Yoga for Healthy Life

Yoga is a practice for union. When yoga is being practiced the participant becomes relaxed and tries to achieve a higher state of mind.(Fisher 80) There are different types of yoga that help achieve different states of mind. Raja yoga is the path to mental concentration and is used by meditative people. Jnana yoga is the path to rational inquiry which is done by rational people, and for naturally active people there is karma yoga which is the path of right action. “Yoga is known as the disconnection of the connection with suffering.” –The Bhagavad Gita (hinduwisdom.info) Hinduism also has a series of gods and goddess who Hindu’s pray to and worship. Durga whom is called the Ideal Warrior, Sita, who is the

Yoga is a comprehensive system of mind/body techniques that is thousands of years old. Its techniques are designed to improve physical and mental health and well being, and include such practices as physical postures and stretching, breathing exercises (pranayama), focused concentration, meditation, visualization, and chanting (mantra) (Desikachar, 1999; van der Kolk, 2014).

The art of doing yoga we know today originated 5000 years ago in India. The infinite cognitive, physiological, and neurological benefits of yoga have been found and proven effective in regaining energy, balance, and health. Practicing this ancient body art, even just for few short minutes, will enable an individual to regain balance and physical energy. Regular practice of yoga can bring improvement in health, in mind and body, increased energy, well-being, and

The meaning of hathayoga is “yoga of force” and refers to an intangible energy network within our physical body called “the subtle body.” Accordingly to the medieval teachings of hathayoga, there are two energy channels, the solar and lunar, which are balanced through postures and breath-control to then force the body to move into a meditative state, which seems so important for gaining insight about our physical existence. However, this metaphysical side of hathayoga was not addressed at the yoga practice I attended at. With this in mind, yoga certainly has physical benefits, but to ignore the spiritual aspect of the practice should not be forgotten and challenges my understanding of yoga as taught in lecture. For example, yoga can be seen as a spiritual path where through the unification of mind, body, and our senses a greater understanding of the “ultimate self” or “reality” can be gained, which then leads to liberation. Thus, I think for today’s yoga it would be useful to also emphasize the spiritual components to further expand the experience of the practitioner. The origin of yoga from the Indian traditions emphasized that yoga is a vehicle for physical, metaphysical, and spiritual transformation of the practitioner. Yoga has a huge component of self-reflection and contemplation in order to gain insight for liberation from worldly suffering, which is often accomplished through meditation where a strong, healthy body supports that practice. For example, the Vedic tradition and early Hindu society used mantras to go beyond their physical experience. The performance of mantras can be seen as a meditative as well as contemplative practice where one strengthens their mind to then unite with divine beings. Not to mention, accordingly to the Upanisads, yoga of meditation (dhyanayoga) is a common method to reach insight about

The second limb of Yoga is Niyama. Niyama deals with self-discipline and spiritual observances. There are five Niyamas. Saucha is the first Niyama. Saucha is the precept of purity in body, mind and environment. Pranayama or breath control can aid in cleaning your lungs, breathing conducts heat which cleanses our organs and muscles. Choosing a

Karma, Jnana, Ashtanga/Raja, and Bhakti yoga. Karma yoga are self centered activities that, later on, link to a greater objective. It usually requires some amount of sacrifice for use in the next life. This form usually enjoys worldly pleasures. Jnana yoga promotes philosophical wisdom and knowledge. This type is usually in a secluded space to study, with minimal activity. Ashtanga or Raja yoga are divided into eight essential stages. Most modern day yoga is based off of this. This yoga requires some difficult standards to people to participate in. It is said to have mystic power to become “smaller than the smallest.” Lastly, Bhakti yoga is a path to devotional service. This is a combination of all types of yoga. This is a recommended practice to those emotional people as a symbolic worship

Yoga helps a person bring their mind, body and spirit into proper balance. Doing these exercises helps to build a body that has been weakened by injury or by a lack of preparation, and it improves one's posture and breathing technique. With

Methods: 8 participants (66.5 ± 0.3 years) attended 2 60-min Hatha yoga sessions/week for 7 weeks, and

When an individual participates in yoga, the individual is more aware of their surroundings and mind, and they are engaged with their breath while they transition from one pose to the next. This can allow for physical control and the mindset for the person that they are able to control their physical symptoms without the related arousal or tension that would occur normally. Over time, the individual may be able to tolerate an uncomfortable symptom or thought therefore, they can simultaneously live his/her life in a meaningful way with distraction from the

As time passed, so did the techniques and thoughts of people before them. During the 1700’s, yoga masters created a form of yoga called Tantra yoga “to try to cleanse the body and mind to break the knots that bind us to our physical experience.”(Burgin, 2011). This type of yoga is believed to have led to the primary type of yoga in the western world which is known as Hatha Yoga. In the late 1800’s to early 1900’s, yoga began to expand even more, attracting a wider variety of followers. In the 1920’s Hatha Yoga began to become very popular in the western culture, with the majority of it being within India. This was due the strong promotion from T. Krishnamacharya who educated many people about the benefits of yoga. He would later form the Hatha

What are the benefits of these different types of yoga on people’s bodies and minds?

If you are looking for a calming and relaxing experience then hatha yoga is probably right for you. If you'd prefer something more energetic then you should consider

Traditional Hinduism regards yoga as mindful and spiritual. It is still seen as the core of Hindu teaching (Doniger, p. 116). A classical interpretation of the importance of yoga was all about control – the breath, the mind, the spirit, the body – literally “yoking” that leads to spiritual growth and well-being. This is still regarded as an important part of modern yoga practices because controlling your breath with movement allows for ultimate control. What remains consistent between classical yoga and modern, recreational yoga is that it is about discipline. In traditional Hinduism, the discipline comes from the different yoga paths – yoga of action, yoga of meditation, and the yoga of devotion (Doniger, p. 118). In modern yoga, the discipline

Yoga is a discipline both involving physical and mental control that originated in India. The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word, "yug", meaning union and it means the joining of the individual spirit with the universal spirit. The type of yoga known as Hatha Yoga, ("Ha"- sun, "tha"-moon) is what is most commonly practiced and this yoga involves the path of the mind and body and is the most physical. There are eight limbs or steps of Hatha Yoga, the first step being the five Yamas. There are five yamas and these concern your behavior to the world.

Yoga's psychological benefits include; improvement of anxiety, depression, stress tolerance, addictive disorders, bi polar disorders, eating disorders, insomnia and overall emotional balance. Physical benefits include; improvement of chronic pain, reduction of heart rate and blood pressure, increased circulation, and function. The benefits continue; improvement in venous return of the