Can we change our personality?

Our personality was learned as a result of the experiences you have been through. Whatever unwanted behavior you don’t like now might be nothing more than a coping strategy your mind developed to help you achieve a certain goal.

Just like this coping strategy was developed it can also be unlearned. Of course it takes some time and a lot of persistence to change your personality but the good news is that you are able to change it.

Personality is to overcome things, learn from them and become stronger, both personally and professionally. To be honest, I welcome those hardships.

1. Online Personality test myth :  It happens often that someone searches for an online personality test then ends up frusted of thinking that the quiz results are facts that can’t be changed.

In fact you can change your personality if you wanted to provided that you know the right way to do it.

2. Genes affect personality myth : I found many  people who wonder whether they can build self confidence or not because of believing that self confidence and similar good traits has something to do with their genes. This belief that states that a person is stuck because of his genes doesn’t only prevent him from growing but it also prevents him from developing essential life skills that are vital to building his self confidence.

The second very important fact is that the presence of one gene can limit the function of another gene completely even if those genes were not related at all. This means that even if you have a certain gene you might not be affected by it at all because another gene is limiting its effect.

The conclusion was can make is that looking at only one gene and believing that you are stuck because of it is a big mistake.

In short, yes personality can be changed.

To be able to change your personality you must understand it

Most people think that they understand themselves well while in fact many of the personality change attempts fail as a result of lack of self understanding.

A behavior that has been bothering you for years can be changed if you understood what’s causing the behavior in the first place.

Lets take the example of the a girl who wears high heels in order to feel beautiful. Of course when you ask her why she only wears high heels, she will never tell you “I look taller and beautiful” because most probably she won’t be aware of the fact that beauty encompasses beyond wearing high heels.

Now if that she tried hard to change her  behavior using all possible methods she might never succeed until she finds another way to help herself satisfy the need to feel like a beautiful girl.

In short,Our attempts to change our personalities will not work before we understand the underlying dynamics behind our behaviors and attitudes.

Next : How to change your personality?

 

On the day when you’re tired of life.

She is tired of running after making money, he is tired of running after relationships, tired of running after competitions and then fell down and realised that they couldn’t go on any more. Seen and bearing an overwhelming burden of troubles and responsibility. They have already seen it all, can do it all and want nothing except to rest in peace.

And then they suddenly start to see life in a different way. It often happens against a background of too much work, of feeling completely run-down and experiencing ridiculous levels of stress. When you’ve ended up in a hospital, you end up understand a thing or two about life.

Tired people, bit by bit, are the ones who manage to change everything, and change themselves. They learn to live again, managing to subjugate their circumstances to themselves, their own needs and requirements, their desires, and their biological clock. They take full control of their life by not trusting the moods and decisions of their employers. They they take up watercolour painting and read lots of books; they learn to cook; they go for walks in a park and play with their kids. They learn how to just breathe again, having understood that having enough money for just one handbag, as it turns out, is quite enough.

They learn to live here and now, enjoying every minute.

This is why for quite a long time already we’ve had such terms as ’downshifting’ and anti-consumerist societies; this is why freelancing and spending winters in huts in India is so popular.

Shallow Success

Success. This definition of it, the whole idea of it, is arguably one of the biggest lies we ever get told in our lives.

None of this stuff is important.

But the only people who can realise it are the people who are deeply tired of life, for whom nothing matters as much as peace of mind. The chance to not have to run anywhere, not to prove anything to anybody. To live, rather than just survive till the end.

Avoid the “I Just Need To Work Harder” Trap

If you tend to react to stress, struggling, or exhaustion by attempting to just work harder, try slowing down instead.

As above, you’re likely already trying your best. Telling yourself that the answer to solving your problems is just working harder isn’t likely to be an accurate thought.

The trap here is that by telling yourself the problem is not working hard enough, you’re likely to close yourself off to trying new ways of coping. An example I see in my practice all the time is people who respond to overeating by telling themselves they just need to try harder to stick to their diet next time. By attributing the problem to not trying hard enough, they try to solve it throughwillpower rather than seeking other strategies.

