Is Yoga meditation practical in nature or theory? Can someone in university study Yoga, and know about Yoga or see the benefits? Can reading a good book make us experienced at Yoga?

This is an interesting topic; after all, to succeed in many fields, to pass that course, you need to be graded. You need grades to achieve becoming an accountant, lawyer, etc. However, is this same with Yoga meditation?

Yoga meditation however, can not be viewed in such a light. Whereas in life we learn that education is a key to success in whatever we choose to do, in Yoga this is far from the case.

Whether you are simply meditating or doing Yoga meditation, the key to success is practice. Often we may neglect such points. We may feel that we need every Yoga or meditation book to help us on our journey. Though these help, books of Yoga on a bookshelf don’t give you the skill. And this is same whether that is Yoga meditation or becoming an accountant.

Yoga is about finding that spiritual aspect in a practical way, and this only happens with practice. If you hold to the position that reincarnation exists, then you know that some things may take many life times to master.

Yoga meditation is in similar view with reincarnation. Achieving bliss, the highest consciousness, and seeing past the illusion of Maya is something that can take many lifetimes.

This may make you think that there is no point, if it is going to take many lifetimes, however, that is not the case. The best time to begin is now, if you have not done so already. Yoga offers many benefits, and not just spiritual, though that is the aim of practicing Yoga for many.

Yoga is practical, and one which requires consistent effort. Though the first few times of doing Yoga may seem complicated and new, over time you will get more experienced, and experience the benefits that Yoga gives.

Many people buy books on Yoga, yet so few will ever pick up that book, and sit down and participate. Participation is the key to success with Yoga. And success is another misconception, as success is a constant thing, and not a destination.

Beginning Yoga for yourself can be a simple process. I have found that first getting experience with meditation did help. It allowed the Yoga meditation periods to be more fulfilling. Though you can start Yoga from any age, any place with some peace and quiet.

You can start with one pose and then from there as you gain more experience do more, until you are flexible and balanced in mind, body, and soul.

Tags: Practical, Theory

Filed under: Meditation, Yoga Date 23 May, 2008
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History of Hatha Yoga: The history of hatha yoga goes back in the fifteenth century India when Yogi Swatmarama, a sage during those times, introduced it as a form of “a stairway to the heights” of Raja Yoga which is the preparatory stage of physical purification that makes the body fit for the practice of higher form of meditation. Hatha yoga is also known to be called as “hatha vidya” and the word “hatha” is a combination of the words, “ha” which means sun “tha” that means moon and they are said to refer to the prinicipal “nadis” or the energy channels of the body and must be fully operational to attain the state of “dhyana” or a certain aspect of meditation.

Some people may link that the origins of hatha yoga which dates back in the tenth or eleventh century with Goraknath, a yogin during those times. However, the oldest surviving text about hatha yoga is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika by yogin, Yogi Swatmarama. The text is said to be taken from old Sanskrit writings and personal yogin experiences of the yogin himself. The text relates about shatkarma, asana, pranayama, chakras, kundalini, bandhas, kriyas, shakti, nadis, and mudras among others.

Concept of Hatha yoga: The total concept of the traditional hatha yoga is a holistic yogic path comprising of moral disciplines, physical exercises, breath control, and meditation. The hatha yoga that is widely practiced and popular in the western countries mainly composed of the “asanas” or postures and other exercises.

Hatha yoga is only one of the two concepts of yoga that concentrates on the physical culture and the other yoga is the Raja yoga but both of these are referred to as Ashtanga yoga. The main difference is that the Raja yoga concentrates more on the “asanas” or postures to get the body ready for a prolonged meditation that concentrates mainly on the meditative “asana” poses. The hatha yoga on the other hand concentrates on balancing the mind and body through physical exercises, controlled breathing, and calming the mind through meditation and sheer relaxation.

Different positions or postures are recommended by practitioners to help lessen or avoid health problems ranging from constipation through cancer. It was said that it helps to reduce stress, pressure, and other mental worries that people today are frequently exposed to.

History of Karma Yoga

Karma yoga also known as Buddhi Yoga or the “discipline of action” is centered on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Sanskrit scripture of Hinduism. One of the four pillars of yoga, Karma yoga concentrates on the adherence to duty (dharma) while remaining detached from the reward. It states that one can attain Moksha (salvation) or love of God (bhakti) by performing their duties in a selfless manner for the pleasure of the Supreme. Karma Yoga is an inherent part of many derivative types of yoga, such as Natya Yoga.

Concept Of Karma Yoga

The word Karma is mentioned from the Sanskrit Kri, meaning ‘to do’, in its most basic sense karma simply means action, and yoga translates to union. Therefore, Karma yoga literally translates to the path of union through action. It is described as a way of acting, thinking and willing by which one acts in accordance with one’s duty (dharma) with no consideration of personal selfish desires, likes or dislikes, i.e. acting without being emotionally involved to the fruits of one’s deeds.

