Simple Tips To Keep Up A Good Yoga Posture

Keeping up a good yoga posture is all it takes for you to be able to keep up with a good yoga practice. Yoga's not only fine for achieving balance, developing calm, and making you elastic enough to make your body move to its utmost. A yoga posture can also build the inner strength.

Fighting the Cobra

This relieves slight pain in your back and tones abs

First step: Stretch out on your stomach with legs and feet joined in together. Plant palms on the floor below shoulders with fingers facing onward.

Second step: Next is to lift the upper body by gradually lifting the head and chest, just make sure that you keep your shoulders down. Pelvis and thighs shouldn't leave the yoga mat.

The last step: Hold your pose for about twenty to thirty seconds as you breathe in even breaths all the way through your nose. Go back to your preliminary location and do it all over again.


Strengthens your abs

First: In the first yoga posture, you should situate yourself in a standing position with legs hip width separately, holding arms directly ahead with palms facing down.

Second: Twist your knees and squat if you want as if you're about to sit in a chair in your classroom. Make sure to center weight in your heels, lock it and don't bring hips lower than the level of your knees.

Third: Allow yourself to reach forward, and center your eyes in a straight line ahead while breathing in and breathing out all the way through the nose. Hold this yoga posture for about 20 seconds. Gradually go back to standing position, and then you can release your arms.

The Wind-Relieving Posture

This yoga posture stretches your spine and helps in the digestion of your stomach. It’s a good thing to have a good running stomach so that you will always feel fresh.

First: Recline on your rear or back. As you breathe in, drag your right knee near to your chest. Keep your left leg in a straight line and on the ground.

Second: push your shoulders and the rear side of your neck into the ground at the same time as firmly holding your knee. You can breathe for ten seconds only. This might be quick but seems longer when you execute it.

Third: Change the sides, while holding the left knee to your chest for about ten seconds. Complete this set by hugging both of your knees to your chest and holding it for another ten seconds. Do the set again.

The Upward Boat Posture

This strengthens your abs, improves your balancing ability, and also helps in digestion.

First: Sit down on the floor. Bend your knees and place feet flat on the floor.

Second: breathe in, bend back and raise heels off the ground, straightening your legs as possible as you can. Expand your arms with palms facing downward. If you find it difficult to perform, you can rest your hands beneath your knees for support. This may be a difficult yoga posture to perform but after a few practices, you will never have that difficulty again.

Third: while you hold the pose for thirty seconds, you should keep your back in a straight line, and make sure your abs are doing the work.

Practice this yoga posture all over again when you have time and you will find it easy to execute after you have continuously repeated it. A yoga posture can save your health, your digestion and your backbone so better keep it up.

Must Have Basic Yoga Equipment

One good thing about yoga is that it can be practiced almost anywhere, without all those yoga equipments, and by all people of all ages.

When doing yoga it is best to wear loose and comfortable clothing. Yoga is traditionally done and practiced barefoot, but if this does not suit you, you can just wear socks or soft-shoes.

It is also best to practice yoga on an empty stomach. Empty your stomach, clean your nostril and throat, and consume a glass of warm water 15 minutes before you start.

You may drill on energy bars, fruits or drink a glass of water an hour before class to avoid getting hungry or dehydrated during yoga sessions.

It is said earlier that you basically don’t need anything in order to practice yoga. All you need is the desire and the attitude to really be into yoga and expand your self awareness.

But this does not completely eliminate the need for different yoga equipment. This yoga equipment helps you do your postures properly.

It helps you achieve the proper alignment, balance and makes the pose a little bit easier to do. The use of Yoga equipments also lessen out the stress and strain from doing your yoga positions.

Yoga equipments help you support your muscles and refrains you from any muscle injuries. Yoga equipment also helps to save energy by exerting less effort on a pose.

After a thousand of years in existence, Yoga has already been part of everybody’s lifestyle from any part of the world. From India, yoga has evolved through the years and reaches the United States and other countries extending a different yet proven effective form of achieving self balance that results to utmost health be it physical, mental or spiritual.

Now millions of people around the world practice Yoga to cope with stress, feel renewed and energized, release tension, achieve a healthier and fitter body and gain a deep sense of self-knowledge.

Doing yoga is not just about postures, there is also one vital part of yoga that we can never live without, and these are yoga equipments.

When starting out yoga you should know the basic yoga equipments that you will need.

Yoga Mats: these yoga equipment provides cushioning on a hard floor, this specially needed if your yoga studio floor is made up of cement or hard wood floor.

This yoga equipment is also provide traction for your hand and feet thus prevents you from slipping or sliding on a wrong position when your doing your yoga postures

Yoga Bolsters: This yoga equipment provides support for your spine, abdomen and legs in a number of different poses.

Yoga bolsters helps you achieve the utmost result of your practice.

Yoga Blankets: this yoga equipment helps you feel relaxed and comfortable which is essential in the practice of yoga.

Yoga blankets also provides added warmth and softness to your yoga mat, making you feel more relaxed and comfortable.

Yoga Straps: this yoga equipment is either made out of cotton or nylon. This allows you to grasp your body part which you cannot.

Yoga straps give you added flexibility and holds your pose a little bit much longer. Yoga equipment may not be a requirement for doing yoga but through times they have been proven to be helpful in their own simple ways.

They have been useful to yoga practitioners especially to those who are suffering from ailments and the elderly. Most yoga equipments are made to provide support to help you feel relaxed and feel deeper into the pose or do the pose better.

Finding Right Yoga Bolsters is Easy

Yoga has been part of our lives when it comes to tension and stress relief. Through yoga we gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of oneself. It also serves as a great tool to stay healthy and prevent certain diseases.

Yoga through the years of repeatedly usage has become a popular alternative medicine. Today it is now used to cure chronic diseases and ailments in the different body systems. It includes the nervous, circulatory, endocrine, respiratory, digestive, reproductive and the musculoskeletal system.

Yoga can be practiced by anyone, including the elderly and those that have or suffers from certain injuries. The use of specific yoga equipments can help people who are not perfectly capable of doing yoga. The use of yoga Equipment can help you achieve the maximum physical and mental results of your practice.

One of the best examples of yoga equipments is the Yoga bolsters.

