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on preparing
for a marathon isn't
going to actually
physically prepare
you to run a
marathon ? the goals
and principles of
yoga can easily be
discussed.
Here's the Mayo
Clinic's take on the
benefits of
meditation:
"Meditation is used
by people who are
perfectly healthy as
a means of stress
reduction. But if
you have a medical
condition that's
worsened by stress,
you might find the
practice valuable in
reducing the
stress-related
effects of
allergies, asthma,
chronic pain and
arthritis, among
others."
Yoga involves a
series of postures,
during which you pay
special attention to
your breathing ?
exhaling during
certain movements
and inhaling with
others. You can
approach yoga as a
way to promote
physical
flexibility,
strength and
endurance or as a
way to enhance your
spirituality.
 The Mind-Body
Connection
Yoga is centered on
the mind-body
connection. This
mind-body harmony is
achieved through
three things:
- postures (asanas)
- proper breathing (pranayama)
- meditation
Mind and body
draw inspiration
and guidance from
the combined
practices of asanas,
breathing, and
meditation. As
people age (to
yogis, ageing is an
artificial
condition), our
bodies become
susceptible to
toxins and poisons
(caused by
environmental and
poor dietary
factors).Yoga helps
us through a
cleaning process,
turning our bodies
into a well
synchronized and
well-oiled piece of
machinery.
Physical Yoga
Benefits
By harmonizing these
three principles,
the benefits of yoga
are attained. And
just what are these
benefits?
- equilibrium in the
body's central
nervous system
- decrease in pulse
- respiratory and
blood pressure rates
- cardiovascular
efficiency
- gastrointestinal
system stabilization
- increased
breath-holding time
- improved dexterity
skills.
- Improved balance
- Improved depth
perception
- Improved memory
Psychological
Yoga Benefits
As noted above, Yoga
also delivers an
array of
psychological
benefits; and in
fact, this is a very
common reason why
people begin
practicing it in the
first place. Perhaps
the most frequently
mentioned
psychological
benefit of yoga is
an improved ability
to manage stress.
Yoga diminishes an
individual's levels
of anxiety,
depression, and
lethargy; thus
enabling him/her to
focus on what's
spiritual and
important: achieving
balance and
happiness.
In part II of the
Benefit of Yoga
we'll reveal how
yoga can help deal
with stress,
unhealthy habits and
pain management. The
benefits of Yoga go
far beyond
meditation and
stretching, it is a
way to release those
toxic emotions that
tend to stand in the
way of living a
healthy life. Author
Toresa Slater -
Visit My Yoga for
Life to continue
reading Benefit of
Yoga Part II at My
Yoga for Life or
visit our blog at
http://www.yoga-for-life.blogspot.com
The benefit of yoga
is twofold -
increased health and
unification of the
spirit with the
body.
It is
accomplished through
the use of many
different aspects,
but mainly through
the combination of
Asanas, or postures,
and
breathing/meditation
practices.
This raises many
question in the
Christian community.
In my research for
this article, I was
very surprised at
the viewpoint of the
Christian
apologists, and
their take on yoga
and its practice. I
have hesitated on
writing this article
because of that
viewpoint. However,
I feel that this
question and the
stance of the
Christian community
warrants reflection
on the subject.
Yoga has a
history dating back
over five thousand
years, to the
beginning of the
civilization of man.
Little is really
known about Yoga. it
is believed to have
originated in
Mehrgarh, a
neolithic settlement
in what is now
Afghanistan.
Scholars believe it
has grown out of
Stone Age Shamanism.
In this early period
of civilization's
beginnings, Yoga was
a community
resource, because of
its attempts to
determine cosmic
order through inner
vision, and apply it
to daily living. In
later years, yoga
evolved into an
inner dialogue
through which the
Yogis sought to
develop their own
salvation and
enlightenment.
Archaeological
evidence of the
existence of Yoga
first appeared in
stone seals
excavated from the
Indus valley. It
depicted figures in
many Yogic Asanas,
or postures, and
officially put Yoga
in the time period
of approximately
3000 B.C. Of greater
import, it also
linked yoga to the
great Indus-Sarasvati
Civilization, a
period in time that
was considered
modern and
efficient.
From the Indus-Sarasvati
civilization
came the ancient
texts known as the
Vedas, the oldest
scriptures in the
world. The Vedas are
a collection of
hymns that praise a
higher power and
contains the oldest
recorded history of
Yoga teachings. The
Vedas required the
practitioner to
transcend human
limitations, and
reach a higher
spiritual plane. In
later years, texts
known as the
Brahmanas were
written to explain
the rituals and the
hymns of the Vedas.
Following this came
the Aranyakas texts,
which outlined the
practice of Yogis
living in the
seclusion of the
forest. This led to
the beginning of
India's medical
tradition, known as
Ayurveda. All in
all, Yoga
transformed into a
practice of health,
harmony of the
spirit, and a way of
life.
