Friday, January 13, 2012

Facts On Yoga

By Christy Hoyle


What is Yoga? Yoga is considered one of the oldest and most tried and tested ways for us to improve the condition of our lives through spirituality and placidity of body and mind. It doesn't clash with any religion but does have an influence on our spiritual path. A freakish Eastern religion, the process of staring at a candle and saying "om" as incense wafts in the air, an adolescent diversion, the act of baseball legend Yogi Berra spewing malapropisms to awestruck '50s reporters - all these things yoga isn't.

Proper yoga practice entails concentration, self-discipline and a special attention to how you breathe. Yoga practice done seriously and with intent leads to the triumvirate of mind, body and spirit uniting in an Arcadian state. You may be young, old, new, experienced, skinny, fat, flexible or rigid - regardless of such, everybody can integrate Yoga into their everyday lives.

Hatha yoga, also known as alignment yoga, has been in practice for a good five centuries. More and more medical practitioners and therapists are using Yoga as a remedy for many kinds of poor health conditions. There are many cogent benefits to the practice of Yoga, including, but not limited to increased power, flexibility and physical strength, vitality in the cardiovascular system, faster healing and emotional and mental peace of mind.

Yoga is, most importantly, a complete form of exercise. Yoga practice can take the stead of several exercises including:

Weightlifting and other strength-orientated exercises.

Cardiovascular exercises such as jogging and aerobics.

Exercises to foster harmony and emotional balance, such as Tai Chi.

Stretching and other flexibility exercises.

Meditation as a means to develop mental serenity and relaxation.

Yoga is more than a stretching and relaxation system, it's the ideal test for your mind and body.

Should you practice Yoga? All persons from couch potatoes to world class athletes can profit from the exercise of Yoga. Purna Yoga requires the perfect positioning of your body as you hold the poses you develop your physical strength and stabilize your emotional and mental condition. This is not to be misconstrued as a quick-fix solution - if you have a health condition that needs immediate cure, you might as well try another exercise, see a doctor, or better yet, look for a magic lamp and consult your friendly neighborhood genie.

But, if you are willing to take that long, arduous trek to dynamism and well-being, then Yoga would be just the right exercise for you. Even children as young as eight years old can get on a Yoga exercise program and set their well-being up for life. You can make your practice more intensive as you go along, and you always have the option to rest on those especially tiring days.

It would do you some good to do some research on the different Yoga styles so that way you can fully understand what your location's Yoga schools have to offer. You need to be able to choose the correct Yoga style which will match your practice goals and your level of physical fitness.

Practicing Yoga and all the poses and/or breathing exercises that come with it would be worth anybody's while - and it doesn't matter why you decided to take up the practice to begin with, you are sure to benefit in the end.




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