Kundalini Yoga Foot Massage Reflexology

Refresh. Relax. Reflexology. Foot Massage ala Kundalini Yoga

The object is to stimulate every nerve ending in the soles of your feet. There are 72,000 of them. The pressure of the fingers on the feet during the massage relaxes the whole body, as each place on the foot corresponds to a different area of the body .

Wash your feet, preferably with cold water to awaken the nerves. Get comfortable. Rub some oil or cream between your palms and begin the massage process. A 15 minute massage on each foot offers a good 30 minute meditation.

1st foot: 
Begin with the toes. The massage technique is to twist and pull each “section” (between the knuckles) of every toe.

Start at the base of the big toe; grasp it with the thumb and forefinger and, using a twisting motion, massage in between the big toe and the next toe. Without changing the position of the fingers as pressure is applied, pull upward.
Next, move up to the middle section of the big toe, massage/twist several times and pull up.
Keep the movement, up to the uppermost section of the big toe.

Next, continue on to the next toe. Repeat the massage motion over each section of toe.

After massaging the toes, next is to massage the rest of the foot. Try to touch the entire surface.
Use your thumbs, fingers, even your knuckles in a slow and powerful circular motion.

Start under the big toe and work your away across the foot until you reach the base of the little toe.
Then move down and massage your way across to the other side.
Go left and right, right and left, from one side of the foot to the other, slowly moving downward  to the heel.
Finish with a massage of the ankles on either side of the Achilles tendon, then briefly squeeze and release that tendon at least once.

Once you have completed the first foot, be sure to spend the same amount of time on the second foot. Otherwise you will be unbalanced.

Add Ons
Hold all the toes in your hand and flex them forward and back.

Massage up and down an imaginary line running from the middle of the heel to directly underneath the middle toe. This is a “life-line” and includes your kidneys.

Knead the feet, as a baker kneads bread dough.

To finish each foot, pat the sole briskly with the palm of your hand.
Then using both hands, starting at the heel, gently draw your fingers up both sides of the foot (top and sole) as if pulling out any remaining tension.

End by pulling up and away from the top of the toes, and then shake your hands out to release all the tension you pulled from your feet.

Invoke the spirit of Mother Earth with your own body.

As I travel from one part of the earth to another part of the earth, I set my intentions for connection. A dear friend recommended this meditation to me a few years ago after having a frightful incident during the revolution. I use it now when I need to connect to the earth before I travel. ps: do this on the ground, not a tree stump ;-0

Old Gypsy Way of Calling on the Spirit of Mother Earth

This meditation will connect and calm you.

Posture: Sit in Easy Pose with a straight spine, and a light Neck Lock.

Mudra: Raise the arms up 60 degrees from horizontal, elbows and wrists straight. Stretch the body forward slightly from the plane of the body. The angle of the palms follows the angle of the arms. The fingers are straight and together, thumbs relaxed.

Visualization: Imagine a flame at the Heart Center. Do not move.

Breath: Breathe consciously, long and deep.

Time: 3 minutes.

To End: Inhale deeply with a prayer for the loftiness of Creator Mother Earth and peace. Hold for 15 seconds. Exhale. Inhale deeply. Feel in your heart the blessing of the Divine Mother. Hold for 15 seconds. Exhale. Inhale deep. Feel the taste of the sweetness of life. Hold for 15 seconds. Exhale.

Yogi Bhajan originally taught us this meditation on July 4, 1994

Part 2: Inhale Deeply, In This Air? Living in Pollution.

Part 2 Simple Home Remedies To Survive in the Pollution of Cairo

Morning after Tahrir Square conflicts,
the tear  gas permeates
downtown streets.

Just when we think the Cairo black cloud couldn't get any worse, it does. I live next to downtown and since the Revolution, we have a new element to add to the pollution mix: tear gas.

As I mentioned before, the main route for air pollutants is through the nose, mouth and throat. The nose is very efficient at trapping and holding some inhaled pollutants. I have many yogic strategies that I use daily to maintain some sense of healthy eye, nose and throat health in our polluted city.

Here Are Simple Home Remedies For A Pollution Pound of Cure. All ingredients are available everywhere throughout Cairo.

THROAT AND LUNGS

Irritating dry cough:
Depending on the intensity of your cough and lung problems, you can try some of these remedies. 

Ginger, Garlic Tea (Zanjabeel, Tome)
Ginger and garlic tea not only soothes the throat, it also loosen the mucus membrane, and clears chest congestion.

To Prepare: Take a chunk of fresh ginger root and cut into small slices. Add the juice of garlic cloves and small amount of lemon juice into boiling water. Boil it for about 15 to ­20 minutes. Strain the liquid and keep it aside. Add a little amount of honey. The lemon juice loosens the cough and soothes the breath.