 

Antibiotics

Sadhguru on Antibiotic

After watching “Global antibiotics ‘revolution’ needed” on BBC just an hour ago made me realise “How much ever antimicrobial resistance revolution will be there,  the bacteria will try to come back with more strength. Isn’t it thought provoking news “Superbugs, resistant to antimicrobials, are estimated to account for 700,000 deaths each year. But modelling up to the year 2050, by Rand Europe and auditors KPMG, suggests 10 million people could die each year – equivalent to one every three seconds.” And,  you know who is saying that, “the second largest industry on earth Medicine

It’s a scary movie cliché – the good guy does everything he can to kill the bad guy, and no matter what he tries, the bad guy just keeps getting back up, bloody and mangled, but still alive somehow. Eventually, the hero deals one final blow, and the evildoer dies.

Health care is a lot like these scary movies. Doctors fight the villains – let’s say bacteria – with all the tools they have – in our case, a slew of antibiotics. The bacteria fight to live, but eventually the antibiotics prove too powerful. The bacteria and the resulting infection die, and we live. Yay for modern medicine!

But you know how where there’s a bad guy, there’s always a sequel in the making where he’s not really dead? In the health care world, we’re moving rapidly toward that same scenario. The bugs that are infecting us are transforming into superbugs, impervious to all known antibiotics. Health care leaders across the globe are warning that many of the bacteria that harm us are growing resistant to the drugs we’ve been using to combat them.

Humor Therapy for Cancer

Many of us feel awkward in joking in front of terminally ill patients. Many may even consider it inappropriate or insensitive. However, it has been known scientifically that the best thing you can do to your friends is to provide a humorous environment and let them “forget” about their condition. Sitting and feeling sorry for their condition will not help them much.

Dr. Michael B. Van Scoy-Morsher, an oncologist in California says that “one characteristic of the cancer patient who does well is the ability to often put cancer in the background for periods of time.

In his book “Intoxicated by My Illness,” Anatole Broyard wrote aboutthe final months of his life after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He stated that “Illness is primarily a drama, and it should be possible to enjoy it as well as to suffer it. . . . . Illness,” after all, “is not all tragedy. Much of it is funny.”

Humor Therapy

A Healthy Dose of Laughter

I read that a child laughs 400 times a day on the average, while an adult laughs only 15 times each day. Which is puzzling since laughter feels so good and is so good for us!

You may know the benefits of laughter on the mind and spirit, but are you aware of how much a good laugh can help you physically? Norman Cousins used to say that laughter is so bene­ficial for your body that it is like “inner jog­ging.”

Mayo Clinic (Mayo Clinic Health Letter, March 1993) reports that laughter aids breathing by disrupting your normal respiration pattern and in­creasing your breathing rate. It can even help clear mucus from your lungs.

Laughter is also good for your heart. It in­creases circulation and improves the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to tissues throughout your body.

A good laugh helps your immune system fight off colds, flu and sinus problems by increas­ing the concentration of immunoglobulin A in your sa­liva. And it may help control pain by rais­ing the levels of certain brain chemicals (endorphins).

Furthermore, it is a natural stress reliever. Have you ever laughed so hard that you doubled over, fell off your chair, spit out your food or wet your pants? You cannot maintain muscle tension when you are laughing!

The good news is that you are allowed more than 15 laughs a day! Go ahead and double the dose and make it 30 times today. (You may begin to no­tice immediate improvement in your relationships!) Then double it again! You are bound to feel better, you will cope with problems more effectively and people will enjoy being around you.

Laughter: it’s just good medicine :))))

 

Shoyeido from Japan

Some people have trouble with allergies and asthma when burning incense. If that is the case, try switching to a high-quality, Japanese incense like Shoyeido, which leaves almost no ash behind and has a very clean smoke. You might also try diffusing essential oils. Experiment with different formulations to achieve the right influence in your life.

