It is one of the oldest purposes in the world. The search for well-being it is a panacea that has taken many forms over the centuries. But it is possible that there have been few moments in history – if any – in which the attempts, practices and methods are as many as now. Next, four practices that seek well-being and are in vogue these days.
sungazing
Also know as sun yoga, is a practice that consists of looking directly at the sun during sunrise or sunset. It is based on the belief that the sunlight of those hours can transmit spiritual energy.
It is not a new discipline. The well-known “sun salutation” of yoga, for example, is born from this reverence to the solar star. And in cultures like the Egyptian the sun was already deified. These days its great representative is Hira Ratan Manek, a guru who ensures that solar energy can become vital energy -although he also goes so far as to affirm that it is not necessary to eat, since the sun is capable of providing all the necessary nutrients -. According to him, this is a process similar to photosynthesis, in which humans activate different brain functions, especially the pineal gland, considered the third eye.
For now, this practice can be done in a meditation position or accompanied by some yoga postures, and those who carry it out report that they feel stronger and more optimistic as the days go by. But to start implementing it, it is necessary to take into account that the best time to do it without damaging the eyes is at dawn, when ultraviolet rays are less harmful. The first few times it is recommended to look at the sun for just 10 seconds, and then slowly add time to get used to the view. The maximum period cannot exceed 45 minutes per day.
face yoga
This is another type of yoga that is gaining more and more followers. Is a routine of movements and massages that exercise the muscles in order to improve the signs of aging and contribute to their firmness. “Although there is no scientific evidence to support the results, many people have validated the technique and its benefits, positioning it as an anti-aging tool that helps counteract the passage of time,” says Florencia Jinchuk, CEO and founder of The Chemist Look. At the moment, there are only two recent publications on the subject: an inconclusive review from 2013 and a favorable clinical trial from 2018. However, it is a safe practice. “You just have to be careful not to overstimulate the muscles and limit the exercise routine to a maximum of 30 minutes,” recommends the expert.
With a similar intention, the “kaolift” massage is applied, an oriental practice that must be carried out by a professional, since it is craniofacial. “Through techniques such as rapid percussion, neck softening, caressing movements in the front and sides of the face at different speeds and intensities, and lymphatic drainage maneuvers, the muscles relax and thus aesthetic and therapeutic results are achieved,” explains Verónica Mantovani ( @veromantook), a speech therapist specializing in speech aesthetics, who has been performing this technique for five years. What is its end? Improve and even progressively eliminate the appearance of wrinkles, expression marks and blemishes, lift and tone the cheekbones, improve bags and dark circles, redefine the facial contour and relax facial contractures (it is especially good for bruxism and eye strain). “It is recommended for everyone who wants a natural rejuvenation technique,” says Mantovani.
grounding
Just as the search for well-being is a purpose of thousands of years, some of the therapies that are followed today in this line also rescue ancient precepts. This is the case of “grounding”, a term that defines the practice of walking barefoot through the grass, sand, water, brick, ceramic, leather or earth. It is based on the idea that the human body is a positively charged electrically conducting organism, while the earth is negatively charged. Thus, when the feet full of nerve endings touch it, they discharge accumulated energy and absorb negatively charged ions that balance the positive ones.
“We all spontaneously tend to ‘grounding’. Many of us come from the street and we take off our shoes because we feel more comfortable. Over time it was understood that there are conductive surfaces that are more positive for us to relax”, illustrates Josefina Coppa Oliver, journalist and organizer of wellness meetings run by professionals from the @masquehumanas account. Among the benefits of this method is the reduction of anxiety, stress, inflammation and joint pain and the improvement of blood circulation and the cardiovascular system. In addition, it is ensured that it has antioxidant and anti-aging functions. “It has to do with a current that seeks to use natural resources so as not to fall into those of laboratories. If there is an easy, free and pleasant method, this is it”, encourages Coppa Oliver.
Temazcal
Lately there has been a lot of talk about this practice, a tradition of pre-Hispanic peoples that consists of a steam bath with medicinal plants. However, this is the name of the northern hemisphere; in ours the technique is called “janpi wasi” and it has the particularity of being buried up to the shoulders “in the deep womb of Mother Earth”. “We are inside the womb, we return to that interior of Mother Earth, which embraces us, contains, nests, nourishes, cleanses and prepares for all the new changes and challenges that this life co-creates with us. Everything that will come after will be with a different look. Mother Earth teaches us to look with the heart”, illustrates Marcela Guerra, who introduces herself as a Warmi Janpiri, Medicine Woman within the Ancestral Andean Cosmovision. In her words, the people who attend this ritual receive a bath of plants that activate and soften the connection between the physical body and the subtle body.
For whom is it recommended? For all those in search of healing and who “feel a call to meet their own essence”. Physically, detoxification is ensured from the cleansing of heavy metals that accumulate in the body, although it is spiritually where the impact is most marked. “Human beings are constantly distracted. In recent times we have been moving away from the most primary, original, simple, simple and light. And there are then these ancestral medicines that have this lightness, because they reconnect us with what is not visible about the human being”, summarizes the guide.
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