Dome Healing Center

Below is a wealth of information on the Yoga that we teach in our classes. We teach the Amrit Yoga of Yogi Amrit Desai, our teacher, whose Ashram is located in Salts Springs, FL. (www.amrityoga.com ) On his web site you can find more information about the source of our Yoga. Please take some time to explore his site for information on books and CDs on Amrit Yoga.

For more information on Amrit Yoga click on Amrit Yoga link to left

 We have tried to maintain and preserve our teacher’s and his teacher’s Yoga in our classes. There are many lessons to be learned with this complete style of Yoga. We have built our new Center to further advance the availability of our Amrit Yoga

We have made Yoga and Meditation an integral part of our lives. We have found that it has been an energizing and uplifting experience helping us keep the long hours of concentrated Massage and Holistic Therapeutic work that we do.

We hope that the following information will be helpful to you in making your decision to include or not to include Yoga in your life. If you do decide to attend our classes we will do our best to teach and guide you through your Yoga Experience.

Yoga and Meditation Classes

Yoga for Health

Yoga is a very old yet consistently relevant system of techniques designed to bring into balance all aspects of the body, mind, and personality so the individual can achieve his or her goals for health and personal growth. Yoga is a practical, safe and non religious system that benefits both men and women, regardless of age or physical condition. There are many schools of Yoga described in the traditional texts; the particular type of Yoga most familiar to Americans is Hatha Yoga, which refers to the physical exercises and breathing techniques designed to make the body healthy, strong and flexible.

The Dome Healing Center teaches a comprehensive and balanced program of Yoga that includes the Hatha Yoga exercises, relaxation and breathing techniques as well as meditation. Rather than stressing physical culture for its own sake, our core focus acknowledges the deeper possibilities of Yoga by teaching meditation and by encouraging the inner-directed awareness that eventually leads to greater self-knowledge. This reliance on individual experience and feeling is a central theme in the science of Yoga.

Our goal is to offer the highest quality Yoga instruction possible. In addition to regularly scheduled classes, we plan to offer instructional books and tapes, as well as private instruction.

Use Yoga Techniques for a Healthy Heart

Researchers now know that including Yoga with other lifestyle changes can prevent or correct heart problems. Yoga practice teaches you how to integrate Yoga exercise, breathing, and meditation techniques into your day, so that you can make these important lifestyle changes. Yoga practice can make a real difference in the health of your heart by strengthening your body, teaching you how to relax mentally and physically, and showing you how to better manage stress reaction.

Common stress reactions include muscle tension (most commonly in the face, stomach, neck, shoulders, and breath), rapid heart rate, constricted breathing and anxiety. The fastest and most effective way to reduce reaction to stress is to change your breath, and an immediate way to improve your breathing is to improve your posture. In Yoga, you learn to strengthen your back and stomach muscles so that you can sit and stand straighter; this releases pressure on your heart and lungs and allows you to breathe easier.

Yoga breathing exercises teach you how to breathe more deeply and rhythmically; this has many effects, both physiological and mental. Physiologically, you will strengthen your respiratory muscles and develop a more efficient exchange of gases. Breathing exercises cause more oxygen to be pushed through the walls of the lungs. Mentally, you will notice more concentration, willpower, and steadiness.

Yoga exercise improves the health of the entire circulatory system, beginning with the production of blood, which takes place in the marrow of the long bones in the thighs. Improving circulation in the legs by means of daily Yoga stretching exercises helps to rejuvenate the blood. Yoga exercises stretch the body’s major blood vessels, keeping them free flowing and elastic; Yoga oxygenates the blood and pushes fresh nutrients to all peripheral vessels and capillaries. Improves circulation means that your brain will receive more oxygen, improving alertness, memory and mood; vital organs receive a steady supply of the nutrients they need for optimal functioning.

Yoga relaxation training teaches you how to relax at will, allowing your body to release muscle tension almost as it occurs. Meditation training shows you how to access your inner source of strength and personal power, creating a support system that builds confidence and self-esteem, fosters present moment awareness and increases self-knowledge.

The choice to practice Yoga will protect your heart as it contributes to greater general health and well being.

Yoga for a Healthy Back and Neck

Back problems are very common among adults; some estimates say that over 20% of adults have some chronic back pain. Among the many causes of back pain are poor posture, back strain from poorly designed furniture, weak back and stomach muscles from lack of exercise, and injuries.

Many physicians recommend Yoga exercise as a way to gently stretch and strengthen back muscles. In fact, if you’ve had physical therapy, you’ll probably recognize several Yoga movements. In Yoga, a strong, flexible back is very important for maintaining posture, for insuring that the nervous system pathways are strong and clear, for improving circulation to the brain, and for maintaining the erect posture necessary for seated meditation in intermediate practice.