Deeper meaning of Gomukhasana (Cow-face Pose)

Goumukhasan or Cow pose by Katrine Naled 

Gomukhasana – गोमुखासन (Cow-face Pose)

Why would we want to twist our body into the shape of a cow’s face? Sometimes the Sanskrit name of a pose can reveal a hidden intention or unexpected aspect of the posture. Gomukhasana translates literally as “cow’s face pose.” Go is a root word that refers to the senses, because they nourish the conscious mind, just as cow’s milk nourishes our body. Mukha means passageway or an aspect of something. Combining the two words we see that gomukha refers to the art of working with the senses as a gateway to a deeper aspect of the mind.

 

Translation:  The name comes from the Sanskrit words Gow (गो, Go) meaning “cow”, Mukha(मुख, mukha) meaning “face” or “mouth”, and Asana (आसन, Āsana) meaning “posture” or “seat”.

Step-by-Step:

1. Start in a cross-legged sitting posture
2. Bring the right foot on the outside of the left thing and slide the foot close to the left hip
3. Bring the left ankle by the side of the right hip. Try to make sure that both the knees are one over the other.
4. Make the effort to slide both the feet as far back as comfortable
5. Try to keep the spine straight and vertical and the head facing forward
6. Raise the right arm and bring the hand over the shoulder
7. Wrap the left arm behind the back. Try to grasp the left hand with the right hand behind the back, joining the fingers of the two hands together.
8. In the beginning you may find it difficult to hold the two hands together; however, with practice, you should gradually be able to do so. In case you are unable to hold the hands, you may like to use a strap holding it with the two hands and trying to close the gap between the two hands.

 

1. Stay in the final pose for about 10-12 breaths.
2. Release the hands and stretch the legs straight, bounce the knees a few times.
3. Repeat the asana in the other direction, this time folding the left leg and placing the left foot on the outside of the right thigh.
4. Bring the right ankle by the side of the left hip. Make sure that the knees are above each other. Try to slide the feet as far back as comfortable.
5. Raise the left arm and place the hand over the left shoulder
6. Wrap the right arm behind the back. Try to grasp the left hand with the right hand behind the back, joining the fingers of the two hands together.
7. Straighten the back and hold the head upright and facing the front
8. Remain in the final pose for about 10-12 breaths
9. Finally release the post and relax in a comfortable cross-legged sitting posture

Variations:

1. In the final pose, you may bend forward and try to bring the chest close to the knees
2. In a slightly different variation, you may keep the position of the knees the same, stretch the arms overhead and then bend forward bringing the forearms on the floor and chest close to the knees
3. Stay in the forward bend for about 4-5 breaths

Benefits:

• Gomukhasana helps induce relaxation.When you feel tired, tense or worried, practicing this asana can help release the tension.
• Stimulates the kidneys
• Helpful in relieving ailments like diabetes, high blood pressure, and sexual malfunction
• Helps remove stiffness in the spine, neck and shoulders.
• Develops the chest and improves breathing
• Stretches the muscles of the lower back, buttocks and the knees and helps with backache, sciatica and rheumatism

**Cautions and Contra-indications:
If you have sciatica, be cautious and use a bolster as it could make it worse.

If sciatica or lower back problems exist, do not fold forward;

Don’t do the pose if you have any serious neck or shoulder problems

Pregnant women should not fold forward after the first trimester as it may put pressure on the belly and the baby.

If there are knee issues or pain, try keeping the lower leg straight. If that is still too difficult, sit cross-legged and fold forward.

Instant Results

End Results Are Secondary To… Instant Results!

I exercise and do yoga to improve my physical and emotional shape. I practice new skills for happiness of my brain cells. I write in order to finish a novel.

But think about this.

• Going to the gym or yoga strengthens my willpower and resolve right now(before my muscles get stronger).

• Practicing new skills strengthens my mental dexterity right now(ex.before I learn French).

• Writing strengthens my communication skills and creativity right now (before I finish the book)

Pursuing a goal improves me right now in ways that could last a lifetime. Positive end results are wonderful, but they’re one-time events. By the time I reach an end result, I might have already gained plenty from its pursuit. Life is about the journey, not because of some wishy-washy sentiment, but because the journey produces the greatest personal growth and benefits.