In the case of Arjuna in the Gita, this translated to his fighting in the oncoming war to uphold the righteous cause in accordance with his duty as a warrior; even if out of compassion, he did not want to battle with his relatives and teachers on the other side.

Krishna then goes on to tell how Arjuna should surrender the fruits of his actions (good or bad) to himself (as the Supreme Person or avatara) :

Krishna describes that allocated work done without expectations, motives, or anticipation of its outcome purifies one’s mind and slowly makes an individual fit to see the value of reason. He states that it is not necessary to remain in external solitude, or actionless, in order to practice a spiritual life, with the state of action or inaction is solely determined in the mind.

In order to attain the perfection of life, Krishna describes it is important to control all mental desires and tendencies to enjoy pleasures of the senses. The practice of Karma Yoga in everyday life makes an individual fit through action, meditation and devotion to sharpen his reasoning, develop intuitive power of acquiring knowledge and to transcend the mind itself.

History Of Raja Yoga

Raja Yoga also known as Classical Yoga or simply Yoga is one of the six orthodox (astika) schools of Hindu philosophy, being described Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. It is also occasionally referred to as A??anga (eight-limbed) yoga because there are eight aspects to the path to which one must attend. Raja yoga is concerned primarily with the cultivation of the mind using meditation (dhyana) to further one’s acquaintance with reality and finally achieve liberation.

The term Raja Yoga is a retronym, introduced in the 15th century Hatha Yoga Pradipika to differentiate the school based on the Yoga Sutras from the new current of Hatha Yoga.

Concept of Raja Yoga

Raja-Yoga is principally concerned with the mind. The mind is traditionally perceived as the ‘king’ of the psycho-physical structure which does its bidding (whether or not one has realized this). Because of the relationship between the mind and the body, the body must be ‘tamed’ first through self-discipline and purified by various means (see Hatha Yoga). A good level of overall health and psychological integration must be achieved before the deeper aspects of yoga can be pursued. Humans have all sorts of addictions and temptations and these preclude the attainment of tranquil abiding (meditation). Through restraint (yama) such as celibacy, abstaining from drugs and alcohol and careful attention to one’s actions of body, speech and mind, the human being becomes well to practise meditation. This yoke that one puts upon oneself is the alternate meaning of the word yoga.

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras start with the statement yogas citta-vtti-nirodha (1.2), “yoga limits the oscillations of the mind”. They proceed on to detailing the ways in which mind can create false ideations and advocate meditation on real objects, which process, it is said, will lead to a spontaneous state of quiet mind, the “Nirbija” or “seedless state”, in which there is no mental object of focus. Practices that serve to maintain for the individual the ability to check this state may be considered Raja Yoga practices. Thus Raja Yoga encompasses and differentiates itself from other forms of Yoga by encouraging the mind to avoid the sort of absorption in obsessional practice (including other traditional yogic practices) that can generate false mental objects. In this angle, Raja Yoga is “king of yogas”: all yogic practices are seen as potential tools for obtaining the seedless state, itself considered to be the first point in the quest to cleanse Karma and obtain Moksha or Nirvana. Traditionally, schools of yoga that label themselves “Raja” offer students a mix of yogic practices and (hopefully) this philosophical viewpoint.

Tags: Branches, Concepts, Different, Discovering, History

Filed under: Yoga Date 11 May, 2008
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Yoga is known for being one of the most beneficial exercises in the world, and also incredibly fun and enjoyable as it can be practiced by people of all walk of life and ages. Maybe you have even tried yoga and discovered that it makes you a different and better person. But what are the types of health benefits can you expect to enjoy from doing yoga regularly?

It is very important to know all the benefits of yoga before you start practicing it, so that you will understand that much more just how respected and positive an exercise form it really is.

There are so many different benefits that are offered from the exercise of yoga, and while each different form of yoga does offer its own separate benefits and results, there are some fundamental benefits that you will receive, regardless of which specific form of yoga you practice.

Physical Benefits

Flexibility: Yoga is very effective in increasing flexibility, as it has positions that act upon the various joints of the body, even including those which are never really worked out with other exercises. Stretching your tight body in new ways will encourage it to become more flexible, bringing greater range of motion to muscles and joints. You can expect to gain flexibility in your hamstrings, back, shoulders, and hips over time

Strength: Many yoga poses need you to support the weight of your own body in new ways, including balancing on one leg (such as in Tree Pose) or supporting yourself with your arms (such as in Downward Facing Dog).Some exercises will need you to move slowly in and out of poses, which also increases strength.

Muscle tone: As a by-product of getting stronger, you can expect to see Your muscles get incredibly toned and fit. Especially muscles that have become flaccid or weak, are stimulated repeatedly in order to help you shed flab and flaccidity. Therefore, Yoga helps toned and shaped long, lean muscles.

