The Benefits Of Yoga
The word “yoga” comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, which means ‘to join”.
Roots Of Yoga
Yoga is an ancient art based on a harmonizing system of the development for the body, mind and spirit.
The continued practice of yoga will lead us into sense of peace and wellbeing, and also a feeling of being at one with our environment.
Relationship Of Yoga With Life
Historically yoga was more than just a method of teaching, it was a way of life.
With yoga, you dedicated yourself to a lifestyle and culture that surpassed meditation techniques and included healthy eating habits, bathing habits, social interaction and work.
Yoga's philosophy is rooted in a physical culture of health and well-being that is still emphasised today and explains why over 15 million people in the world now practice this ancient tradition.
What Are Yoga Postures?
Every yoga asana (pose) has a different name and includes standing postures, seated twists, backbends, arm balances, inversions and core holds.
The downward facing dog for example, is in itself said to calm the brain, energise the body, improve digestion, strengthen arms and legs and be therapeutic for high blood pressure.
The practice of yoga as a whole, provides many more benefits...
8 Reasons Why Yoga and Pranayama is Good For You:
Some yoga methods use specific meditation techniques to focus the mind on your breathing that quietens the constant 'mind chatter', relieves stress and allows you to feel relaxed. Practising yoga can also boost oxygen levels to the brain, leaving you feeling happier and more content with everyday life.
Aanulom-vilom pranayam
- Helps in keeping mental disorders at bay.
- Improves concentration, spiritual power and memory strength.
- Strengthens the lungs and keeps it from diseases.
- Boosts jatharagni (digestive fire) and improves digestion.
- Calms the mind and relieves mental and physical stress.
- Improves strength, balance and flexibility.
- Helps with back pain relief.
- Can ease arthritis symptoms.
- Benefits heart health.
- Relaxes you, to help you sleep better.
- Yoga can mean more energy and brighter moods.
- Helps you manage stress.
- Connects you with a supportive community.
Aside from the uplifting spiritual values, the act of yoga, pranayama and meditation can actually boost your confidence. Practicing yoga can be an meditative experience in motion. The process works by releasing tension from your mind so you can feel confident about your physical body. Without any forms of anxiety, you are able to establish an internal connection with yourself. This is consequently reflected in your perception of others and will help to better your relationships by improving compassion and awareness.
Exercise, such as running, is usually a series of rapid, forceful movements, which means that effort is at a maximum and there is a higher risk of injury and increased muscle tension. Often, strenuous exercise also engages an imbalance of opposing muscle groups whereas yoga concentrates on balancing this activity. Yoga unites your body and mind and therefore allows you to move in a way that results in an injury free, healthier you. This doesn't mean you stop doing everything else, on the contrary live life to the full but include yoga practice in your routine to protect your body from injuries, keep the mind calm and stay connected to your inherent self.
Being overweight is a sign that there are imbalances in your everyday life and one major contributor to weight gain is excess stress. Practising yoga enables you to bring a deep sense of relaxation to your body and your mind, helping you to de-stress and allowing you to lose weight naturally.
People often say that they are not flexible enough to do yoga. The truth is it doesn't matter how tight your muscles are as yoga asanas works by safely stretching your muscles and help you to ease in the practise. Moreover yoga also stretches other soft tissue in the body such as ligaments and tendons, increasing the range of motion in the joints and allowing you to move around more freely.
Many yoga asanas have a profound effect on your upper body strength, such as the downward and upward dog and the plank focuses on your core. Likewise standing poses strengthen your upper leg muscles and lower back. Essentially any pose will strengthen an area of the body if it is practised in the right way, without putting too much stress on specific muscle groups.
If you are to practise yoga consistently, your lung capacity will increase as a result of the deep breathing process. This will then have a positive effect on more intense sports that you might be a part of, increasing your stamina and endurance. Furthermore, meditation and calming yoga like Yin practice slow down your heart rate which in turn lowers blood pressure and have also been linked with improving the immune system and lowering cholesterol.
By practising yoga you maintain a healthier weight, become more flexible and improve your muscle tone and strength. You will find that your posture will greatly improve because of this. Your abdominals and back muscles can now fully support your weight and you will be able to sit and stand tall, preventing niggling injuries, aches and pains.
If you have been inspired to give yoga a go, there is no better place or time. Give it a go and if you think I can help please contact me.
I am eternally grateful for the experiences life has presented to me which brought me to the cross roads of choosing to take care of not only my gross body but also my mind. On my journey of discovery of true meaning of life, I have been blessed to be guided by some amazing souls who have contributed to my growth.
I continue to learn, grow and practice the yogic life which makes me feel grounded, balanced and focused in my mission to live a life of fulfilment and joy. -Ramila-
The Ultimate practice of yoga is to let the light of your soul guide you to achieve the life you are meant to live. - Rod Stryker -
Yoga is like music, the rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind and the harmony of the soul, create the symphony of life. - B.S.K. Iyengngar -
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