Yoga bolsters are being used in various styles of yoga like the Bikram, Ananda and Kripalu yoga.

These are yoga form that needs much of your yoga bolsters for they instill more use of extensive yoga poses.

Yoga bolsters provide support for the back, abdomen and legs. Yoga bolsters also aids in the proper alignment of the body and the stack of spinal vertebrae.

It is also and effective way to cushion and relieve tension in your lower body and upper body, the neck and the abdomen when doing your poses.

It aids yoga master in doing supine and passive yoga positions. Putting your yoga bolsters on top of your mat provides added cushioning and support to your lower body and makes your yoga session more comfortable.

Yoga bolsters are light and can be easily carried and stored at the corner of your room. It can easily fit in to your drawer or a closet without taking much space.

Yoga bolsters also comes in a variety of size, shapes, colors and materials which is designed to fit your need and preference.

Different sellers offer cylindrical, rectangular, Zafu, and a lot of other types of Yoga Bolsters.

Sometime people buying yoga bolsters are quite confused on whether to buy cylindrical or rectangular yoga bolsters.

So here are some brief discussions on the difference between this two. But if you are into yoga class and like the yoga bolsters that you are using then you can buy the type you use.

Cylindrical bolsters are a larger and much more firm that the rectangular yoga bolsters.

Cylindrical yoga bolsters are heavier than the rectangular ones, owing the fact that they have different respective filling materials with different weights.

You can do most things equally well with either kind of Bolster, but the different shapes do have marginal advantages for certain poses.

Yoga Bolsters are used for comfort in different positions, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes to provide that extra level of comfort and support. Placed under knees, ankles, or neck, these Bolsters help to relieve muscle strain during difficult poses.

The round bolsters and Rectangle Bolster props, supports and encourages your body to stretch, relax and open the areas that need it most.

What ever kind of bolsters that you need, I am sure that you will be able to find one that will suit your needs. If ever nothing would fit you in yoga store, make one of your own or find somebody who can make them, giving you a much more flexibility and customization in getting the yoga bolsters that you like.

The Physiology Of Breathing

The purpose of breathing, as everyone knows, is to supply the body with oxygen and cleanse it of carbon dioxide. Cut off the oxygen, retain the poisonous waste gas, and death will follow in a matter of minutes. This is elementary. What is not so clear is that an inadequate supply of oxygen that is, improper waste disposal--results in half living. The body functions are slowed; the tissues fail to renew themselves. Yet this unsatisfactory state of affairs is so common that we actually take it for granted. In fact, leading chest specialists say that the average person today utilizes only about one-eighth of his lung capacity, a capacity which was right for him back in the days when he lived in caves and spent all his waking hours actively engaged in the business of surviving.

Even when we are not living at par, the heart does a prodigious job. Every hour it pumps some 800 quarts of blood through the lungs which, in turn, eliminate some 30 quarts of carbon acid during that time. The heart beats 100,000 times a day, which means it generates enough energy to lift a weight of 130 tons a foot high. It pumps enough blood in a lifetime to float the largest ocean liner. Imagine what power our heart might have, what energy it could generate, if only its supply of oxygen were increased eight times!

As the freshly-oxygenated blood travels from the lungs to the heart and is pumped on, via arteries and blood vessels, via tiny capillaries, it reaches every cell in our organism. It makes possible the utilization of our food intake for the body's various needs, rebuilding tissues, supplying energy. It stimulates the functioning of the endocrine glands so that their secretions may be better absorbed. It feeds the nerves. It feeds the brain. Then, through a second set of capillaries, dark red now instead of bright, for it is loaded with waste, it travels back through the veins to be cleansed once more. All of the blood in the body makes this trip to the heart every three minutes.

Now what of the lungs? Why is it that most of us do not use our respiratory system properly? Partly the answer is, again, that we have grown effete with civilization. The physiology of the human body remains geared to that primitive state when man hunted, climbed trees, split rocks, and there is little we can do to change this. In a sense we now have too much equipment for our needs, and we are letting it grow weak and flabby with disuse. This imbalance, by the way, has been largely responsible for the prevalence of tuberculosis and our susceptibility to it until the development of wonder drugs changed the picture.

But the anachronistic way we are built is not the only reason for our being oxygen-starved, nor for the various respiratory ailments and infection from which so many of us surfer. The fact is, few of us breathe properly.

Look around you. You will be astonished to notice how many people breathe through the mouth instead of through the nose. This means they inhale directly through the pharynx and the larynx (roughly, together, the throat) allowing air to reach the bronchial tubes without being properly filtered and warmed. In order to be cleansed of dust and bacteria air should be drawn in through the nasal passages where the mucus membranes with their secretions filter it. Moreover, as that air then travels a considerably longer road it is warmed to body temperature instead of being allowed to hit vital organs with chilly shock. Breathing through the mouth, then, is an invitation to colds and infections of all sorts.

One final aspect, too often disregarded, of proper breathing is that it must be done from the diaphragm. Women especially, because of tight clothing and girdles, tend to breathe by lifting the chest, consciously drawing the air in. This is less than half-effective, both because the upper lobes of the lungs are the smallest and because the upper part of the rib cage is relatively rigid. The correct way to breathe is to expand the muscles of the diaphragm down and out, then push in and up. In this way the lungs expand to full capacity, air rushes into them, then is vigorously expelled. If you try it, you will quickly see how even a minute or two of such breathing can be enormously exhilarating. But very few of us breathe this way naturally. It is something which must be learned by practice.

Yoga deep-breathing exercises, as you will see shortly, give the body this exhilaration. Some you will find extremely simple--so simple you will wonder why they should be dignified by such formal attention. The answer is that because of this very simplicity they can, if done regularly, soon become automatic, a fine new habit. Moreover, like the more complicated ones, they are a most important adjunct of the practice of relaxation and concentration. Bear in mind always that one cannot be achieved without the other, and neither can be reached without an understanding of the purpose of both.

Try this first experiment in Dynamic Breathing: Stand straight but relaxed. Breathing as smoothly and rhythmically as possible, with the mouth closed, inhale slowly and deeply while expanding the diaphragm, then exhale by pushing the diaphragm in and up. Take as long to inhale as to exhale, although normally inhalation involves a shorter movement than exhalation. While striving to equalize and slow down your normal tempo, visualize your limbs as hollow tubes through which the life-giving prana is being drawn into your body. Picture this energy flowing into your organs, bathing your entire body and cleansing it.

