, go to work in a car, then sit down, get up to go home in the car and when arriving at home, sit down again for the rest of the day. In such a life there is no physical labor. This physical inactivity is one of the main reasons for a host of diseases. Sport, running. walking and other things must be added to our life if our normal work does not require us to exert ourselves physically. I 2. **End Summary** Topics: health]]> tips]]> longevity]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Dada Vedaprajinananda is a yoga/meditation teacher with over 35 years of experience. He is the main editor of the Life Weight Loss article directory, http://www.lifeweightloss.com , and also the author of Yoga Weight Loss Secrets , an ebook with complete yoga-based instructions for healthy weight loss.