Aniseed (Yansoon)
Anise tea is effective for severe coughs (especially dry cough). This tea loosens mucous and melts cough accumulation in the chest. It also improves breathing system and chest congestion.

To Prepare: Grind the seeds if you have a grinder or keep them whole if you don’t. Boil some water, add the seeds or the powdered seeds, steep for 10 minutes or longer. Strain and enjoy hot or at room temperature.

Grapes ('inab)
Grape juice combined with honey is a fast relief for a dry cough. Grapes play important role in loosening cough and mucus and cleans it out. Juice fresh grapes and (if you want) add some honey.

Orange (Bortoân)
Freshly prepared orange juice is a good remedy for a severe cough. Drink it as soon as you juice it. To prevent a sour stomach, don't drink orange or citrus juice in the evening hours.

EYES

Home Remedies for Eye Care

Potato (Batatas)
Potato can keep eyes healthy. For weekly eye care, take a potato slice and put one over each eye for 10­ to 15 minutes. Potato keeps eyes stress free and lustrous.

Cucumber (Khiar)
Cucumber is the same as potato to promote eye health. Put a small round slice of cucumber over your closed eyes. Relax for 10-­15 minutes.

OVERALL, KEEP A BALANCED DIET AND LIFESTYLE

Follow a Diet High in Antioxidants

Antioxidants help the body clear oxidants away before cell injuries can occur. They also inhibit enzymes that cause cancer, and help the body repair the damage done by oxidants. There are many antioxidants including folic acid and vitamin C.


Eat plenty of green vegetables and fresh fruits. Fruits rich in Vitamin A are essential for healthy eyes and proper eye sight. Citrus fruits, along with vegetables like tomato, spinach are good for eye care, and make eyes healthy.

Foods high in vitamin E are excellent sources of antioxidants. Foods high in vitamin E include vegetable oils, nuts and green leafy vegetables.

Drink water and freshly fruit juice.
Water and fresh juices keep your body hydrated and have positive effects in keeping eyes and the entire body system healthy and glowing.


Drink green tea.
It is a natural antioxidant. Green tea is better than black tea because it is less processed and contains higher levels of antioxidants. Steeping the tea for about five minutes releases over 80 percent of the antioxidants in tea - called catechins.

Avoid caffeine, any type of oily and spicy food, sugar, chocolates, etc.
Any type of cold drink, ice cream should also be avoided.

Part 1: Inhale Deeply, In This Air? Living in Pollution.

Part 1: Daily Maintenance Routine To Survive in the Pollution of Cairo

Garbage piles up in the streets of Cairo.

I'm one of the lucky ones in Cairo that can still open my windows in the early morning hours to catch the breeze of cooler temperatures. But, it's that time of year and the smells of Cairo are harsher than ever before. The farmers are burning the rice stubble and our air quality takes an even harsher temper.

Every year, we hear that there are crack-downs on farmers burning their fields. Yet, every year, the haze in the air…and yes it looks and smells different from the typical Cairo haze…turns a murky white and becomes unbearable to breath.

The main route for air pollutants is through the nose, mouth and throat. The nose is very efficient at trapping and holding some inhaled pollutants. I have many yogic strategies that I use daily to maintain some sense of healthy eye, nose and throat health in our polluted city.

Here is my Daily Routine For A Pollution Pound of Cure:

LUNGS, THROAT

1) First thing, after waking up in the morning:
Brush your teeth and your tongue. Brush all the way back to the root of the tongue to remove toxins. Brushing to the back of the tongue will make you gag. This is good because it releases the mucus that collects in the throat at night. Yogi Bhajan called the glands at the back of the throat the "monkey glands."

The gagging reflex causes the eyes to water, and will help maintain good vision and prevent cataracts. You want to get rid of the mucus and toxins before you drink anything so the toxins don't go into the intestines and cause diseases.

2) After brushing your teeth, prepare for your Cold Shower called ishnaan or hydrotherapy. When you get into a habit, you will crave a cold shower first thing in the morning. You can turn the water to warm after several minutes to wash your hair and body.

EYES

The main route for air pollutants is through
the nose, mouth and throat. 

Itchy Eyes:
1) One best asana for eyes is to fill your mouth with cold water and hold the water in your mouth. Splash your eyes with cool or slightly warm water about 15 times. Then, spit out the water from your mouth. Repeat a few times to take away itching or stinging. Do NOT use hot water.

2) The soles of your feet are a direct link to the soul of your eyes. The life nerve runs from the tip of our big toe to our optical nerve.