As you exhale, visualize fatigue and exhaustion passing out of your system along with the poisonous wastes you breathe out. Finish with what we call the "Cleansing Breath:" Inhale deeply, then, when your lungs are fully extended, expel the breath suddenly and energetically, using a quick inward jerk of the abdomen to drain the lungs of all air. Repeat the cleansing breath two or three times, and you will be amazed at its bracing effect. After you have become expert at Dynamic Breathing, you can practice it at odd times during the day.

The Most Common Types Of Yoga

There are so many different types of yoga today, with this a problematic situation for beginners, it is best to choose a form of yoga that is appropriate for each individual’s level of fitness, physical and spiritual goals and health condition.

Some of the most common types of yoga are listed below and briefly explained to guide you in choosing the best type of yoga that you can start with.

Iyengar Yoga: these types of yoga are solely focused on the alignment and precise movements. Yoga props such as blocks and straps are usually used as part of this type of yoga for those beginners who are not as flexible as the experts as to compensate for injuries.

These Yoga props help assist all sorts of people to be able to do the poses comfortably.

Because of its attention to details and the flexible modification of poses, these types of yoga is often a good form of exercise for people with back pain or neck pain, as they are likely to benefit from the random alteration to the poses.

Practicing these types of yoga will give you a good knowledge on the classics in yoga poses so that whatever other style you practice, you will have the basic fundamentals on how to do each position.

In Iyengar yoga the teacher focuses more on alignment and inner awareness. This awareness starts with the body and expands to other parts of the self as one continues with the regularity of practice.

Ashtanga Yoga: These types of yoga are commonly called power yoga because it is focused on a powerful flowing movement.

Such movements include pushups and lunges, which deals with strength and stamina. These types of yoga are best for people who have successfully overcome back injuries and are looking for more challenging practice.

People who are already athletic such as runners, gymnasts and cyclists who want to add more balance and concentration to their routines are also utilizing these types of yoga.

Bikram Yoga: These types of yoga are also known as the hot yoga for this is done in a very warm room. These types of yoga are excellent tools for increasing flexibility because the heat helps tissue to stretch.

But keep in mind that these types of yoga are not applicable to those that have developed cardio vascular diseases due to the strain placed on the body when vigorously exercising in the heat.

Viniyoga: These types of yoga links breathe and movement in flowing exercises that are adapted to each individual. These are often a good form of yoga for those with back problems or neck injuries because it can be easily adapted by anyone.

Raja Yoga: These types of yoga aims for liberation through meditation. These types of yoga are only for those people who are capable of intense concentration.


Bhakti yoga: Commonly known as devotional yoga, these types of yoga focus on self surrender in the face of the divine.

Mantra yoga: Much more know as the "yoga of potent sound, these types of yoga aims at liberation through the verbal or mental repetition of empowered sounds, such as "om," "hum," or "ram."

There are so many yoga institutions to choose from. It is also a good idea that before going into a class, discuss with the teacher first regarding hi or her philosophy and beliefs in order to find the most appropriate and personally appealing form of yoga for you.

Tantra Yoga For The Generation X

Yoga is very popular nowadays. With its various benefits, many are influenced to engage in this form of exercise and meditation. There are so many kinds of Yoga that are known and practiced by many as of today. One if this is Tantra Yoga.

Tantra yoga is more concentrated on the spiritual healing and most of all the integration of the body, mind, and spirit. In India, it is an ancient tradition that sexuality is an important and significant phase to be able to achieve a certain degree of enlightenment.

In Western religious norms, sexual pleasures and desires are not inclined or associated with spirituality. With these differences in traditions, there exists a fine line between their feelings and attitude towards sexuality along with spirituality.

However, in Eastern philosophy, they celebrate and rejoice on the splendor and glory of creation. And later on, they have developed a study or science for understanding how to get most of this therapeutic and wonderful experience. Energy is known and considered to be the source of life in Tantra.

Furthermore, they consider the sexual energy and urge as great and sacred energy. There exists a few of the many exercises that help in the performance on the sexual aspect as well as some dietary adjustments. Some of these physical exercises include contractions, breathing and holding certain positions.

There are so many benefits that can be obtained by performing these various physical exercises. Some of these include improved prostate functioning and enhanced and improved sexual performance. Another benefit is improved sexual stamina when engaging in sexual intercourse.

There are also different kinds of exercises. Aside from the physical exercises, there are psycho- spiritual exercises. These exercises are ways to develop mediation on unconditional love and desire. As a result, this can make sexual activities less anxious and awkward, aside from that, the pressure to perform and move is minimized.

It is said that the most fascinating sexual experience is giving in completely to your partner or lover what he or she really wants. Expectations may be high so one must perform and must do something about it.

Through mediation and proper exercises, one can think of the various ways which he can satisfy his lover. When one is focused and concentrated on giving what your lover really wants is an experience which can strengthen your relationship with each other, moreover, you will receive the satisfaction you had always wanted. There are few exercises which can help you a lot I focusing on your sexual performance.

By repeating some mantras and chants together with breathing exercises and proper meditation, one can achieve these benefits.

There are also numerous ways to take your foreplay to the highest level. With healing massages and gentle stroking, one can receive a rewarding experience that can stimulate both physical and spiritual and healing in different ways.

Reiki or energy channeling healing is practiced before engaging in a sexual activity. This is known to heighten the sexual pleasure in an intercourse. It is an Eastern healing art where-by one partner channels his energy to the other.

Through tactile stimulation, healing is achieved and both the physical and spiritual aspect is enhanced. In this manner, both of you can achieve a deeper state of relaxation and meditation which is very helpful to couples and partnerships.

Doing Deep Breathing Exercise Correctly

The following deep-breathing exercises are most effective if done upon arising. They are best performed before an open window but may also be practiced before going to bed or even sometime during the day.