The Christian
viewpoint is thus
- if one opens the
mind to clearer
thinking and inner
vision, they open
the spirit to
demonic possession.
It is felt that Yoga
practice borders on
occultism, and that
opening one's mind
and spirit to the
benefit of yoga is
both dangerous and
against everything
Christianity
preaches. Christians
believe that
studying yoga is
akin to practicing
Hinduism, and one
cannot separate the
philosophy of
Hinduism from their
Christian beliefs,
regardless of the
health benefit of
yoga.
As a practicing
Buddhist, I take
issue with this
viewpoint. To
me, this smacks of
tunnel vision and
narrow mindedness. A
Christian is
expected to open
their heart and
minds to Jesus, and
to give in to the
spirit of the Lord.
They are expected to
rely on blind faith,
and to accept the
word of God as the
only truth in the
world. A thinking
person would find
this hypocritical,
for on the one hand
Christians preach
that Yoga must be
avoided because
opening the mind to
clearer vision
encourages the
possibility of
demonic possession,
yet on the other
hand preaches that
one must open the
mind and heart to
accept Jesus into
their lives. Opening
one's heart and mind
is exactly that -
whether it is to
look into one's
self, or to accept
Jesus into their
lives. If, as
Christians preach,
we are open to
demonic possession
if we look inside
ourselves and open
the mind to all the
possibilities, how
then can we safely
open our hearts to
the concept of
Christianity? Is
there a gatekeeper
who makes this
decision when we do
so that determines
what path we are to
follow? I think
not...
For the record, I
was raised in a
Christian household.
My father was the
deacon of a small
Baptist church in
the farming
community where we
lived. My mother,
who taught us
children to question
everything, moved
from the Baptist
community to the
Assembly of God
churches, and was
ostracized by my
father. I think that
to her dying day,
she resented my
father for this
narrowmindedness.
Life is a matter of
choice, and my
mother believed that
we are not required
to operate under the
illusion of blind
faith, but to do
what is right to us
as an individual.
And it is why I walk
the Noble 8 Folded
Path. It is simply a
matter of choice,
and questioning
everything in this
universe.
I believe that
the practice of yoga
is a good thing.
It provides us with
great health
benefits, clearer
vision, and harmony
in our souls. And in
this day and age,
what else is there?
Whether we be
Christians, Muslims,
or Buddhists, we
must not disrespect
the feelings and
thoughts of others,
their rights to
practice as they
wish, or try to push
our views down other
people's throats. To
live in harmony is
exactly that...
To find out more
about the benefit of
yoga, visit my
website at
http://www.benefitofyoga.blogspot.com
Author
Alden Smith is a
published and award
winning author who's
website -see above-
informs and educates
the person wanting
to learn more about
yoga and its
practice. Visit his
site to stay
informed on the
exciting world of
yoga.
Yoga through
meditation works
remarkably to
achieve harmony
and helps the
mind work in
synchronization with
the body. How
often do we find
that we are unable
to perform our now
taken a strong
foothold in the
fabric of Western
society. But there
are still many of us
who would scratch
our heads if asked
to explain
meditation. What is
it exactly? To
meditate means to
focus your thoughts
on something with
the purpose of
quieting the
incessant chatter of
the mind. If done
properly, your
brainwaves reach a
level of
consciousness called
alpha state, and it
is in this state
that your mind and
body begin to heal.
Stress is the
number one suspect
affecting all parts
of our physical,
endocrinal and
emotional system.
And with the help of
yoga this things can
be corrected. At the
physical level, yoga
and its cleansing
practices have
proven to be
extremely effective
for various
disorders.
Listed below are
just some of the
benefits of yoga
that you can get.
Benefits of Yoga
1:
Yoga is known to
increase
flexibility; yoga
has postures that
trigger the
different joints of
the body. Including
those joints that
are not acted upon
with regular
exercises routines.
Benefits of Yoga
2:
Yoga also increases
the lubrication of
joints, ligament and
tendons. The
well-researched yoga
positions exercise
the different
tendons and
ligaments of the
body. It has also
been found that the
body which may have
started doing yoga
being a rigid one
may experience a
quite remarkable
flexibility in the
end on those parts
of the body which
have not been
consciously worked
upon.
Benefits of Yoga
3:
yoga also massages
all organs of the
body. Yoga is
perhaps the only
exercise that can
work on through your
internal organs in a
thorough manner,
including those that
hardly get
externally
stimulated during
our entire lifetime.
Benefits of Yoga
4:
Yoga acts in a
wholesome manner on
the various body
parts. This
stimulation and
massage of the
organs in turn
benefits us by
keeping away disease
and providing a
forewarning at the
first possible
instance of a likely
onset of disease or
disorder. One of the
far-reaching
benefits of yoga is
the uncanny sense of
awareness that it
develops in the
practitioner of an
impending health
disorder or
infection.
