Yoga Postures & Yoga Breathing

As we have discuss in our lifestyle guidance topic that how sattvic mind is important for us for being healthy & successful in our life. Let’s see what kind of activities or exercise we can practice to obtain the maximum benefit.

Basically exercise which we do to enhance the quality of our lives is of two types:One is the cardiovascular exercise which stimulates the muscle metabolism & increases oxygenation. It not only helps strengthening our muscles but also increases the performance of our heart & circulatory system. These types of exercise should be done under the guidance of you instructor or physician and also should be done according to the type of your body i.e prakruti because some of them require more and some require minimum of these exercises.

The second form of exercise is the one which helps in gaining energy means these are the exercises which gives energy to the body rather than causing it to expend energy. And these type of exercises in ayurveda are called “YOGA”

YOGA originates from the Sanskrit word ‘yug’. It means to bind, to join, to attach & yoke. It also means a union or communion with the universal power.

“When his mind, intellect & self are under control, freed from restless desire, so that they rest in the spirit within, a man becomes a yukta –one in communion with god”
- Lord Krishna to Arjuna (Bhagwat Gita, chapter – 6)

Most of the modern yoga is founded on the yoga sukras written by the sage pattanjali dating back about 200B.c. Pattanjali was the first to systemize the practices of yoga. The most widely followed of the desendence of the pattanjali yoga is ASTANGA YOGA which is one of the branches of yoga.

There are also other branches of yoga like gyana yoga, karma yoga, mantra yoga, bhakti yoga and the higher levels of the hath yoga. These are the branches of yoga that involve a life time dedication & study & inevetibly followed the mastery of yoga in its most basic form.
Astanga yoga takes its name from two Sanskrit words. Ashta means eight and anga means limbs. Astanga yoga therefore means the eight limbed approach or part of yoga. These are as follows:

1. Yama – these are the five abstentions – violence, lying, theft, greed & innocent sex.
2. Niyama – the five observances – purity, contentment, studies and surrender to god. 
3. Asana – means seat it involves posture.
4. Pranayam – life control forces, it is the process of gaining command over prana(vital energy) it primarily involves the active breathing.
5. Pratyahara – means abstraction – the reversal of the sense organ inducing gradual & complete withdrawl of oneself from the world.
6. Dharama- means concentration- an individual fixes his/her attention on single object.
7. Dhyana – means meditation – the intense contemplation of the true nature of reality leading to Samadhi.
8. Samadhi- liberation- the supreme conscious state of enlightenment.

Now coming to the practicing of yoga asana in daily life while one of the sage suggested four important yoga asanas to be performed daily for receiving the complete benefit. These are:

1. Locust (shalabhasana)
2. Knee-chest (pawan muktasana)
3. Cobra (Bhujangasana)
4. Uddiyan Bandha (a specific exercise for intestines)

And in addition also is pranayama (alternative breathing).

Benefits of yoga asana:

1. Releases the toxins from the abdomen and increase the ability to control digestion hence improving the agni(digestive fire) which in turn gives strong and healthy appetite.
2. Helps the doshas to perform their functions properly.
3. Refine the sensory organ.
4. Releases stress, calms the mind and increase sattav.
5. Helps in maintaing the balance of endocrine system.
6. With the enhancement of metabolism imoroves the circulation of lymph & blood.

Why one feel lighter and more invigorated by yogasanas and pranayam as compared to aerobic exercise?

Unlike aerobics yogasanas are done very slowly and gently and serve to lower cardiovascular activity rather than speed it up. After doing the asanas we actually feel more light, clearer & invigorated. To get a clear idea lets go through one example: if you some how get injury in you extremeties(hand or legs) you may not feel very sick and can get heal  without giving rest to your whole body. But if you receive any injury to the abdominal area you can get very sick and may result in serious disease manifestation, this shows that you need to pay more attention to your abdominal area rather than your extremities. That is why ayurveda suggest yogasanas & pranayama.

If we observe what asanas & paranayama do, they actually exercise your internal organs of body like your chest and abdominal cavity creating a kind of pressure on these organs which in turn helps to remove the unwanted material (aam) by moving it to gastro intestinal tract where they can be easily eliminated.

Also, if we do pranayama it helps to expand and constrict the chest, diaphragm and hemisphere of brain helps in releasing the toxins and improves there function.

 

To find out more about yoga classes and private tuition please contact Simerdeep on (02) 9233 3800 or send her an email at simerdeep@backonyourfeet.com.au

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