Stand erect and at ease. Place the hands on the hips, elbows well out and never forced backward. Draw the chest straight upward, then press the hip bones with the hands in a downward direction. By this means a vacuum will be formed and air will rush into the lungs of its own accord. Remember to keep the nostrils wide open so that the nose may serve as a passive channel for inhaling and exhaling. The breathing should be noiseless. Remember to stretch the upper part of the trunk. The chest must never be cramped, the abdomen should be naturally relaxed, the spine and neck straight. Remember not to draw the abdomen inward; lift the shoulders up, never force them back.

To exhale, allow the ribs of the upper part of the trunk to sink down gradually. Then lift the lower ribs and abdomen slowly. Again, care must be taken not to bend the body or arch the chest. Exhale silently through the mouth. At first do not retain the breath after inhalation. Start with three or four rounds a day; increase by one each week.

An excellent way to practice pranayama is lying down. Lie flat on a hard surface preferably on the floor, using a mat or rug. Let your arms rest by your sides, parallel to the body. Keep the legs straight but not stiff. Relax muscles and mind, step by step, as in Savasana, the exercise for complete relaxation . Breathe deeply and noiselessly from the diaphragm. Start with three or four rounds a day, increasing by one round each week. This exercise may be done in conjunction with complete relaxation, but do not substitute one for the other. Also, do not try to use a bed unless it is an exceptionally hard one, since relaxing on a hard surface is by far the most effective method.

Persons engaged in sedentary occupations will derive great benefit from practicing pranayama while sitting comfortably upright in an easy chair. For this exercise, inhale through both nostrils, then hold the breath for a short time before exhaling effortlessly. No strict ratio need be established between inhalation, retention and exhalation so long as the process is deep and natural. The important thing is that rhythm be established in the entire being, so that the nerves are toned and the mind calmed.

You will be astonished how much easier your next task of studying or working will become, how unrest and disturbing elements will vanish from your consciousness. Fatigue will disappear and you will feel deeply refreshed. However, in order to get the full benefit of this exercise you must remember to keep not only your body but your mind passive. Try to blank out all conscious thought, concentrating as you breathe on some bland, pleasing object directly before your eyes.

Controlling mental images during the practice of pranayama is a conscious discipline which must be learned. The average person's mind, left to itself, dances like a flame in the wind. It flits from image to image, free-associating, as the psychiatrists call it, allowing full play to the imagination, to day-dreaming, to wishful thinking. With the mind racing this way, no true relaxation or meditation is possible. The Yogis devised the following exercise to counteract this tendency to wool-gather:

Stare steadily and without blinking at some small object directly in your line of vision. Continue until tears begin to form in your eyes. You need not be alarmed at the slight stinging sensation you will have there is nothing harmful to the sight here; on the contrary, your eyes will be strengthened. At the same time you will be developing will power. If your sight is poor or your eyes tire easily, try the following routine after the concentration routine: While breathing slowly inward, roll the eyes with a circular motion outward; then exhale, rolling the eyes inward. Repeat three times, then reverse, and rest.

An Effective Relaxation Technique

Another excellent preliminary relaxation routine is stretching on waking up. Make it a habit never to jump out of bed in the morning. Instead, give yourself a minute or two to wake your body thoroughly. Lie flat on your back, preferably without a pillow. Breathing deeply but easily, start by consciously stretching one leg from the hip down, toes pointing so that you can feel the muscles of the calf, and the leg itself feels about an inch longer than the other.

Relax, and then repeat with the other leg. Now stretch your arms hard sideways, then over your head, tensing shoulder and neck and muscles, and arching your back like a cat. Now get up slowly, avoiding jerky motions. You have never seen a dog or cat jump up from a nap, unless it has been startled and alerted as if to danger, in which case its adrenaline is probably pouring through its body. It is precisely such harmful purposeless over-stimulation that you must teach yourself to avoid. Incidentally, this getting-up routine is worth an extra half hour's sleep.

We have already mentioned that the ancient Yogis developed their exercise techniques from observing animal life. Not only did they appreciate the genius for relaxation all animals possess. They realized that animals, utilizing their energies properly, sleeping at intervals around the clock, eating only according to need, live to five times their maturity and keep their full vigor five- sixths of their life, while men and women live to only twice their maturity and begin to lose their vitality half-way through.

Carrying their emulation of beasts and birds to a logical conclusion the Yogis became the exception to the rule. Highly cultivated, highly civilized as they are, they know enough to turn to the simple and the primitive in order to re-discover natural living and nature's laws.

Obviously the pursuit of the an of relaxation isn't a matter of physical positions alone. Since relaxation is a matter for the mind and spirit as well as for the body, other factors too are involved and they will be discussed at the proper time. But while we are still on the physiological aspects, it should be pointed out that, like proper breathing, correct posture sets up the ideal conditions for the mental and spiritual side of Yoga, since in a relaxed body the blood, stimulated by greater amounts of oxygen, flushes poisons out of every cell.

This results in a greater sense of well-being, the body becoming alert, magnificently responsive to the dictates of mind and of will. Thus the Yogi may then be likened to a consummate artist capable of drawing the best out of a perfect, responsive instrument.

The more completely you learn to control the body the more of its various functions become controllable. For instance, with the mind at peace the great Western bugaboo of insomnia quickly vanishes. Not only does sleep begin to come easily to the person who practices Yoga its very quality is different sleep that is deep, calm, profoundly dreamless and restful.

As the tone of the body improves and rest becomes more thorough, metabolism too begins to improve. There is less need for food, since whatever food is taken in is digested and utilized to the last molecule. Hence weight problems begin to disappear.

The overweight see their fat burn away while the underweight begin to gain as food begins to do them some good. Next the body, physiologically on its toes, is able to throw off infection, sore throats, migraine and the many ailments of creeping middle age. Specifically the whole gamut of joint diseases such as arthritis, rheumatism and neuritis recede under the double offensive of improved circulation and gently limbering exercise.

In India it is not at all uncommon to meet Yogis a hundred years old and older. These men, after years of study and concentration, often are capable of amazing feats. It is not rare to hear of long fasts, of breathing so controlled it approaches what in the animal world is called a state of hibernation. Yogis often also develop total indifference to pain.

The men who lie on beds of nails, who allow themselves to be buried alive for days on end, may be fakirs but not necessarily fakers. It has been done, and will be done many times again. For what they have developed is the ability to exist in a state of suspended animation.

