How to Practice Ashtanga Yoga
...th the Yama which is the control and Niyana which are the rules of conduct. These are ways which we deal and with which we can interact with the entire world and ourselves at the same time. These steps can't be practiced but they are ethical issues. This way you can create an environment that promotes positive growth.
The third and fourth steps are the steps that have to do with the asanas which are the poses and postures. Pranayama the fourth step deals with breath control. The Ashtanga yoga focuses on the belief that breathing is essential to life. Breathing should always be even, smooth and have a natural rhythm. Most people who aren't able to breathe properly only use about half of their complete lung capacity. Correct breathing will also help bring your mind to the heart's center and provide inner peace too. What asanas help you do is that they help you gain a better sitting position that aids your meditation. Asanas also help you reduce your lower blood pressure and cholesterol and have a healthy heart and remain fit. In terms of mental fitness they lower stress and tension in our lives.
The other fou...more
Meditation and Yoga
...oga is the spiritual science that teaches us how the Ultimate Reality can be realised in life itself."
- Sri Chinmoy [1]
On the path of yoga, meditation plays a key role in helping us to seek union with God. Meditation is the process of quietening the mind. Yoga teaches us that the thoughts of the mind can never lead us to liberation. The mind by nature is limited. The perspective of the mind is influenced by our ego. Our ego cannot grasp the whole because it tends to limit and separate different aspect of ourself. In meditation we aim at stopping thoughts completely; when our thoughts no longer bother us, our soul will bring to the fore our own divine qualities.
Yoga means union, meditation is the process with which we can attain union with ou...more
Yoga And Weight Loss
...p>In addition to providing the basic benefits of exercise in general, yoga does have a few specific things going for it.
1. Despite the apparently agonizing contortions seen in every yoga book, the benefit is in the attempt to achieve the position. The models in the books arrived at their present level of ability over time, and many a skilled practitioner of yoga today began in the same shape you're in right now. It is okay to modify a position or to come out of it a little early if your body is not ready yet. The regular practice of your best version of the movement or position (asana), combined with yoga breathing techniques (easily learned) will produce progress over time.
2. No personal trainer or special equipment is needed, nor is it necessary to go to the gym or even out in public at all. You can do yoga naked if you don't have a pair of gym shorts, and a carpet is just as good as a yoga mat...at least at first. Yoga is actually so simple that it CAN be learned from a book, although it certainly wouldn't hurt to get guidance or training from a certified instructor.
3. Yoga is relaxing and relieves stress. Not only is this of great personal value in today's world, but if any part of your weight loss problem is stress related, and I ca...more
Yoga Insights: Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations), Part 1
... sequences have evolved over time. Some of todays popular Vinyasa Yoga, Power Yoga, and Ashtanga Yoga sequences are an expansion of Surya Namaskar. First of all, we will look at the physical benefits of sun Salutations.
Physical Benefits of Surya Namaskar
Much like other forms of exercise, the blood is oxygenated by the practice of sun Salutations. This one fact is great news for your heart and the cardio-vascular system. As a result, sun Salutations can be practiced by anyone who is interested in maintaining his or her heart.
It is generally agreed that your heart is the most important muscle in your entire body, so this is, m...more