Yoga exercises can be helpful both in preventing and in healing from an injury. Many Yoga exercises gently stretch and strengthen the muscles in the hips, back, and legs; others improve muscle strength in the abdomen, which supports the lower back. In most people, muscles on one side of the body are stronger than those on the other; Yoga exercises stretch and strengthen both sides equally. If you practice every day, you will soon notice more relaxed posture and a more fluid carriage, and your back muscles won’t tire as easily. You’ll also learn how to recognize tension in your back and neck muscles more quickly so that you can release it before the muscles become tight and sore.

If you have suffered an injury to your back or neck, begin with extremely gentle movements that do not hyper extend the neck or back in either direction. In a class, your instructor will modify the Yoga exercises for you to be sure you don’t strain. Even if you have had back surgery, there will always be some movements you can do. Be sure to consult your physician before beginning any new exercise routine.

Breathing techniques and meditation training will teach you how to relax your body and mind at will and to recover faster from stress reactions. For beginning meditation, which is done lying flat so the spine can remain straight without strain, place a few cushions under your thighs and knees to release any pressure on your lower back.

By exercising carefully, and practicing a simple routine of exercise, breathing, and meditation every day, you can help your back and neck become as strong and healthy as possible.

Using Yoga Techniques to Help with Arthritis

Arthritis can be experienced as a minor nuisance – or it can be incapacitating. Most physicians agree that some regular exercise is beneficial for osteoarthritis because it keeps muscle tone intact and helps to prevent stiffness in the joints. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you may need to begin more slowly with an exercise program, concentrating instead on the breathing and relaxation aspects.

Yoga is a gentle, methodical, effective exercise and relaxation program that can ease the discomforts of chronic arthritis. When the pain of arthritis strikes, it has an effect of stiffening up the rest of the body, as if to protect the part that hurts. Most people respond to this by decreasing their activity level. Inactivity, however, is often the worst thing to do because it weakens the muscles and actually increases stiffness and pain. Yoga encourages you to keep moving gently while your body is healing in order to maintain muscle tone, good circulation, and joint flexibility. A regular exercise program is also extremely valuable psychologically because it increases your confidence that even though you have arthritis, you’re not going to be a prisoner in a wheelchair; you can work, play, and do all your daily activities if you exercise regularly.

Yoga exercises begin with gentle movements sitting in a chair; these are adaptations of traditional Yoga exercises designed to gently loosen the joints and relax the large muscle groups. Each exercise has a particular breathing pattern, which helps bring fresh blood and nutrients to muscle tissue as well as improving respiration and relieving physical and emotional tension. Standing and floor exercises can be added gradually to your routine to improve strength, flexibility, and balance. Standing exercises can be done holding on to a sturdy chair so that you’ll feel safer and steadier. Our program also teaches self-massage to help bring warmth and improved circulation to the joints.

Breathing, relaxation, and meditation techniques are an important part of your daily routine: these techniques improve respiration, relieve anxiety, and can help distract attention from pain. Breathing helps to relax both physical and emotional tension by flooding the body and brain with oxygen. In Yoga you learn breathing and relaxation techniques you can use anywhere, anytime to relieve stress and tension. A regular daily practice of meditation – simply a quieting of thoughts and memories for a few minutes at a time – gives the body time to relax and heal. Meditation is a complete rest for body and mind.

Arthritis does not have to be a disability; by practicing a few gentle exercises, breathing, and meditation every day, you can reduce pain, build you strength, and maintain your daily activities with health and renewed energy.

How Yoga Helps Reduce Anxiety and Manage Stress

Everyone suffers from mild anxiety from time to time, but chronic anxiety takes a tremendous toll on the body, draining energy resources and keeping the body in a constant state of stress. The effects of anxiety are magnified when the body is not exercised: tension in the muscles builds, breathing remains constricted most of the time, and the mind has no rest from the whirling thoughts and feelings that feed the anxiety.

Yoga helps you to access an inner strength that allows you to face the sometimes-overwhelming fears, frustrations, and challenges of everyday life. Yoga reduces stress in the body, breath, and mind by building coping skills with a small daily routine of exercise, breathing, and meditation. A few Yoga exercises practiced daily (especially if they are done just prior to meditation) help to regulate the breath and relax the body by gently releasing tension from the large muscle groups, flushing all parts of the body and brain with fresh blood, oxygen, and other nutrients, and increasing the feelings of well-being. “Whole body” exercises such as the Sun Poses are particularly helpful because they encourage you to breathe deeply and rhythmically. Many exercises can be adapted so you can do them even in an office chair.

The Complete Breath technique is a must for anyone who often feels “stressed out.” Once learned, the Complete Breath can be used anywhere, anytime, to reduce the severity of a panic attack, to calm the mind, or to cope with a difficult situation. Learning to concentrate simply on the sound of the breath as you inhale and exhale evenly and smoothly will help you gently but effectively switch your attention from feelings of anxiety to feelings of relaxation.

Daily practice of complete relaxation and meditation is also essential – even a few minutes of meditation during your workday can make a difference. This daily training in focusing the mind on stillness will teach you how to consciously quiet your mind whenever you feel overwhelmed. Meditation puts you in touch with your inner resources; this means less dependence on medications, greater self-awareness, and a fuller, happier life.