The Evolution Of Kriya Yoga

Kriya Yoga is a process of mental purification that teaches meditation through techniques.

The fundamental belief of Kriya Yoga is that all of us are miniature version of the whole cosmos, a microcosm or an evolution of a new world within the microcosmic world.

The followers of Kriya yoga also believes that the most holy supreme creator is a part of us hiding beneath our body, and activating every action through the breath.

The name Kriya is meant as any work “kri” is being done by the power of the in dwelling soul “ya”

The different cosmic forces controlling, air, fire, water and earth also controls the different activities that we do, namely, religious activities, relationship with everyone and everything, food, pregnancy, and everything performed by the human body.

Yoga on the other hand is the conjoining of these correspondences between microcosms and macrocosms. It is the full acceptance and belief behind the union and interaction of the individual self and the supreme self.

The study and science of Kriya yoga has a divine origin and was not created by human means and intellect.

The modernization for this ancient yoga meditation method has begun in the 1860’s with Babaji and has been handed down to the present Kriya yoga lineage of masters directly through the Master to disciple method of teaching.

The disciplined path of Kriya Yoga consists of many different kinds of teaching with different angles to it. One looks at it as a process of beginning with self introspection through breathing controls.

It is also believed in Kriya yoga that that by enlightening the three qualities of light, vibration and sound simultaneously with proper concentration, posture and breathing through application of a series of techniques, a Kriya yoga disciple is able to penetrate the deepest levels of the unconscious mind.

Through this they can communicate with their inner gods and obtain a fulfilling calmness within them.

The process of purification is attained through diligent practice. The first thing to do is have the mind calmed and freed from any internal chatter by developing the practice of feeble breathing.

Then secondly the very process of observation of pulse rhythm and vibrations in the body enables the seeker to extract the bondage of subtle desires

A deeper understanding of the triple divine qualities leads to a chiseled concentration or a focused mind, therefore preparing the seeker to explore thoughtlessness and inner truth.

All people are mired in the delusion and illusion due to the duality of creation. We are seeking liberation from the phenomenal suffering due to the miseries from ignorance, desire and faulty actions. One should be able to realize that the supreme creator is hiding within and as a self of all beings.

Kriya Yoga provides us with the easiest ways to unfold this lurking truth and unravel the deepest mysteries of godhood from within us.

Kriya yoga teaches breath control and calmness and it aims for well self realization within one lifetime.

Kriya yoga is a non-sectarian group and teaches that work is worship and whatever you do is from and for the Supreme Being and creator. It teaches about the different beliefs of the origin, destiny and evolution of souls.

A Kriya Yoga disciple believes in direct and immediate spiritual experience and is only taught through direct contact with the teacher.

Tracing The Roots To The History Of Yoga

The History of Yoga has a lot to do with the present times. The earliest Yoga started some 5000 years ago since human civilization has begun. The scholars have believed that Yoga was originated out of Stone Age Shamanism.

This is because there were some cultural similarities between Mehrgarh which was a Neolithic settlement and the Modern Hinduism. The shamanistic culture of Mergarh was in fact influenced by Hindu ideals, symbols and rituals of the present. The ancient shamanism and early Yoga had so much similarity for the reason both wanted to go beyond the human condition.

Shamanism’s primary goal was to heal the members who were in their community and at the same time act as the religious mediators.

Archaic Yoga also had the same objectives as they were community oriented and they aimed to determine the enormous order through senses and inner vision which then can be applied to our daily lives.

As time went on, Yoga has progressed and has regarded the inmost experience. Yogis then have focused on how to improve the individual enlightenment, recovery and salvation.

Yoga’s evidences were first tracked in the archeological evidence which was found in stone seals exhumed from the Indus valley. Yoga postures were traced and seen fro the figures which were illustrated in the stone seals. the artifacts were placed on History books circa 3000 B.C., which was linked to the great Indus-Sarasvati Civilization which was known to be the largest civilization that exist in the ancient world. The Indus-Sarasvati, being a maritime society, exported goods all over Africa and the Middle East. They build up sewage systems and put up geometrical brick roads and constructed multistory buildings.

The Vedas are known as the oldest scripture in the world which were the ancient texts, was brought by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization. It was a compilation of hymns that commends a high power which included the oldest recorded teachings in Yoga. They have considered this the divine revelation. The intelligence of the Vedas was known as the Pre-classical Yoga or the Vedic. This was described by the ritualistic ceremonies that the Yoga practitioners have been required in order to go beyond the limitations of the mind.

The history of yoga would not have been completed in the classical stage of yoga. After the time and turn of the millennium, yoga and its spread in different forms have come up with the need for standardization. This is important so that the people will be aware with it and it can be applied by them. Due to this, during the second century, C.E., Patanjali has composed and collected seminal text which was the Yoga-Sutra which had defined the Classical Yoga.

At the age of Post classical Yoga in the enormous history of Yoga, it gave rise to some productive literature which has included the Tantra and the Hatha which is famously known nowadays. These were taught in schools for Yoga and practiced by many. Therefore, post classical Yoga is described to the adaptation of our present state. It is the time when yoga has evolved greatly and introduced to people. It has then been applied in the United States in the 1800’s.

Now in the recent decades, yoga has greatly and swiftly evolved. Swami Sivananda was one of the prominent gurus ever to master yoga. He has served as a doctor and he has generously opened up schools in Europe and America.

Now as we move on with the yoga practices that we have today, it is much helpful and easier to understand if we looked back on the history of yoga.

Need power? Try Core Power Yoga

Core power yoga is an energetic yoga exercise that physically and mentally challenges to help connect to inner power without stopping and accompanied by a heated, climate controlled Vinyasa. It heals, detoxifies and stimulates the body and mind through balance and intention.

Power yoga has created a dynamic, challenging program that combines strength, sweat and spirituality. It recognizes power in different levels; first is the physical power which develops the body’s strength and improve health; second is the mental power or the will to concentrate on the practice; and last the spiritual power which is the power behind the physical and mental power.

