All About Yoga As A Practice

Yoga is an age old science made up of distinct disciplines of body and head. It’s originated in India 2500 years past and remains effective in bringing any individual who does it consistently well being and general health. The word yoga is based upon a Sanskrit verb Yuja. It means to culminate, to connect or to concur. It is the culmination of body and mind or the culmination and Shiva (soul and the universal spirit). It is also a culmination of Purush and Prakriti (Yin and Yang).

The word Yoga has a very broad range. There are systems or several schools of Yoga. Dnyanayoga (Yoga through knowledge), Bhaktiyoga (Yoga through devotion), Karmayoga (Yoga through activity), Rajayoga (Royal or supreme Yoga) and Hathayoga (Yoga by balancing opposite principles of body). All these schools of Yoga are not necessarily completely different . They are rather like threads of the exact same cloth, entangled. For thousands of years, Yoga has been looked upon as a successful method of self-improvement and spiritual enlightenment. Each one of these systems basically have this same purpose; only the ways of achieving it are little different for all of thousands of years. In its hottest type, the word Yoga has come to associate with the last of those systems. Together with precisely the same significance, the term Yoga is used in combination for the point of the article too. The term Yoga will have a range that is broader although, when it comes to Philosophy of Yoga, which can be at the end of this article,.

Asana and Pranayama

Let’s take a thorough look in the key two components of Hathayoga i.e. Asana and Pranayama.

1. Asana

Asana means acquiring a body posture and maintaining it as the own body of one enables. Asana, when done rightly according to the rules discussed above, render tremendous physical and mental benefits. Asana are looked upon as the preliminary step to Pranayama. Together with the custom of Asana there is a reconciliation of opposite principles in head and the body. Additionally, it helps you to get rid of inertia. Advantages of Asana are improved with longer care of it. Asana must be steady, stable and pleasant. Here is the summary of general rules for doing Asana to be followed.

Outline of rules:

1. Ordinary breathing

2. Focused stretching

3. Positions that are enjoyable and secure (sthiram sukham asanam)

4. Minimal exertions (Prayatnay shaithilyam)

5. No comparisons or contest with others

6. No jerks or activities that are accelerated. Maintain a slow and steady pace.

Each asana has its own benefits and a couple common advantages like equilibrium, flexibility, better hormonal secretion, feeling rejuvenated and refreshed. It is a misconception an Asana (Yoga stretch) must be tough to do so as to be beneficial. A majority Asana of the most easy leave many of the common advantages of Yoga to their fullest. Anyway, the best thing about Yoga is in the truth that at a not-so-perfect degree most of the benefits remain accessible. That means a beginner gains from Yoga just as much as a professional.

In the nature, the founders of Yoga located part of their solutions in their search to work out a treatment for the anguish of human body and head. They saw animals and the birds stretching their bodies particularly fashion to remove malaise and the inertia. Based upon these observations, they named them or animals or fish and created Yoga stretches. For example, matsyasana (fish pose), makarasana (crocodile pose), shalabhasana (grasshopper pose), bhujangasana (cobra pose), marjarasana (cat pose), mayurasana (peacock pose), vrischikasana (scorpion pose), gomukhasana (cow’s mouth pose), parvatasana (mountain pose), vrikshasana (tree pose) etc.

Lots of the Asana could be generally categorized based upon the type of pressure on the abdomen. Many of the forward bending Asana are positive pressure Asana as they place positive pressure on the stomach by crunching it e.g. Pashchimatanasana, Yogamudra (Yoga symbol pose), Hastapadasana (hand and feet pose), Pavanmuktasana (wind free pose) etc. The backward bending Asana are the negative pressure Asana as they consider pressure from the abdomen e.g. Dhanurasana (bow pose), Bhujangasana (cobra pose), Naukasana (boat pose) etc. Both types of Asana give excellent reach to the rear and abdomen and fortify both these organs. Switching between positive and negative pressure to exactly the same region of the body intensifies and enhances the circulation of blood because area. The muscle group in use gets more supply of oxygen and blood due to the pressure on that area. E.g. in Yogamudra (symbol of Yoga), the lower abdomen gets positive pressure due to which Kundalini is awakened. Hastapadasana refreshes all nerves in the rear and also in the back of the legs. Because of this you feel rejuvenated and fresh. A great massage is given by Vakrasana to the pancreas and liver and therefore is recommended for diabetic patients.

2. Pranayama

Practicing Pranayama is among the manners of getting rid of mental disturbances and physical ill health. Pranayama means restricted and prolonged period of breath. Prana means breath. Additionally, it means life force. Ayama means controlling or elongation. The inhalations are not longer than the exhalations in Pranayama much like a pendulum demands long to return to its original location. The main aim of Pranayama is control desires by controlling breathing and to bring mental firmness. Breathing is a function of sovereign nervous system. By bringing the involuntary process of respiration under control of mind, the scope of volition is expanded. Pranayama is a bridge between Bahiranga (exoteric) Yoga and Antaranga (esoteric or introspective) Yoga. A body that has become stable by Asana and continues to be cleansed by Kriya (cleansing procedures) is prepared for Pranayama. On the other hand Pranayama prepares body and the mind for religious and meditational practice of Yoga for example Dharana Dhyana and Samadhi. On physical level, blood increases in oxygen, rejuvenating the brain as well as the nerves and later refreshing. Here are a few physical benefits of Pranayama.

a. Lungs, chest, diaphragm become stronger and healthier.

b. Capacity of lungs is raised.

c. Slow altering pressure creates a sort of massage to all organs in the gut cavity.

d. Purifies blood by raising blood’s ability to absorb more oxygen.

e. Brain functions better with more oxygen in the blood.

f. Neuromuscular coordination enhances.

g. Body becomes slender as well as the skin glows.

There are 8 main Pranayama specifically, Ujjayi, Suryabhedan, Sitkari, Shitali, Bhastrika, Bhramari, Murchha, Plavini. Among these, Ujjayi is the most popular Pranayama. Pranayama consists of 4 parts in the next arrangement:

1) Puraka (Controlled inhalation)

2) Abhyantara Kumbhaka (Holding breath)

3) Rechaka (Managed exhalation)

4) Bahya Kumbhaka (Holding breath out).

The ratio of the parts to every other is usually. Patanjali’s Yogasutra agrees with this particular ratio along with a number of other scriptures. With the aim of overall wellbeing, practicing the first three parts is satisfactory. A religious professional generally practices all four parts including the past one i.e. Bahya Kumbhaka. This kind of professional additionally does many more repeats than someone who does it for wellbeing and general health. Out of the four parts it is the Abhyantara Kumbhaka that’s essentially identified with Pranayama. There is Kumbhaka that happens spontaneously and is called Keval Kumbhaka.

Bandha (Locks) are really essential to the practice of Pranayama. Mulabandha (locking the anus), Jalandharbandha (locking jugular notch or the throat area), Udiyanabandha (locking the abdomen or diaphragm) and Jivhabandha (locking the tongue) are the four locks which are performed during Pranayama. Dependant on the purpose of Pranayama (general well-being or spiritual), locks are performed. Mulabandha, Jalandharbandha and Udiyanabandha are the common Bandha. Jivhabandha is required only if done for goals that are religious.


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