 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| YOGA AND MEDITATION - ARTICLE |
| Tracy Internet Advertising |
| Tracy Internet Advertising |
| Online Free Advertising For Everyone, Anywhere |
| Yoga and Meditation - Article |
| Local, National and Global |
| Established 2005 |
s sitting in a circle with their legs in impossible positions chanting “Ohm” around a huge candle in a poorly lit room. Yoga
in touch with one’s inner self, and keep a balance of sanity in a sometimes insane world. While yoga did come to
popularity in the 60’s with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who popularized Transcendental Meditation (TM) in the 60's, because
he was associated with the Beatles, yoga practitioners have brought the ancient practice to the forefront of wellness in
recent years. Many scholars believe that yoga dates back over 5,000 years to the beginning of human civilization.
Scholars believe that yoga grew out of Stone Age Shamanism, because of the cultural similarities between Modern
Hinduism and Mehrgarh, a neolithic settlement (in what is now Afghanistan). In fact, much of Hindu ideas, rituals and
symbols of today appear to have their roots in this shamanistic culture of Mehrgahr.
Early Yoga and archaic shamanism had much in common as both sought to transcend the human condition. The primary
goal of shamanism was to heal members of the community and act as religious mediators. Archaic Yoga was also
community oriented, as it attempted to discern the cosmic order through inner vision, then to apply that order
to daily living. Later, Yoga evolved into a more inward experience, and Yogis focused on their individual enlightenment
and salvation. Yoga is the most diversified spiritual practice in the world. Crossing over many cultures (including
Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and the West), Yoga also extends over multiple languages such as Hindi, Tibetan, Bengali,
Sanskrit, Tamil, Prakit, Marathi and Pali. The Yogic tradition continues to proliferate and spread its message of peace to
this very day. There are many different places that offer yoga classes – gyms, wellness centers, even the local YMCA.
But you don’t have to join a class to practice yoga. It is just as easily done in your home or even at your desk while at
work. Yoga can help bring you inner peace when you are stressed out. It can even help relieve the pain of headaches,
backaches, and menstrual cramps. As studies continue to reveal yoga's many health benefits, this centuries-old Eastern
philosophy is fast becoming the new fitness soul mate for workout enthusiasts. Contemporary devotees range from high-
powered execs trying to keep hearts beating on a healthy note to image- conscious Hollywood stars striving for sleek
physiques. Even prominent athletes are adding yoga to their training regime to develop balanced, injury-free muscles and
spines. Yet to applaud yoga for its physical benefits alone would only diminish what this entire system has to offer as a
whole. By practicing yoga on a regular basis, you may be surprised to find that you're building much more than a strong,
flexible body. Initially, the sole purpose of practicing yoga was to experience spiritual enlightenment. In Sanskrit (the
ancient language of India), yoga translates as "yoke" or "union," describing the integration of mind and body to create a
greater connection with one's own pure, essential nature. Classes that have gained popularity in the United
States usually teach one of the many types of hatha yoga, a physical discipline which focuses mainly on asanas
(postures) and breath work in order to prepare the body for spiritual pursuits. No longer is yoga a mysterious
phenomenon. It is now simply a way to keep you healthy and aligned. Now relax and read on as we explore yoga and
meditation.
WHAT IS YOGA?
As we have said, yoga is an ancient Indian philosophy that enhances personal growth and well being. Although it is a
systemic philosophical approach, yoga is not a religion, but complementary with most spiritual paths. The physical aspect
of Yoga (Hatha Yoga) use poses and focused breathing, requiring concentration and discipline. The result is a greater
union of mind, body and spirit. Anyone, regardless or body type, age, experience, or physical abilities, can practice yoga.
Pop culture would have us believe that yoga involves contorting your body into uncomfortable positions while staring at
a candle and breathing incense. You will see that yoga is much more than that. It is a series of exercises that can be
done by almost all people – not just the young who are in shape and healthy. Yoga can be performed by senior
citizens, disabled people, and even children. Yoga is a tool for gaining body-mind awareness to enhance whatever
spiritual/religious beliefs you have. A yoga session will leave you felling energized and relaxed. You will work your muscles
and will properly align your bones; you will breathe deeply, oxygenating the lungs and blood; you will experience true
deep relaxation. By bringing awareness to the body, and working the muscles, you are able to more deeply relax them
then from any other form of exercise. You will gain a deeper appreciation of your body and mind through yoga in a way
that no other exercise program will. People who have done no physical exercise at all, as well as Olympic athletes, find
enormous benefits from Yoga. The foundation of traditional yoga is careful alignment of your body as you hold the
poses. This precision and the awareness that comes with it, leads to tremendous growth, physically, mentally, and
emotionally. As in all great arts and sciences, to become proficient in yoga requires effort, determination, and practice.
But then, the fruit we reap is always in proportion to the seeds we sow and nurture. Thus, if you are looking for a quick fix,
an instant cure, a quelling of surface symptoms while the true ailment remains unhealed, you will not find satisfaction in
yoga. On the other hand, if you want to keep or regain your health, vitality and vigor; if you want to feel younger and
stronger; and if you are looking for a perfectly balanced and complete form of exercise that can be started by anyone
over seven years of age, in any condition, and which becomes more challenging as you get more advanced, yoga
is for you!
WHY DO YOGA?
