Yoga & Its Benefits to Health

Jan15
2012 Written by super

Yoga is the perfect exercise blend for many active people. It is a balancing regimen that strengthens the body, focuses the mind, and helps create a felt sense of spirit. Yoga is an ancient philosophy of life as well as a system of exercises that encourages the union of mind, body, and spirit. In fact, the word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word meaning “yoke” or “union.” The ultimate goal of yoga is to achieve a state of balance and harmony between mind and body.

Yoga is the only science that teaches us to introvert in both body and mind, emerge freshed.Yoga is a system of spiritual, mental and physical training that is suitable for people of all ages. It calms the mind, attuning us to the environment, and enhances concentration and mental clarity, thus reducing stress and anxiety. A true yoga practitioner tries to develop an attitude of humility. Health is a god given priceless gift. We need to protect it all time not to achieve worldly goals alone, but to serve the divine.

Purpose of Yoga

Yoga’s purpose is to strengthen the body and make it more flexible, as well as awaken the spirit – in effect, to provide a physical, mental and spiritual system of health. Yoga improves posture, increases the intake of oxygen, and enhances the functioning of the respiratory, digestive, endocrine, reproductive, and elimination systems. It does this through physical poses (asanas), breathing techniques and meditation practice. Yoga is gentle because your mind and heart are involved. READ MORE »

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Bhakti Yoga

Jan14
2012 Written by super

If Yoga were like fine wine, Hatha Yoga would surely be the wine for export. It could be said that Raja Yoga and Kundalini Yoga got a fairly strong foothold outside India, as well. All of these forms of Yoga have many aspects, but the physical aspect is what lures most Yoga students – outside of India.

Bhakti Yoga, on the other hand, is a spiritual form of Yoga and is very commonly practiced within India. Bhakti Yoga is union by love and devotion to God. Therefore, this is the form of Yoga that really does have a deep spiritual aspect and a connection to Hinduism. This spiritual, and religious, aspect is possibly the reason why Bhakti Yoga has not managed to proliferate as well as Hatha Yoga, which is Union by physical mastery.

Could Bhakti Yoga be practiced by a Yoga practitioner who is not a Hindu? Let’s ask, for example, could a Christian, Moslem, or Jew practice Bhakti Yoga and stay within the confines of his or her religion? Some already do. READ MORE »

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Yoga for Relaxation

Jan03
2012 Written by super

In taking any modern yoga class, you will find parallels to ballet. Like ballet, the promise of poise, grace and flexibility encourages much interest. Yet if yoga is like any other exercise, it is only at first glance. Underneath the coveted health and fitness benefits of modern yoga practice are the roots of a great spiritual tradition blending cultures and religions.

Unfortunately, through the westernization of yoga, we have lost an essential component of this peaceful practice. Though the ritual remains intact the meaning has gone astray. Where previously the postures of yoga practice were merely a branch of a tree; today they are viewed by western society as the tree itself. How do we bring meaning to our poses?

Modern Yoga’s Roots and Benefits

Though the development of yoga cannot be pinned to an exact year, the discovery of the Indus seals, which show figures in the classic yoga asana (posture) of lotus pose, trace yoga back to at least 3000 BCE. At this time the Vedas were being written, which today’s yoga postures are derived from. These gave birth to Vedic yoga, which accommodated the ancient Indians fixation on ritual and sacrifice. We see evidence of the importance of sacrifice in the yogic corpse posture. Lying as though we were placed in a coffin, this represents the ultimate sacrifice-that of death. Though seemingly morbid, corpse posture is one of hope when we understand that according to the Vedanta sutras, death results in liberation READ MORE »

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Yoga can be a welcome aid during pregnancy

Dec12
2011 Written by super

For women who are avid practitioners of yoga, becoming pregnant presents a unique situation when it comes to participating in the activity.

But it doesn’t mean you have to stop participating in yoga completely until your pregnancy is over. In fact, participating in yoga may help pregnant women cope with the physical and mental changes that go along with it.

There’s no denying the fact that becoming pregnant will alter a woman’s regular yoga schedule, not to mention her entire life. While a pregnant woman may not be able to participate in yoga with the same frequency that she did before becoming pregnant, or participate in all of the exercises as she might have done before, but she can still enjoy some of the benefits of yoga by making a few changes to her routine.

According to yoga instructors and medical experts, yoga can aid pregnant women by encouraging breathing and relaxation. Anyone who has participated in a child birthing class, especially a Lamaze birthing class, is no doubt familiar with the importance of breathing exercises in the process. While there is the more deliberate breathing exercises associated with a child birthing class (think the “hee hee hoo hoo” type of deliberate breathing), there is also the deep breathing exercises that are designed to relax and calm the body during delivery and is closely related (if not directly related) to the types of breathing exercises taught in a yoga class. READ MORE »

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7 Tips to Staying Safe and Preventing an Injury in Your Yoga Class

Dec11
2011 Written by super

In the recently released special edition of Time magazine, an article reported that in the past three years 13,000 Americans were treated in an emergency room or doctor’s office for yoga-related injuries. Some suspect that an additional 13,000 or maybe even more have been injured in yoga classes, but have not reported them. More and more people are trying yoga and more and more yoga related injuries are taking place. It is crucial to your health and well being that you realize that any exercise or practice done incorrectly can and will most likely lead to injury.

The good news is that The American Academy of Surgeons believes that the benefits of yoga out weigh the potential risks if you are practicing with caution and perform the exercises in moderation along with a knowledgeable instructor. The problem is many people going into yoga for their first time believe in the out dated, ‘no pain no gain’ paradigm and are not practicing with caution and moderation. This toxic way of thinking and overdoing in yoga leads to harm and a lot of unnecessary self inflicted pain. In fact, those teachers and students that “push” themselves are not actually practicing yoga at all. The Yoga Sutra’s of Patanjali states that, “Yoga poses should be easy and comfortable.” That may need repeating for the many “Type A” people that are attracted to yoga. Again, yoga should be easy and comfortable!

Those who push themselves in yoga may get injured right away, although many yoga injuries take several years to show up in the form of chronic pain. Torn cartilage in the knees, joint problems from aggressive adjustments or repeatedly doing a pose incorrectly, pulled muscles, sprained necks, impinged nerves and chronic lower back pain are some of the most common injuries that are caused by practicing yoga aggressively, competitively, or unconsciously. READ MORE »

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Yoga & Its Benefits to Health

Bhakti Yoga

Yoga for Relaxation

7 Tips to Staying Safe and Preventing an Injury in Your Yoga Class

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