Ignore “end results” to get more of them!

Of course, I still have to do things, but I dissected in not having to achieve a positive end result completely dissolves most resistance to action.

Is it easier to write a few pages of a story idea or to write a  blog ? Is it easier to make my entire house spotless or to “improve this area a little bit?” Is it easier to give a speech that ends in a 5 minute standing ovation or “to do my best and forget the rest?”

When we let go of our need for great end results, we unlock the power of the present moment to instantly make us into slightly better, more skilled people. When we obsess over that perfect result, we hesitate to try, we undervalue the power of resultless practice, and we stunt our potential in a haze of fantasy. Anyone can fantasize about doing great things, or reaching their fullest potential, but the only ones who get close are (ironically) those who move their gaze from the trophy and to the unimpressive, unheralded steps required to get it.

I’ll bet that we’re human and thus, there’s an area of our life that could be better. Beware! These areas are at the greatest risk for “result-wishing.” We want that promotion, that trophy husband or wife, that popular blog, that number on the scale, that level of musical mastery, that level of fitness, that respect from our peers, that dream house, that income, that happiness. Whatever it may be, be open to it happening and believe it’s possible, but don’t let our desire for it blind us to what’s possible now.

End results are the trophy. But we won’t get the trophy unless win the race. And we won’t win the race unless develop those subtle skills and improvements that come from trying your best regardless of results.This isn’t a call to drop our dreams and settle for less, it’s a call to step up and give ourself a chance to reach your dreams.

Bhastrika Pranayama

Bhastrikā (pronounced bha-STRI-kaah),is an important breath exercise in yoga and pranayama. It is sometimes treated as a kriya or ‘cleansing action’ along with kapalabhatito clear the airways in preparation for other pranayama techniques. Bhastrika involves a rapid and forceful inhalation and exhalation powered by the movement of the diaphragm. The movement of air is accompanied by an audible sound. One inhale and exhale equals one round of bhastrika and it may be repeated for many consecutive rounds. B. K. S. Iyengar explains that the similar “process or kriyā of kapālabhāti is a milder form of Bhastrikā Prāṇāyāma. Swami Sivananda describes the process: “inhale and exhale quickly ten times like the bellows of the blacksmith. Constantly dilate and contract. When you practise this Pranayama a hissing sound is produced. The practitioner should start with rapid expulsions of breath following one another in rapid succession. When the required number of expulsions, say ten for a round, is finished, the final expulsion is followed by a deepest possible inhalation. The breath is suspended as long as it could be done with comfort. Then deepest possible exhalation is done very slowly. The end of this deep exhalation completes one round of Bhastrika”.

Inhale while raising up your both hands

Exhale with force by making

Importance of name

Bhastrika Pranayama is one of the main forms of Pranayama. In Sanskrit, Bhastrika means the ‘bellows’. It is said to purify the mind and clear pranic blocks. Rapid succession of forcible expulsion is a characteristic feature of Bhastrika.

Technique

Sit in any steady asana – Padmasana, Siddhasana and Vajrasana are ideal for the practice. Keep the body erect and close the mouth. Inhale and exhale in rapid succession. During this process a hissing sound is produced. Start with say 10 inhalations and exhalations per round. It can be increased over a period of time. Some practitioners even do it till they get perspiration. Some practice Bhastrika along with Kumbhaka (holding of the breath) at the end of the last exhalation. To do this, take a deep breath after the last exhalation and hold the breath inside for as long as comfortable. Then exhale and start breathing normally. This will constitute one round.