Yoga Creates both flexibility and strength along with cardiovascular health. It creates mental clarity and focus and
emotional balance. Yoga is safe for all ages and body types. It facilitates healing from injuries and is a wonderful way to
create wellness. You weight train to gain strength, jog or do aerobics for a cardiovascular workout, practice tai-chi to
develop a sense of balance and harmony, stretch to gain flexibility, and meditate to develop peace of mind and
relaxation. Yoga is a form of exercise that gives you everything: strength, endurance, balance, flexibility, and relaxation.
It is the only complete form of bodywork that does it all. Indeed, yoga is more than stretching and relaxation: it is the
ultimate mind- body challenge. Yoga increases flexibility as it offers positions that act upon the various joints of the body
including those joints that aren’t always in the forefront of noticeability. These joints are rarely exercised, however, with
yoga, they are! Various yoga positions exercise the different tendons and ligaments of the body. The body that may
have been quite rigid begins experiencing a remarkable flexibility in even those parts which have not been consciously
worked upon. Seemingly unrelated non-strenuous yoga positions act upon certain parts of the body in an interrelated
manner. When done together, they work in harmony to create a situation where flexibility is attained relatively easily.
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.
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. But these enormous physical benefits are just a “side effect” of this powerful practice. What yoga does is
harmonize the mind with the body. This results in real quantum benefits. It is now an open secret that the will of the mind
has enabled people to achieve extraordinary physical feats, which proves beyond doubt the mind and body connection.
Yoga through meditation works remarkably to achieve this harmony and helps the mind work in sync with the body. How
often do we find that we are unable to perform our activities properly and in a satisfying manner because of the
confusions and conflicts in our mind weigh down heavily upon us? Moreover, stress which in reality is the #1 killer
affecting all parts of our physical, endocrinal and emotional systems can be corrected through the wonderful yoga
practice of meditation. In fact yoga = meditation, because both work together in achieving the common goal of unity of
mind, body and spirit – a state of eternal bliss. The meditative practices through yoga help in achieving an emotional
balance through detachment. What it means is that meditation creates conditions, where you are not affected by the
happenings around you. This in turn creates a remarkable calmness and a positive outlook, which also has tremendous
benefits on the physical health of the body. There’s no doubt that yoga has tremendous benefits to your health and well-
being. So how do you get started with your own yoga program? So many styles of yoga are utilized, to many for this
article, but they are well described in the book below. There are many benefits of a regular yoga practice. Not only does
yoga help maintain a healthy lifestyle, it clears your mind and provide clarity of focus – something we all could use from
time to time! Let’s look at the benefits of yoga.
The very best time to practice yoga is first thing in the morning before breakfast. Upon waking, empty the bowels, shower
if you wish, then commence the day with your regime of yoga practices. The second most conducive time is early
evening, around sunset. It is, of course, far better to do something at a time of the day which suits one, rather than to
miss out by being too rigid or idealistic. Always remember integral yoga is a balanced recipe which maintains that to get
the best from your yoga practice, you should whenever possible, mix and match the necessary elements of practice
which will improve and enhance your spiritual growth and awareness.
Asanas – yoga postures - may be practiced at any time of day except within 2-3 hours of having eaten. You can do
postures when the body feels stiff, tense, tired or hyped-up. Be aware not to do too many over-stimulating postures just
before bedtime. Asanas are best practiced first in your yoga routine, followed by breathing (Pranayama) and then
meditation.
Pranayama may be practiced at any time of day except within 2-3 hours after meals. It may be done when tense or tired
or when space does not allow room for postures. Pranayama is best practiced straight after asanas without breaking the
flow of awareness. Pranayama is a necessary pre-requisite for successful meditation.
Meditation may be done at any time of day when you feel both awake and relaxed. For best results, you should not do
meditation within 2-3 hours of eating, when sleepy, or when mentally “hyped-up”. It is best is to have fresh air in a quiet
and clean place that suits the concentration and awareness yoga will create. Do not practice yoga in direct sunlight or
after sun-bathing. Outdoors is OK but you should avoid cold wind and insects. Wear loose comfortable yoga clothing so
there is no restriction around the limbs. Exercise on an empty stomach at least three hours after eating. Do not force
your body under any circumstances. Many people don’t take heed of this advice. They try to push their bodies into the
exercises, whether the body is ready or not. This is a great mistake which does more harm than you can imagine.
We would highly recommend further reading in the e-Book shown below called "GUIDE TO YOGA AND MEDITATION ". It
contains very detailed information on the various types and postures used in Yoga.
This Article was written by the author of the book shown below :
Sole permission was given to Tracy Internet Advertising to display it.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
| For more information click on the book image. This book is published by Lulu.com and available for Instand downlod 24 hours any day. This is an e-Book with 62 pages of very valuable information |
| We hope this Article was both informative and educational to you. |
around you? Want to take a vacation that will relax your
Mind, Body And Spirit? Well this Easy To Read Step By
Step E-Book makes it all possible! Look no further!
Products! This E-Book gives you an In depth explanation
on how to Release all of your Inner Stresses as well as
Improving Your Fitness.......Instant Download
Mind, Body And Spirit? Well this Easy To Read Step By
Step E-Book makes it all possible! Look no further!
Products! This E-Book gives you an In depth explanation
on how to Release all of your Inner Stresses as well as
Improving Your Fitness.......Instant Download
This Webpage may be shared in its entirety only, the Article may NOT be, without consent of its Author
| Beginners Guide to Yoga and Meditation |