Core power yoga is the Western version of the Indian Ashtanga Yoga. The term was given by Beryl Bender Birch, an Ashtanga Yoga teacher. It has been brought to the west by followers of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, a renowned Sanskrit scholar who inspired Western Yogis with his Ashtanga Yoga Style and philosophies.

There are three programs in power yoga. core Power_ is designed to strengthen abdominals and back and includes both abs-focused Vinyasa power yoga poses and variations of muscle-toning moves. unlocking Athletic Power will develop flexible strength with an emphasis on abs, back, hips and pelvis. soul of Strength on the other hand is a fast-moving power yoga program with a distinct body emphasis and some very challenging moves.

Yoga sessions are done in a heated room and composed of different cardiovascular exercises intended to develop strength and flexibility, increase stamina, improves the ability to focus, release tensions and remove toxins through sweating.

Core power yoga practice also requires the execution of yoga poses. Poses are done in a fast pace, some poses are even held longer than the required five breaths. This practice can increase physical endurance and ability to focus on any task for a long time without breaking the concentration.

What is the difference between core power yoga and other exercises?

Core power yoga is a vinyasa style that has a unique program offering and focuses on core strength, balance and flow to build a solid practice based on strength and spirit. It offers diverse classes like Hot Yoga, Yoga Sculpt, Bootcamps, Teacher Trainings and Mat Pilates.

Moreover, it provides better instructors that are personally involved in students’ progress, strong and forceful leaders who pays more attention to the students needs. Also the teachers of this exercise work with the students to personalize their programs and creating a sense of belonging and community. And lastly, it provides quality facilities equipped with a unique top tier amenities and a balance aura.

This exercise also offers great health benefits; this lengthens and stretches the muscles and at the same time it builds stamina, strength and lean muscle and mass. It also increases body heat that kills some bacteria and creates a finely tuned state of consciousness of the workings of the body. The focus of core power yoga is on the coordination of the breath movement, connecting the body, mind and spirit to the warmest level.

Core power yoga is best to those who want to improve their performance in their chosen sports like cycling, football, swimming, skiing, surfing, running/athlete, martial arts and other team sports. Some training grounds in sports practice this exercise in transition for aerobics. Core power yoga can reshape your body and mind!

Benefits Of Yoga

Yoga through meditation works remarkably to achieve harmony and helps the mind work in synchronization 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?

Stress is the number one suspect affecting all parts of our physical, endocrinal and emotional system. And with the help of yoga this things can be corrected.

At the physical level, yoga and its cleansing practices have proven to be extremely effective for various disorders.

Listed below are just some of the benefits of yoga that you can get.

Benefits of Yoga 1: Yoga is known to increase flexibility; yoga has postures that trigger the different joints of the body. Including those joints that are not acted upon with regular exercises routines.

Benefits of Yoga 2: Yoga also increases the lubrication of joints, ligament and tendons. The well-researched yoga positions exercise the different tendons and ligaments of the body.

It has also been found that the body which may have started doing yoga being a rigid one may experience a quite remarkable flexibility in the end on those parts of the body which have not been consciously worked upon.

Benefits of Yoga 3: yoga also massages all organs of the body. Yoga is perhaps the only exercise that can work on through your internal organs in a thorough manner, including those that hardly get externally stimulated during our entire lifetime.

Benefits of Yoga 4: 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.

One of the far-reaching benefits of yoga is the uncanny sense of awareness that it develops in the practitioner of an impending health disorder or infection. This in turn enables the person to take pre-emptive corrective action

Benefits of Yoga 5: yoga offers a complete detoxification of the body. It gently stretches the muscles and joints as we 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 of your body 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.

Benefits of Yoga 6: yoga is also an excellent way to tone your muscles. Muscles which have been flaccid and weak are stimulated repeatedly to shed excess fats and flaccidity.

But these enormous physical benefits are just a side effect of this powerful practice. What yoga does is harmonize the mind with the body and these 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.

In fact yoga = meditation, because both work together in achieving the common goal of unity of mind, body and spirit which can lead to an experience of eternal bliss that you can only feel through yoga. The meditative practices through yoga help in achieving an emotional balance through detachment.

This in turn creates a remarkable calmness and a positive outlook, which also has tremendous benefits on the physical health of the body.

Ashtanga Yoga – Is It Right For You?

Ashtanga Yoga is the type of yoga which was developed and founded by K. Pattabhi Jois. This type of yoga is known as the Eight Limb Yoga which has revolved in Pattanjali's enormous idea. It presented that the path of purification is made up of the eight spiritual practices.

The first four limbs that represent Ashtanga Yoga are – yama, niyama, Asana and the Pranayama. These are considered cleansing practices which are externally correctable. The other set of limbs which are the – pratyahara, dhyana, dharana are the internal practies.

These limbs can only be corrected by the proper application of the Ashtanga Yoga method. This type of yoga method is quite dangerous to the mind.

K. Pattabhi Jois said that practicing these Eight Limbs and also its sub-limbs of the external practices which include the niyama and yama is not possible. In doing so, the body should be strong so that it can perform the practices well enough. If the body is weak, and the sense organs are not functioning well, practicing will never be useful at all.

This is a philosophy that K. Pattabhi Jois has applied, this is important to understand so that in doing the practice, you are sure that the body will improve and the keep it stronger and healthier.

Vinsaya and Tristhana is practiced in Ashtanga Yoga

The Vinsaya is a style that makes Ashtanga and its principles distinct from the others. Vinsaya means the movement and breathing which is used for the internal cleansing process. Each movement done is accompanied by only one breath. Sweat is the most important product of Vinsaya. When you produce sweat, it only means that you are successfully applying the practice. When you perform the Asanas, the body creates heat which causes your blood to boil and excrete the toxins outside of your body. The toxins are found in your sweat. So the more sweat you create, the more toxins are released.

The poses are used to fully develop the strength and health of the body. The series of practices make this possible. There are three postures used in Ashtaga Yoga.

The three are classified on different levels.

The first is the Primary Series which aims on aligning the body and also detoxifying it.

The second is the Intermediate Series opening and cleaning the energy channels which comes to the process of purifying the Nervous System.

The last series would be the Advanced Series from A to D. in this series, the grace and strength is measured.

The Tristhana is another yoga principle which represents the union of the three places of action and attention. First is the posture, second is the breathing technique ad last is the Dristhi of the Looking Place. All these three should work altogether to perform a function.