Yoga and High Blood Pressure

Yoga has been recognized for some time as being effective in reducing high blood pressure, particularly the diastolic (lower) number, which is the most crucial. You can experience the relaxing effects of Yoga by committing to a short daily routine of breathing, exercise, and meditation. Yoga techniques improve your body’s strength and flexibility, teach you how to relax mentally and physically, and show you how to better manage stress reaction such as muscle tension (most commonly in the face, stomach, neck, shoulders, and breath), rapid heart rate, constricted breathing, and anxiety.

The fastest and most effective way to reduce reaction to stress is to change your breath, and an immediate way to improve your breathing is to improve your posture. In Yoga, you learn to strengthen your back and stomach muscles so that you can sit and stand straighter; this releases pressure on your heart and lungs and allows you to breathe easier.

Yoga breathing exercises teach you how to breathe more deeply and rhythmically; this has many effects, both physical and mental. Your respiratory muscles become stronger, and more oxygen reaches your bloodstream. Regular practice of breathing exercises will give you greater concentration, willpower, and steadiness. You will feel calmer, too, as you breathe, because your mind cannot think about upsetting things when it is focused on the breath. You can learn to use the breathing techniques whenever you feel stressed, fatigues, or anxious for immediate relief.

Yoga exercise benefits your entire circulatory system, beginning with the production of blood, which takes place in the marrow of the long bones in the thighs. Improving circulation in the legs with daily Yoga stretching exercises helps rejuvenate the blood. Yoga exercises stretch the body’s major blood vessels, keeping them free flowing and elastic; Yoga oxygenates the blood and pushes fresh nutrients to all peripheral vessels and capillaries. Improved circulation means that your brain will receive more oxygen, improving alertness, memory, and mood; vital organs receive a steady supply of the nutrients they need for optimal functioning.

Yoga relaxation and meditation training teach you how to relax at will, allowing your body to release muscle tension almost as it occurs. Meditation training shows you how to access your inner source of strength and personal power, creating a support system that builds confidence and self-esteem, helps you learn to enjoy the present-moment, and increase self-awareness.

The choice to practice Yoga will help you control your high blood pressure as it contributes to greater general health and well being.

Founder and Executive Director

Don Murphy began studying and practicing Yoga at the age of 15 in 1968. Over the following years he studied under various Yoga Master including Swami Vishnu Devananda, Yogi Hari and Master Charles Cannon. He is a Certified Yoga Instructor and a Certified Synchronicity Meditation Teacher.

He established the Dome Healing Center dedicated to Natural Healing through Holistic Massage Therapies, Craniosacral Therapy, Yoga and Synchronicity Hi Tech Meditation Instruction.

Don Murphy has consistently practiced and held instruction classes in Yoga and Meditation in a clear, classical manner for over 33 years. He has presented Yoga without dogma or prescription, as a useful technique for individual inquiry, stress relief, and natural sources of energy. During his years of study he has practiced and integrated various programs of Yoga, Meditation and Natural Healing that can be used to enhance any lifestyle. Whether the goal is to maintain health or to explore the nature of the self, his Yoga and Meditation programs can be used to achieve a wide range of goals.

Teaching Staff

Our instructors practice Yoga techniques daily, and are committed to the ethical guidelines of Yoga in all areas of life.

Classes and Special Programs

Introductory beginners classes are conducted regularly at various locations, which offer an opportunity to try out Yoga and Meditation techniques and talk about how they can be helpful, and made a part of improving your health and lifestyle.

In our classes you will learn a safe beginning practice of Yoga exercises, breathing techniques, a complete relaxation procedure and meditation. Class discussions include how to use the techniques to manage stress reactions, how to schedule daily Yoga practice into a busy lifestyle, how to complement Yoga practice by eating healthier foods, and some basic concepts in Yoga philosophy.

Our students typically report these benefits:

• · More energy for the important things in life
• · Improved muscle tone and limberness
• · A greater sense of well-being
• · New stress management and relaxation skills
• · Improved sports performance
• · Better ability to concentrate

Guidance and individual instruction for advancing students also are offered that introduces new exercise routines, concentration and meditation techniques and practical Yoga concepts.

The Dome Healing Center feels a special commitment to the needs of older Americans. Yoga has helped thousands of older adults regain or maintain independence through exercise, breathing and meditation techniques that improve mobility, circulation and muscle strength; relieve common problems such as insomnia and stiffness, and increase stamina and well being. Modified techniques of traditional Yoga exercises and may be done in a chair or even in bed.

If you have any questions or interest in joining our classes please contact us at the Dome Healing Center at 904-277-3663 or toll free 800-520-8514.

E-Mail Contact: dome@net-magic.net

Dome Healing Center, Inc.

5028 First Coast Hwy. Amelia Island, Fl 32034

904-277-3663 1-800-520-8514

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