Yoga- A Way to Attain Good Health and Spirituality

Yoga focuses on harmony between mind and body. Yoga derives its philosophy from Indian metaphysical beliefs. The word yoga comes from Sanskrit language and means union or merger. The ultimate aim of this philosophy is to strike a balance between mind and body and attain self-enlightenment. To achieve this, yoga uses movement, breath, posture, relaxation and meditation in order to establish a healthy, lively and balanced approach to life.

Yoga and Postures:

Yoga is all about Yoga poses and postures. There are umpteen numbers of Yoga poses and postures. These Yoga poses or Yoga Asana have evolved over thousands of years. As Yoga originated in India, most of the Yoga poses were developed by sages and ascetics. There are many important things which need to be kept in mind while trying and executing Yoga postures and positions. At the time of starting Yoga one should very well know his/her body limits. One should listen to his body, especially in the beginning.

The simple rule is to start with a teacher. You may also take help of some good books on Yoga for learning Yoga poses or Yoga Asanas. Videos are also of great help to help you learn Yoga poses. 

Yoga and its Types:

The prominent Yoga types or Yoga styles are Bhakti Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Purna Yoga and Raja Yoga. Though all the above Yoga styles are popular among the Yoga followers but the Kundalini Yoga type is most sought after in the west. It is interesting to note that different Yoga types have their unique virtues. Some Yoga styles are useful for physical strength whereas some are useful for increasing mental prowess.

Bhakti Yoga emphasizes love and devotion whereas Hatha Yoga is an easy Yoga style and most popular in the US. Jnana Yoga highlights the use of the mind to surpass the mind i.e. to discern the mind. Karma Yoga lays emphasis on selfless action and service. Kundalini Yoga uses sexual experience as a means to enlightenment and knowledge. In the Mantra Yoga meditation one has to chant a word or a phrase until he/she transcends mind and emotions. Purna Yoga lays more emphasis on the importance of Karma in day today life. Raja Yoga provides solution for complete and holistic healing. 

Yoga and its 8 Limbs:

Compiled by Maharishi Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, the Eight Limbs of Yoga are a progressive series of steps or disciplines which purify the body and mind, ultimately leading the Yogi (one who practices Yoga) to enlightenment. While the physical part of yoga is certainly of significance, it is only one of the eight conventional limbs of Yoga practice, all of which have meditation of God as their rationale. These are the eight limbs of the complete yoga system as they are found in the famous Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

• Yama - Moral observances for interactions with others
• Niyama - Moral observances for interactions with yourself
• Asana - Postures
• Pranayama - Breathing
• Pratyahara - Sensory inhibition
• Dharana - Focus
• Dhyana - Meditation
• Samadhi - Blissful absorption of one's individual consciousness in the essence of God.

Yoga and its Benefits:

The benefits of Yoga are numerous. In terms of energy Yoga is like a universe in itself. Some of the important Yoga benefits include anti-ageing, balance and flexibility of body, increase in knowledge and wealth, improvement in mental health and development of personal and social values. This is not the end of story; Yoga also helps in improving strength, sexual life and reducing weight. Yoga makes you feel good. Yoga is relaxing. It's energizing. It's strengthening.

Summary:

The driving force of yoga is aimed at the monumental, life-changing discovery of whom and what you actually are. This is precisely how yoga works, how it makes you feel good. Yoga helps you experience the truth. The truth- which, you discover is goodness. The implications of knowing the truth is massive. Thus Yoga gives you the strength to unravel the truth with which you will begin to live with security, confidence and inner psychological peace. Such great are the benefits and properties of Yoga. Yoga changes your life.

Yoga - Lots Of Benefits Under One Name!!!!!!!!!!!

As one practices Yoga, positive effects of Yoga begin to show. The sense of feeling good envelops around the individual. This feeling is so natural and so genuine that it goes entirely in an individual's life. In this way it helps clarify deepest cravings, motivations and aspirations, thereby restoring confidence, hope, meaning and rationale to life. We all like feeling good, peace of mind, being joyful, peaceful, animated and calm.

The benefits of Yoga are numerous. In terms of energy Yoga is like a universe in itself. Some of the important Yoga benefits include anti-ageing, balance and flexibility of body, increase in knowledge and wealth, improvement in mental health and development of personal and social values. This is not the end of story; Yoga also helps in improving strength, sexual life and reducing weight. Yoga makes you feel good. Yoga is relaxing. It's energizing. It's strengthening.

Different Benefits of Yoga:

Listed below are few benefits of practicing yoga. As yoga has such a power that listing benefits never ends!!

1. Anti-Ageing- Yoga helps in slowing down the aging process by providing elasticity to the spine, firming up the skin, removing tension from the body, strengthening the abdominal muscles, eliminating the likelihood of a double chin, improving the quality of loose arm muscles, correcting poor posture and so on. Thus, of the numerous benefits of Yoga, anti-ageing is an important one.
2. Balance- Yoga helps in creating balance and harmony in body. Yoga creates symmetry throughout your body, making you strong and flexible and balanced. Yoga also teaches to balance the mental urge to push, control, and be assertive with the impulse to yield, submit and be passive. Thus Yoga helps in attaining a balanced attitudinal equilibrium.
3. Flexibility: Flexibility and Yoga go together. With increased flexibility many tensions and conflicts are erased on their own. The more flexible a body the better it is for that individual. It saves your body from unnecessary torture and pain.
4. Self-Awareness: Yoga helps an individual not only to realize his own self but also understand other issues around him/her. Yogic theory and practice lead to increased self-knowledge. Yogic practices like breathing and posture exercises help in attaining and maintaining health, physical and mental, and relaxation.
5. Massaging of ALL Organs of the Body – Yoga is perhaps the only form of activity which massages all the internal glands and organs of the body in a thorough manner, including those – such as the prostate - that hardly get externally stimulated during our entire lifetime. 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.

6. Complete Detoxification – By gently stretching muscles and joints as well 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 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.
7. Stress Reduction- Physical activity is good for relieving stress, and this is particularly true of yoga. Because of the concentration required, your daily troubles, both large and small, seem to melt away during the time you are doing yoga. This provides a much-needed break from your stressors, as well as helping put things into perspective. The emphasis yoga places on being in the moment can also help relieve stress.
8. Suffer less from illness and unpleasant symptoms- The energizing, relaxing and balancing effect of yoga all serve to boost the autoimmune system, helping it to prevent and fight illness and disease. The list of illnesses acknowledged by the medical profession as 'psychosomatic' grows every year. The peace of mind which yoga brings serves to heal and prevent these illnesses and symptoms.
9. Weight Loss- Another great benefit of Yoga is its ability to reduce weight. Through different asanas of Yoga we can easily reduce extra fat from our body.
10. Heals many Diseases- Yoga also possesses the magic power of healing. Yoga has been used for healing disorders such as acid stomach, asthma, bronchitis, cancer, constipation, heart disorders, hypertension, insomnia, menstrual disorders, obesity, sinus and a number of other diseases. Studies have proved that people who regularly practice Yoga have reduced anxiety, are more resistant to stress, have lower blood pressure, efficient heart function and overall improved physical fitness.

Summary:

Yoga helps you experience the truth. The truth- which, you discover is goodness. The implications of knowing the truth is massive. Thus Yoga gives you the strength to unravel the truth with which you will begin to live with security, confidence and inner psychological peace. Such great are the benefits and properties of Yoga. Yoga changes your life.