Breathing techniques are simultaneous and synchronized. It is important to make a single breath for one movement. Ujjayi Breathing is the Yoga Breathing Technique used in the application of Ashtanga Yoga. Applying this technique must be prolonged after every practice. What you need to master is holding your pose longer at the same time hold your breath. This is an amazing breathing exercise that will increase your internal fire and will strengthen the Nervous System.

Both Ashtanga and Tristhana deal with the series of Dristhi. The Dristhi is described as the point on which you gain your focus or attention while doing the Asana. This enables your mind to be purified and stabilized clearly.

Setting the mind clear and cleansing it can only be done in the Eight-Limb Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga.

Expecting to be Mother - Yoga For You

Yoga During Pregnancy

From the development of spirituality and using meditation to relieve the stress induced by daily life, to a simple weight loss strategy, yoga is practiced for all sorts of reasons. Not only is it an inexpensive form of exercise serving a multitude of purposes, it is also truly effective and has proven its ability to realize all the claims it makes. As a result of this the interest in yoga and the influence of the same has grown over the last twenty years or so.

Teenagers, corporate /working personnel, housewives, the elderly, expecting mothers, everyone can benefit from yoga especially the latter.

Many hold the belief that pregnant women should not exert themselves as both the mother and the child are in a very vulnerable state. Though excess activity or exertion in such condition is not advisable, it’s exceedingly unhealthy to be cooped up in one place without any kind of activity at all.

Prenatal Yoga is specifically designed to cater to the needs of pregnant women and can be used to ensure physical and mental fitness during pregnancy. In this state the ligaments stretch and pull with the growth of the foetus, stressing the body. During labor the body tightens up further due to the added tension and excitement, intensifying the pain as it has already reached its maximum capacity.

Since it’s a form of exercise that gently stretches the muscles without pulling them beyond their limits, yoga increases your core strength which helps in carrying the child. It relieves the pressure and tension associated with the weight of the baby, thus ensuring a relatively easy birth.

It also uses breathing exercises to relieve stress and tension which in turn, relaxes the body and increases circulation of oxygen. These techniques are well worth the effort as they increase flexibility and strength, which minimize the intense pain to mild controllable pain during labor.

A woman goes through a great deal of emotional turmoil during pregnancy and studies show that rising stress levels increase the risks at this time. Yoga encourages meditation which resolves these common fears and conflicts, inducing yoga nidra or yogic sleep which relaxes the mind and maintains a more positive outlook, thus ensuring a healthy pregnancy. The meditative state also brings about an incredible awareness which helps you to connect with your child.

Yoga is a very safe exercise and can be taken up in any phase of the pregnancy, even the last trimester and is recommended as it increases your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and a comparatively easy childbirth.

But don’t drop the habit once the little one has arrived! Postnatal yoga can not only help you shed the extra weight, it can also give you the much needed relaxation.

Consult with a doctor before taking up any form of exercise and practice yoga before, during and after your pregnancy, to stay in the best of health and spirits during the most beautiful phase of your life.

The best possible position for Deep Relaxation, as you may have guessed, is the Shavasana, the Death Pose. And the best place is the floor. Lie flat on your back, using a rug or folded blanket to protect yourself from the cold boards. If for some reason it is impossible for you to use the floor, then choose a hard bed, preferably one with a bed board. A soft bed will never be completely satisfactory, for as it sags under your weight, certain muscles will inevitably tense up. Moreover, a soft bed might lull you to sleep, and sleep is not what you are after at the moment.

You will probably not feel entirely comfortable when you first try lying like this: The floor will feel too hard, you will find yourself tempted to shift positions. But this you must not do, for in order to relax muscle by muscle it is important to lie quite still. Just remember that every body movement, every shift, however slight, means a tensing of one or another group of muscles. To avoid this, make sure that you are lying comfortably, with your weight fairly evenly distributed.

Once settled, take a few deep breaths from the diaphragm, as you have learned in the previous chapter; then allow yourself to breathe normally again. The next step is to get acquainted with the feel of your muscles so that you may better control them. Pretend you have just swallowed a tracer substance, and that your muscles are channels through which you are watching it flow.

Now send an order along one of these channels. Move an arm, stretch a leg. Stretch hard, making all the muscles along the way contract--and study what is happening. You will feel muscles quite far removed from the area with which you are experimenting contract in sympathy. If you clench your fist, for instance, you will feel contractions all the way up your arm and into your shoulder. If you flex your toes, ripples of movement will tense the muscles of your thigh.

Now hold the stretch a moment, while you trace your sensations in detail. Memorize them: next time you give your arm an order, you will be able to check whether or not it is being followed. And now let go. Repeat the process limb by limb, until you have a nodding acquaintance with the various groups of muscles through your body.

Now start the stretching all over again, but this time in slow motion. Build the stretch up, slowly, like a cat arching its back. In the meantime let that imaginary tracer substance show you, as clearly as possible, every muscle you have put into play. Observe and note your sensations for future reference. Hold the pose until you are thoroughly aware of what is happening. Then, once more in slow motion, let go.

It is this letting-go process that is the actual mechanism of true relaxation. Think of yourself as a puppet without any strings to hold it up any longer--could anything be more limp? That is the stage you are trying to reach--relaxation so complete that you lose all feeling of alertness. This is your goal.

As has already been said, you are not likely to achieve such a state on your first attempt, nor even the second. Most people make better progress in the end if, instead of trying to relax the entire body at once, they concentrate on some one part. Start, for instance, with an arm. Pretend it is a length of old rope. Let the shoulder fall inert, heavy, on the floor. Let the rest follow, all the way down the arm, until inertia has traveled through elbow, forearm, wrist and palm and the fingers feel like the rope's limp, raveled ends.

Yoga Exercise Ball

The stability ball or what has now become popular as the exercise ball originated somewhere in Italy in the 1960’s. Initially though most American Physical therapists (who happened to find the exercise ball in use amongst the Swiss) called the exercise ball the Swiss ball, under the impression that it was the Swiss who had come up with it.