Pain and Disease Prevention: Increased flexibility and strength can help prevent the causes of some types of back pain. Many people who experienced back pain spend a major portion of their time sitting in front computer or driving a car. That can cause muscle tightness and spinal compression, which you can address these with yoga. It works to massage all of the organs in your body, and it is said as being perhaps the only activity that is able to massage all the internal glands and organs of the body in a thorough way. Yoga also improves your alignment, both in and out of classrooms, which helps prevent many other types of pain.

It is able to act in a wholesome manner on the various body parts, and this stimulation results in keeping disease away and alerting the body earlier when there is something wrong.

Better Breathing: Most of us breathe very shallowly into the lungs and take breathing for granted and without much thought. Yoga breathing exercises, called Pranayama, direct the attention on the breath and teach us how to better use our lungs, which benefits the entire body. Certain types of breath can also help unblock the nasal passages and even calm the central nervous system, which has both physical and mental benefits.

Total body detoxification: By gently exercising and stretching the muscles and joints through yoga, your body’s blood supply starts working better and quicker, and this aids in the flushing out of toxins as well as providing nourishment up to the last point.

Mental Benefits

Mental Calmness: Yoga asana practice is very physical. Concentrating so intently on what your body is doing, has the effect of calming the mind. Yoga also brings along meditation techniques, such as watching how you breathe and disengagement from your thoughts, which help calm the mind. It is also actually one of its main purposes.

Stress Reduction: Physical activity is good for destress, and this is particularly true of yoga. Because of the concentration need, 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 and helping put things into perspective. The emphasis yoga places on being in the moment, can also aid in relieving stress, as you learn not to dwell on past events or anticipate the future. You will leave a yoga class with lesser stressed than when you started.

Body Awareness: Practising yoga will give you an increased awareness of your own body. You are usually called upon to make small, subtle movements to improve your alignment. This will increase your level of comfort in your own body over time, thus leading to improved posture and greater self-confidence.

Tags: Benefits, Mental, Physical

Filed under: Yoga Date 11 May, 2008
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Yoga is a special form of meditation to give you the serenity that you need in this chaotic world. During yoga practice, you should be able to relax and meditate with absolute comfort. To do this, you will want to be dressed in the most comfortable clothes that would allow you to do those challenging stances and positions. Therefore, some basic guidelines will be drawn out to assist you in purchasing your perfect yoga outfit.

Comfort

Comfort is the main concern that one should be bear in mind when choosing clothes for yoga in yoga clothing. The clothes that you wear should allow you to move every joint of your body freely without the fear of hindering blood flow. Loose clothing is good choices but it has the tendency to slide down when doing those bending positions. Thus, a good yoga outfit should provide easy motion and capability to leave parts of the human body move in different postures and positions. Afterall, Yoga needs one to perform plenty of twisting and stretching; performing these steps in unfit yoga clothes could akin to make suffer. Elastic materials like spandex are better choices because they allow you to move freely without any part of the outfit getting in the way. Pure cotton is another material to consider as it allows the body for breathing in proper manner and offers a lot of comfortable. Wearing a sports bra that is comfortable enough for those moves for woman

Look out shoes with rubber soles and are as flat as possible for comfort. FootEase is a good brand of Yoga footwear that relieves sore, cold or aching feet. The unique shoes put in herbs and rice that improves the circulation in the feet.

Sweat Absorbance

Yoga may seem like a gentle kind of exercise but, keeping your body in challenging positions will surely make you break out into a sweat. Therefore, it is good to choose fabrics that are made of cotton which breathes and absorbs sweat.

As doing different types of yoga produce heat, it can cause the body to sweat. One can start feeling moist and sticky in case of Yoga clothes are not sweat absorbent. So, it is recommended to people to buying only yoga clothes that easily absorb sweat. One should select pure cotton as it keeps the human body cool and easily absorb sweat from the body.

Right Fit

Yoga is not just about moves, it is about how you see yourself in a positive way. Donning on clothes that make you look good is also a consideration. Choose stylish yoga outfits with color that suits your personality to make you feel good when doing the moves.

It is vital that clothes to do yoga must be perfectly fit for body figure. Take heed; it is not necessary that anyone wear a specific form of fitting yoga clothes that it will fit for one. One should take some time for deciding which type of yoga clothes will fit the best. It is the preferred choice if one top is bit fit for body.

Shorts would also be good as it allow you to see your knees, feet and ankles in proper alignment.

Due to the numbers of yoga postures, in which head moves toward lower the hips that can be go ahead to top sliding down. There are many types of yoga clothes that are many features in nature. One can wear these clothes to do yoga and is better to wear before going to the yoga class.