This in turn enables
the person to take
pre-emptive
corrective action
Benefits of Yoga
5:
yoga offers a
complete
detoxification of
the body. It gently
stretches the
muscles and joints
as we;; as massaging
the various organs,
yoga ensures the
optimum blood supply
to various parts of
the body.
This helps in the
flushing out of
toxins from every
nook and cranny of
your body as well as
providing
nourishment up to
the last point. This
leads to benefits
such as delayed
ageing, energy and a
remarkable zest for
life.
Benefits of Yoga
6:
yoga is also an
excellent way to
tone your muscles.
Muscles which have
been flaccid and
weak are stimulated
repeatedly to shed
excess fats and
flaccidity.
But
these
enormous
physical
benefits
are just
a 'side
effect'
of this
powerful
practice.
What
yoga
does is
harmonize
the mind
with the
body and
these
results
in real
quantum
benefits.
It is
now an
open
secret
that the
will of
the mind
has
enabled
people
to
achieve
extraordinary
physical
feats,
which
proves
beyond
doubt
the mind
and body
connection.
In fact
yoga =
meditation,
because
both
work
together
in
achieving
the
common
goal of
unity of
mind,
body and
spirit
which
can lead
to an
experience
of
eternal
bliss
that you
can only
feel
through
yoga.
The
meditative
practices
through
yoga
help in
achieving
an
emotional
balance
through
detachment.
This in
turn
creates
a
remarkable
calmness
and a
positive
outlook,
which
also has
tremendous
benefits
on the
physical
health
of the
body.
Author
Jos
Putzeys
-
yogaweb.info
is a
website
that
likes to
give
information
to
people
that
needs
information.
On the
site you
can find
a lot of
advice
and
about
1000
informative
articles,
daily
updated.
Yoga during
pregnancy, what are
the benefits.
|
Pregnancy is one
of the most
beautiful things
many women want to
go through and are
going through.
It is something
which many women
look forward too and
with the increasing
joy there is also
fear factor. Fear
about your baby's
health, a smooth
delivery, mood
swings, fatigue,
morning sickness,
constant craving for
strange items,
increasing weight
and overall the
feeling about
pregnancy can be
overwhelming.
Pregnancy is an
ensemble of risk
factors. With a
living being in you,
your body goes
through lot of
changes and these
variations may have
an impact on your
body. There are
increasing chances
of you having high
blood pressure,
diabetes, heart
disease, asthma,
liver disease and
many more. These all
can be avoided by
doing some yoga
asanas and breathing
exercises which
would help in having
smooth delivery. But
before doing any of
these exercises
consult your doctor.
Yoga helps in
avoiding high blood
pressure and also
tries to control
your weight.
Breathing
exercise is very
easy and can be
easily done and one
should avoid too
many jerks and
jumping in this
condition. Some of
the poses or asanas
which |
Yoga during
pregnancy |
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pregnant
ladies can
do are
Mountain
yoga pose -
beneficial
for inciting strength,
relaxing and
providing strength,
Triangle Yoga Pose-
stretching your
spine, tones up your
spinal nerves, helps
in your digestive
system, Warrior yoga
pose - which
includes warrior I
and warrior II,
Standing side
stretch - good for
your stomach, arms
and legs, Standing
spread leg forward
bend and Forward
bend yoga exercise,
Hero yoga pose, Cat
pose, Fish pose,
Headstand, Tree yoga
pose and many more
including Corpse
pose.
|
Benefits Of Padangusthasana
a basic yoga asanas
which we learn
initially while
learning yoga.
Padangusthasana |
All the yoga
poses help in
improving your
flexibility with
benefits to your
daily life. The
asana is also known
as head to foot
pose. Your desire to
regulate your blood
pressure can be done
by this asana. The
pressure on your
head and the
stretching of the
muscles relaxes your
brain, making you
work out things more
easily and calmly.
The stretching and
pulling tones your
body and relaxes you
by making you feel
at ease. The bending
helps your abdominal
organs as it
massages the liver
and spleen making it
useful to the
optimum level.
If done properly
this yoga asana
would benefit not
only body but
would teach you be
calm and patient. It
has to be done
slowly and not in a
haste, if you want
to receive its full
benefits. The tiring
muscles would be
elevated and
rejuvenated by this
pose. The stretching
of the muscles helps
your hips, thighs,
hamstrings, groin
and calves. When
these muscles are
stretched they make
your body more agile
and fit. It helps to
strengthen the other
muscles which would
help in recuperating
your tired
body. |
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The less
stress you
give to your
important
organs it
would work
in a better
fashion and
helping your
health. |
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