Benefits

• Bhastrika pranayama increases the oxygen content in the blood. Extra oxygen replenishes the entire body
• It removes blockages in the nose and chest
• It is good for asthma patients and removes inflammation of the throat
• It increases the gastric fire and improves appetite
• Bhastrika when practiced with Kumbhaka can generate heat in the body and keep it warm in cold weather
• It improves general health and activates all the organs
• Bhastrika purifies the nadis or the energy (pranic) channels in the body, ensuring free flow of prana to all the organs in the body

Anuloma Viloma Pranayama – Alternate Nostril Breathing

यथा सिंहो गजो वयाघ्रो भवेद्वश्यः शनैः शनैः |
तथैव सेवितो वायुरन्यथा हन्ति साधकम || १५ ||

yathā siṃho ghajo vyāghro bhavedvaśyaḥ śanaiḥ śanaiḥ |
tathaiva sevito vāyuranyathā hanti sādhakam || 15 ||

Meanining : Just as lions, elephants and tigers are controlled by and by, so the breath is controlled by slow degrees,
otherwise  – Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Anuloma Pranayama (अनुलोम प्राणायाम) is one of several Pranayama or breath exercises used in the practice of Hatha yoga. Anu roughly translates as “with” and Loma means hair implying “with the grain” or “natural”. It is the opposite of Viloma Pranayama(विलोम प्राणायाम) which means against the grain.

How to do Anuloma Viloma Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing):

 

1. Sit in a steady asana. Padmasana is most suited for the practice.Siddhasana and Vajrasana may also be used, else You may sit in Sukhasana(easy asnasa)
2. Close the right nostril with your thumb and draw in air from the left nostril. Do this as slowly as you can, till your lungs are full.
3. Now release the thumb and close the left nostril with your ring finger. Then breathe out slowly through the right nostril.
4. Next take the air in from the right nostril and then release it through the left nostril (after closing the right nostril with the thumb).
5. This is one round of Anulom Vilom Pranayama.
6. Start with 5 rounds and increase it up to 20 rounds in one sitting.
7. Also, the duration of inhalation can start from 2 seconds and go up to 20 seconds or even beyond.
8. One can have one sitting in the morning and one in the evening. For advanced practitioners, the yogic texts recommends four sittings – one in the morning, one at noon, one in the evening and one at midnight. But for all practical purposes, two sittings (one in morning and one in evening) are enough.
9. After one has reached a certain level of proficiency, one can addKumbhaka or retention of breath to the practice.

Ratio of Inhalation, Retention and Exhalation

Pranayama practitioners start with the ratio of 1:1 for inhalation and exhalation. For example if you inhale for 4 seconds through one nostril, then the exhalation from the other nostril is also 4 seconds. As you progress, the ratio can be changed to 1:2, which means if inhalation is 4 seconds, then exhalation is 8 seconds.

Once you add Kumbhaka (retention of breath), the ratio can start with 1:1:1. For example, 4 seconds of inhalation, 4 seconds of retention and 4 seconds of exhalation. With further progress, the ratio can be increased to 1:1:2, 1:2:2, 1:4:2, etc. The ratio of 1:4:2 is mentioned in most classic yoga texts. Those who practice advanced ratios of this pranayama, should eat only Satvic food (pure, nourishing and light).

Benefits of Anulom Vilom Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

1. Anuloma Viloma Pranayama cleans the pranic channels and makes the prana flow freely in the entire body. The nadis or the pranic energy channels are purified. Hence this pranayama is also called Nadi Shodhana Pranayama.
2. Purification of the energy channels ensures proper supply of pranic energy to all the organs enhancing the overall health of the body.
3. Anulom Vilom Pranyama balances the two main energy channels –Ida and Pingala. It balances the two hemispheres of the brain, bringing about peace and tranquility.
4. When the Ida and Pingala nadis are balanced, it awakens the central channel called Sushumna Nadi.
5. It removes toxins from the body.
6. Prolonged practice of Anuloma Viloma Pranayama leads to next stage of yoga, which is Pratyahara or withdrawal of the senses. This enables the practitioner to progress towards higher practices ofDharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.
7. It can reduce weight in some practitioners depending on their body constitution and is a good practice for obesity.

** The duration of inhalation and expiration depends entirely on the capacity of the practitioner. Start with whatever you are comfortable with – say 4 seconds inhalation and 4 seconds exhalation. Later it can be increased up to 20 seconds or even more.