Value For Money And Attractiveness

Tank tops are favorites that are made of materials that breathe and with designs that are trendy and appealing. Semi-fitted or spandex pants allow comfort while covering full range of motion movements. Pants come in many different cuttings and designs. You can opt from Capri, to boot cut, to leggings and many more. Plus sizes are available for the big people. It offers an individual a good feeling during workout. An individual can perform exercise with more confidants.

One should be practical while purchasing clothes for yoga. Never let clothes designer makes order one selections as the selections might not necessary fitting for your body structure. Note that valuable yoga clothes does have a guarantee at all. One can purchase comfortable yoga clothes as per budget.

If you are practicing yoga outdoors, it would be good to wear a snug-fitting hat that provides enough protection against the sun’s rays. A cap with a wide front brim and a tail at the back would protect your face and nape from the harmful UV rays.

It is very common that outfits alter their shape after washing them. If this appears with clothes for yoga, it can hinder exercise, as shapeless yoga outfits will get in the order of the different poses and postures. Therefore, it is good that one buys only clothes that are constructed from organic materials.

Conclusion

Yoga is centered at giving you a healthy body and peaceful mindset. Dressing right, while doing yoga is necessary. If you did yoga dressed in ill-fitting and uncomfortable clothes, you just might not be able to achieve the right effect of yoga. Take heed that yoga is supposed to make you calm, unmindful of your surroundings. Invest in the right yoga clothes to get the desired results of yoga.

Tags: Outfit, Perfect, Yourself

Filed under: Yoga Date 9 May, 2008
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It is very beneficial to pay careful attention to the breath and to learn to control it in various ways. It is beneficial in the areas of physical health and in your practice of yoga. Apparently, the breath, the mind and the body are intricately link, that whatever you do to one will affect the other.

In yoga, it is vital to learn how to use the correct patterns of breath in order to get the most out of your yogic endeavours. Correct breath patterns must be practiced and observed before meditation and asanas. Correct breathing alone, can unwind your whole body, rid your body of unwanted toxins and rid your mind of anger, stress, tension and worry.

Do not risk harm by attempting to perform these exercises without consulting a trained yoga teacher or without seeking medical advice from a doctor. A yoga teacher can teach an appropriate breathing pattern to cater to your needs and your condition. To perform the pranayama and gain the most out of them, it is best to integrate it with the two of the three holistic approaches, asanas and meditation.

Helpful Notes

- Breathe in and out through your nose.

- Clear any blocked nostril. If your left nostril is blocked, lie on your right side for a few minutes and vice versa

- Never perform pranayam after asanas.

- If pranayam is to precede your asanas routine, set aside a time when you won’t be interrupted.

- The idea is to lead yourself to a relaxed state so do not force your breathing and never do it in haste.

Long Deep breathing

The most basic and natural of all breathing techniques is the long and deep breathing as it relieves stress and tension. It brings down toxic buildup in the mucus linings of the alveoli of the lungs, cleanses the blood and as a result of increased oxygen flow to your brain and body, your health improves in many ways.

Technique

Do sit in a comfortable manner. Relax your shoulders and chest. Breathe in, relaxing the abdomen, pushing your belly forward, expanding it. Then, as you breathe out, allow the abdomen to shrink back in, tightening your belly muscles and pushing the air out. Do this and not straining yourself. Open up and release the breath. You may put one hand on your belly to feel the abdomen expanding and contracting as you inhale and exhale. Perform in even lengths. Exhale for the same length of time as you inhale.

When To Do This:

- Before meditation

- Before going to bed

- Before a meeting, presentation or a big decision

- Before studying, before an exam, or an interview

- And whenever you can think of — in the car, at work, or while waiting in line

Alternate-nostril breathing

Alternate-nostril breathing encourages mind to heighten levels of discrimination, concentration and thoughts. It also boostmore energy and oxygen to the physical body and helps calm your nerves and improve circulation.

Before You Begin

For a more advanced technique, seek advice from a yoga teacher or an acarya (spiritual teacher). Your acarya will coach the pranayama technique that will be most beneficial to your mental and physical health and prepare you to complement the pranayama with mantra and meditation. No one should risk harm by practicing these techniques without seeking advice from a trained yoga teacher.

Technique

Sit in either Padmasana or Siddhasana. Close your eyes. Press and close the right nostril with your right hand thumb. Inhale a deep breath through the left nostril. After taking a full breath, close the left nostril with the middle, taking the thumb away from the right nostril and slowly releasing the air out, expelling the breath fully and inhale through your right nostril. After a full inhalation, close your right nostril with the thumb and release the fingers from your left nostril and exhale through your left nostril. This finishes one round. Start off with three rounds each time and gradually step up the rounds as you progress through the weeks.

When To Do This

- Do this in a well-ventilated, clean, smoke-free, dust-free, odor-free room.

- Do not perform this technique after asanas (yoga exercises).

Tags: Breathing

Filed under: Yoga Date 7 May, 2008
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