By Nandhiji

Stress is caused by our mind being on overdrive. It is often because of grief, worry, anxiety and/or anger about a real-life situation. It can also be our perception of fear, emotions or our memories. The mind itself is in a cycle of natural ups and downs and sometimes illness.

Here are five yogic tips from the mystic wisdom of the Siddha Sages.

1. Harnessing breath, glide the mind.

Understand that breath is the only real belonging we have, while alive. Breath is a key influence behind the mind that produces optimal thoughts. If breath is utilized as a prayer to connect to Source, the outcome is a mind that is pristine, calm and in harmony. Slowing down the breath enables our mind to slip out of stress.

Inhale from the root chakra (from the perineum) and retain breath. Think of Source/ God/ Void and surrender the mind in its intent and the thoughts of stress.
Retain the breath for as long as you can, allowing all thought, good and bad to disappear in the void.
Breathe out slowly with the affirmation "I am."
Follow this cycle of breath for however long possible or even all the time- as this yogi breath awakens our highest wisdom while creating the core space of tranquility, harmony, fearlessness and clarity of the mind.
Do the Siddha Pranayama yogic breath work (YouTube video here).

2. Meditate to attain the Knowing.

Our inability to see or know with clarity often times is stress. To attain perfection and genius in what we do, meditate to attain a mind of clarity. It is important to 'Know' and 'see' the bigger picture first- even if in this process we do not have all the information. Meditation often awakens our intuitive abilities to ‘see’ beyond our limited mind. Invoke your Teachers/Masters in your meditation with focus on the third eye seeking guidance of the highest that aligns to our heart. Meditation teaches us the magical now moment of action and infinite patience.

To see the larger picture with a meditative mind is much like visualizing a target. We want to lock our focus before starting a task, venture or journey. Once started with a task or intent you visualizing striving to attain the 'flow.' This 'flow' means, being inspired in the doings, loving the now moment with mindfulness and allowing ourselves to connect the dots by bringing our focus with passion and will. A meditative mind helps us ‘fly’ over realities. Our action as work and doings from mindfulness helps us ‘glide.' A good meditation to practice is the SivaSivaa Siddha Chakra Meditation teachings, you can learn more about them here.

3. Take a break to celebrate your Source unions and Clap!

As we strive in our work it is only natural to sometimes have a mental block. Its vital to remind ourselves to play in between our work if we are not able to make our work, play. Here are a few steps to attain the flow:

Stop work for a little minute! Rub both of your palms together, feel your reverence to your highest self and have gratefulness to Source/God/Universe.
Sing a mantra, a prayer or an inspiring song from the heart.
Clap your hands with your heart song's rhythm and feel the connective flow of your joy state.
Rejoice and relax in the states of joyfulness while you clap.
Make it a prayer to let go of your worries and stress.
Know that as the river flows into the ocean, your thoughts too flow naturally - guided by your joy states.
Awaken to our creativity!

4. Awaken to our higher conscious mind through daily yoga.

Do yoga as a meditative inner journey of breath, visualization, mantras and chanting. When we do yoga to journey within and expand our consciousness, we are surrendering our mind, body and breath to Source as prayers. The best time to do yoga is at the start of the day, so our mind is placed as higher perch. The ‘higher perch’ of the mind refers to a meditative mind that is able to perceive realities with calm and core harmony while still able to make decisions that have optimal results. Yoga and meditation, apart from allowing our mind to be stress free also gifts us with a mind that is trained to focus and to hold that focus for a longer period of time.

Points to observe while doing yoga that help reduce stress:

Know breath and the journey through breath while doing yoga.
Within every posture and posture sequence is a core harmony- the zero point- where we have surrendered to the process. Let go of the mind and thoughts here to simply be in the vibrancy of calm.
Bring attention to awareness and mindfulness through the process. Like the mind of a monk that is tranquil and in the magical Now. This state of mind is called the state of ‘turiya’ by the yogis. Genius and optimal thoughts spring from the superconscious mind states of ‘turiya’ referred to by the yogis as the ‘sleepless sleep.’

5. Attain and recite mantras or a mantra that ‘cooks’ your Inner Fire.

It is said that when we pray we are talking to God and when we meditate, we listen to God. When we chant our mantras, we are doing both- praying and meditating simultaneously. Our stress has a reason that might or might not be caused by actual realities but when we hold a mantra by reciting it, we are intensifying our prayers to Source/God/Infinite to remedy the cause of stress. Awaken the inner fire by way of reciting mantras. When we recite a mantra, we are changing the inner structure of our mind and it's thoughts. Mantras are vibratory fields that have been passed on by Gurus to disciples over thousands of years to transfer consciousness. When chanting the mantras, we are awakening our inner fire that serves as a vortex of Light that protects, guides and assists us.

6. Deep sleep and the incubation of the mind.

To sleep well and deep is a major battle won on stress. A rested mind is potent in attaining the optimal thoughts and apt wiser decisions. Utilize a pivotal vortex moment of before sleep to enter into sleep state and you will emerge the next day into the awake state with this yogic teaching. Stress must be eliminated before sleeping so we can have the deep sleet needed to rest the mind and body.

Tips:

Have a bath/shower, if not, wash our face, especially the forehead. Washing with water cuts energy chords of past emotions, tiredness and fatigue. Water can be used as an energy cleanse.
Select from your bedside a spiritual, philosophical or scriptural read.
If we do not have a book, simply chant a mantra of your heart and surrender the mind to Source/God.
Turn you body onto the left side and read a book of higher vibrations or chant the mantras. Laying on the left stimulates the breath that induces deeper relaxation to prepare for sleep.
As we read/ chant, sleep will kick in soon and it will come to us in different ways.
Tell sleep to go away and tell ourselves even if it is till dawn and we do not have to sleep, no worries. Nobody ever died of lack of sleep. In this self hypnosis, we are dissolving the fear of a night without sleep.
Continue reading/ chanting. Sleep will come like a tiger growling. Do not worry, continue reading.
Sleep will come as a little puppy saying, “Pick me up.". Do not give in :)))))
Now when we feel ready to descend into sleep, sit up a moment and recite a mantra as a prayer and setting the intention that our subconsciousness is Source connected in sleep.
Descend into our heart as we chant the mantra and welcome in sleep.
Allow all realities to correct and align themselves to the vast infinite Universe as we sleep in the womb of Light.
In the morning:
- Rub your palms together. Acknowledge our left palm as our birth or adopted mother and our rIght palm as our birth/adopted father - and place your palms over your eyelids, receive the blessings of your first Gurus.
- Rub your palms together and ignite your sacred mantra that you were chanting the night before. Acknowledge your left palm as our Cosmic Mother who will take care of your needs and is protective and your right palm as the Cosmic Father infinity. Receive the blessings.
- Set an intention to be the Yogi and climb above to adorn the eagle mind of consciousness.
- Be the Sun that shines. Each breath, Source connected!

You can learn more about Nandhiji's teachings by visiting www.nandhi.com.