Yoga and Health: Benefits of Yoga
There are different types of physical and mental exercises practice in world then why yoga is important? This question asked many times. Yoga is combination of physical, mental and spiritual activities. Yogi is not required any separate exercise, one yoga is enough. In today's lifestyle when we have very less time for health then daily yoga is essential and it play role of all three activities.
Some people connect yoga with religion but its natural phenomenon not religious. Yoga is famous in ancient Indian religion i.e Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Yoga word derive from Sanskrit language which mean uniting the human spirit with divine. Yoga help to develop focus, mental peace and physical ability.
Why start yoga from today?
- Yoga increased flexibility.
- It increased muscle strength and tone.
- It improved respiration, energy and vitality.
- It helps to maintaining a balanced metabolism.
- Useful in weight reduction.
- It improve cardio and circulatory health.
- It improved athletic performance.
Whatever your yoga asana practice is – don't get sucked into thinking that it is ideal to do it every day. Include walking, running or lift some weights. If you absolutely believe that you must practice every day then at least make sure you are not doing the exact same poses every day.
How to start yoga
Choose or create a quiet, uncluttered space in your home for your practice, and stock it with the essential basic yoga props — mat, strap, blocks, blanket, bolster, etc. The space doesn't have to be large, but it should be quiet, clean, open, and sacred. Get realistic goals, starting out with small pockets of time (10-15 minutes). Begin with basic beginner's yoga sequences and expand your practice as your skills improve. Watch this video for more information-
- Practice to breath
The most important thing to do in yoga is to breathe, especially when holding the postures. Learn the basic Dirga pranayama breath to use during yoga. Most importantly, breathe in and out through the nose into the belly. Read our Breathing in Asana article for more advice on breathing while practicing yoga poses.
- Start with meditation
Sit in easy pose or accomplished pose (or any comfortable seating position) and take a few minutes to ground, center and focus inwards with one of our meditations. You may also want to set anintention, goal or prayer for your practice at the beginning meditation.
- Practice different postures
Make sure you have read our General Practice Guidelines before attempting any yoga poses. Start with one of our warm-up sequences and then try one of our basic yoga pose sequences and/or these simple postures: seated twist, cat, dog, down dog, child, cobra, mountain, triangle, forward bend. Then explore our Yoga Pose section for other poses to practice.
- End with Shavasana (relaxation pose)
Always end your yoga practice with Shavasana, resting on your back and consciously relaxing your body for 5-15 minutes. It is also recommended to practice a short seated meditation after Shavasana to integrate your yoga practice and transition back into the world.
Please note that it is common for the first couple of times practicing yoga to feel awkward and strange; this will pass with time and practice.
How to steadfast regular yoga
1. Intention
When our practice comes from a deep place of wanting to improve ourselves, to connect with a higher power, and to find inner peace, then we can approach asanas from a completely different—and more empowered—place.
2. Perseverance
By coming back to our mat again and again, our practice inevitably deepens. We can stretch further and we find energy flowing more freely. Things we hadn’t previously observed about ourselves become clear in those moments. Like anything in life, having perseverance is the key to success.
3. Patience
If your practice is not going well one day, it’s OK! Keep going, lighten the load, give yourself a long relaxation, and remember that simply arriving to your yoga mat is practice in itself.
4. Joy
Enjoying what you are doing on the mat is crucial if you are going to maintain regularity in your yoga practice. Enjoy the stretching like a cat stretching its body after a long nap, and if you’re having a bad day, give yourself the chance to practice your favorite asanas. Approach your practice with playfulness and joy.
5. Enthusiasm
The partner of joy, the word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek “entheos” which means “filled with God.” When you practice with a sense of positivity and from a place of wanting to be in this moment above all else, then you are quite simply bringing yourself back to the divine again and again. Which is what yoga is all about, right?
The most important factor in having a regular practice is keeping the right attitude and approaching your opportunity to spend time in this way with an enormous sense of gratitude. From this perspective, you will authentically want to practice yoga, and not view it as a chore. We all make time for the things we want!
No comments