Make the clean connection: wash your feet. After a long day, I always wash my feet with warm and then cold water before I go to bed. This five minute routine not only help my eyes, it calms me for a relaxing sleep and washes off all the pollution picked up from Cairo streets. Once you're in bed, rub a little scented oil into your feet. You can get some very nice oils from the Nefertiti line.

3) Always keep your eyes clean, but do not rub your eyes directly with your hands to prevent other pollutants to enter. Use a tissue. Say no to smoking, as this too causes severe eye ­related disease.

NOSE

Gray or black boogers: 
Black/Gray Mucus happens in the city because of pollution in the air. The job of the mucus is to trap dirt or other particles and prevent them from getting into the body.

Every night before I go to bed, I clean my nose passages thoroughly. Some nights it is frightening at the amount of black stuff that comes out. Besides using tissues or a soft cloth, I use a neti pot.

The Proper Way to Use A Neti Pot

DO NOT USE TAP WATER in your Neti. Tap water contains trace amounts of bacteria and protozoa, which is usually not a problem when you drink the water because your stomach acid does its job. But, when you are washing those organisms into your nasal passages, very bad outcomes can result.

Brass neti pot hand-made from artisan in Khan Khalili

Use only distilled or sterile water, which you can buy in pharmacies here in Egypt.  The label will state “distilled” or “sterile.” If you need to use tap water, then bring it to a rolling boil for 5 minutes, cool it until it is lukewarm.

Use regular salt or specific neti pot salt only. Do not use iodized salt since it can cause irritation. Store the salt in a sealed container to prevent contamination.

Always make sure your neti pot is disinfected before using. Clean it thoroughly after each use with soap and hot water, and store it upright in a well-ventilated area, such as the bathroom counter. It must have a chance to dry out completely before the next use.


Don't share your neti pot with others to avoid passing germs.

Brass neti pot hand-made from artisan in Khan Khalili

50 types of breaths

A view of Cairo from Al Azhar Park

There are 50 types of breaths corresponding to 50 types of propensities.

Among these, 49 types of breath are for material enjoyment,

and the remaining one, the short and feeble breath, is for God-realization.

-- Paramahamsa Hariharananda, Kriya Yoga

*** BREATH NOW ****

Practicing Long Deep Breathing

LONG DEEP BREATHING – Either sitting in easy pose or corpse pose, relax your chest and shoulders.

Draw a long deep breath through your nose.
Inhale, filling the abdomen, or even pushing it out. As the muscles of the abdomen draws down the diaphragm, consciously move the air down into the lower area of the chest cavity.

Feel the lungs filling in and through the chest. Imagine a big pitcher slowly filling with water. You are filling your lungs with air, starting at the bottom and slowly reaching the top.

Once the lungs are completely filled in this manner, hold the breath lightly for a moment. Don't lock your neck or tense your body. Just suspend the breath.

Then as you exhale, rather than contracting the chest, slowly allow the abdomen to shrink back, your abdomen will move in towards your spine. Contract the entire length of the diaphragm, from the upper chest to the abdomen, so that all the air is squeezed out.

some stability returns

The last few days have been a blur. I struggled with dehydration and fought with friends that I would not end up in hospital. Fortunately, my prayers are powerful, and so is my projection. It's all illusion, and I know me best. Though it was touch and go, I have cleared what needed to be cleared so far.

With the exception of the one day that I had to reduce the times of each posture to 1 or 2 minutes, I'm back to the half times. Despite all these physical set backs, I feel stronger. My mental stability is centered and present moment.

Yogi Bhajan: "God gave you the body with praana and apaana. Apaanas are there to eliminate negativity. People who have strong praana and do not have equally strong apaana are very cluttered people. They do not know how to eliminate things and elimination is very important. It is the balance of praana and apaana which creates the power of the Shashmana, the central being, the equilibrium being. The Supreme being will awaken in you only when the praana and apaana both work together. One gives the power and the other eliminates negativeity: all you will be left with is the plus."

**from "Praana, Praannee, Praanayam"

praana vayus

Yogi Bhajan: "As a human, you have three forces in you: praana, udyaana, and apaana. If you can control those three vayus, the rest of the vayus will automatically come into alignment. According to the (ancient) scientific facts, the entire functioning of the body is not muscular and is not nervous either, it is by those airs.

"The force which gives you life is called praana. The force which maintains you is call udyaana. The force which is the eliminating faculty in you, is called apaana. So these forces are the principle vayus, powerful air currents. Udyaana relates to your nervous system. Praana gives you energy and apaana takes away what is not needed by you. These are three automatics and you can have conscious control of them if you are conscious enough."

**taken from "Praana, Praanee, Praanayam" ***