Later they found that the balls being used by the Swiss physical therapists were in fact manufactured in Italy. Nonetheless they continued to refer to the exercise ball as the Swiss ball for a long period of time and it is only recently that the names Stability ball or Exercise ball has become popular.

The Aura Wellness Center in the USA was the first American fitness-training center to use the exercise ball.

The ball they procured for themselves came from the Italian manufacturers Gymnic Balls. Down the years many other companies have begun producing exercise balls but a number of loyal customers still swear by the Gymnic Ball tag.

No matter which manufacturing company your ball comes from you can use it for performing a variety of physical workouts, including Yoga and Pilates. A number of gyms, professionals and specialized athletes also use these balls in order to improve their coordination capacities.

The use of the exercise ball however is not confined to professional use alone and a number of beginners have also found them to be of particular help during their exercise sessions.

If you are a beginner at a Yoga class you can greatly benefit from the use of a Yoga exercise ball. Such a ball has been known to help various Yoga neophytes to keep themselves steady during many of the asanas. For instance new students performing the Wheel posture (or Chakrasana) often find the use of a Yoga exercise ball and a nearby wall particularly helpful.

This is because the Chakrasana involves an arched stretch of the body that not too many people can manage on their own right at the beginning.

The Chakrasana is fantastic asana that helps enhance a person’s spinal elasticity and thereby improves his/her posture. It is also known to stretch out important internal organs such as the kidneys, liver, pancreas and even the heart, improving blood circulation. Despite the usual profit it bears for students however people with high blood pressure are advised to refrain from practicing this posture. Also, students with a back or spine problem must take proper medical permission and the help of a qualified Yoga teacher to carry out this asana.

Yoga Clothes

The practice of Yoga is directed at relaxing your mind and body. Hence, you must not wear something that is uncomfortable or non-functional or distracting during your yoga sessions. Make sure your yoga outfit feels good against your skin and allows you maximum mobility if you don’t want to be constantly reminded about them during the course of the session.

If you have a choice in the matter go for absorbent materials that will easily soak up perspiration from your body. You don’t want to feel clammy and smelly during your yoga session, no matter how much you might be exerting yourself.

In the following section we give you a list of the few essential details that you ought to keep in mind while selecting yoga outfits for yourself.

1. The Yoga Pants – Yoga pants are of various kinds. Some of them are long and extend up to the end of your ankles while others end above your knees. Most of them are clingy and fit your body snugly. Wearing such a form-fitting outfit has its advantages. For instance, many instructors claim that such closely fitted wear allows them to spy the exact alignment of their students’ bodies and thereby allows them to make the necessary changes in their postures.

However, if you are personally not comfortable in such tight garments go for loose cotton trousers instead. No matter what sort of pants you choose for yourself make sure you are comfortable in them and that they allow you the freedom to bend and twist in an uninhibited manner.

Also, ensure that the waist area of the pants do not have any bulky tie which may bite into your
skin and prove cumbersome after a while.

2. Yoga Shorts – Yoga shorts are your best choice in case you mean to do Bikram or hot yoga. This is because such yoga is practiced in a hot room, which can sweat you up a bit. Shorts are also a good choice during the summer months when the temperature is too high to allow long pants to remain comfortable.

If you are choosing Yoga shorts for yourself make sure you ensure that they don’t ride up your body during exercises. Form fitting shorts tend to stay put in their pace and are perhaps the best choice you have.

3. Yoga Tops – No matter what sort of yoga tops you choose for yourself and there really is a wide variety you can choose from make sure that it doesn’t fall all over your face when you do difficult asanas.

Pick up a few fitted tees or even a sports bra in case you practice Bikram or hot yoga for your yoga classes. These sort of outfits are both form fitting as well as revealing enough to show your alignment to your instructors.

However when choosing a sports bra make sure you don’t end up choosing something you’d be too uncomfortable to wear in a class. Also, ensure nothing falls out of your top while exercising, you don’t want to be concerned about what you might be revealing while concentrating on your asanas

Yoga Teaching Tips

If you teach Yoga you have got to give out a prenatal warning to all your adult female students at the beginning of every class. Women have a habit of keeping matters such as this a secret and unless you explicitly spell it out they are most likely to not tell you about it. So prevent any such discrepancy and cover the prenatal warning everyday before you begin your class.

To make sure your students know all about the Prenatal Yoga warning include details regarding it in the handout or questionnaire you give out to your new students.

All prenatal yoga classes are directed at the well being of women who are pregnant. If you are trained to teach prenatal yoga only then should you go ahead and teach yoga to women who are pregnant. In case you are not trained for the same refer your pregnant students to some other yoga teacher who you know is qualified to teach prenatal yoga.

While teaching Forward bend make sure you ensure that none of your students are pregnant. Having taken care of that ask your students to fold their body by simply following their breath. The purpose of the posture would be to elongate the spine, as far as possible.

Once the elongation is complete the waist will be gently pulled into a point and the heart will be pulled towards the toes. While the instructions might sound easy but ultimately they are difficult to perform so make sure you guide your students correctly.

When you shift to the neck rolls remember to make sure that you exclude your older students out of the exercise.

The others, who are not so old should also be performing the neck rolls only after a bit of isometric exercises for the neck. Merge Pranayama with the isometric exercises for best results.

When teaching Sun Salutations or Surya Namaskar make sure that your students’ knees are right above their ankle during the lunges. If the knee is pushing forward, far from the ankle then the soft tissues in their knee joint can undergo untimely damage. This tip is of particular importance when dealing with students who already have a knee problem.

Being a yoga teacher your postures and asanas are supposed to be no less than perfect. But remember your students are not as good as you and therefore require constant monitoring and guidance. Keep a good look to ensure that all their alignments are perfect at all times.

For instance, during the second Warrior Pose many of your students will be required to be reminded about keeping the back arm at a certain specific level, lowering the arm will take away all the benefits of the posture.

Similarly, during the tree pose you will find many of your students forcefully pressing their foot against one side of their knee on the leg on which they are balancing themselves. Quickly help them relax their force on the knee to save the knee joint from untimely wear. Tell them to put their foot either above or even below the knee instead of pushing it directly on the side of the knee.

Yoga And Spirituality

Yoga is primarily a practice comprising of a sequence of mild actions and stances that improve our body’s flexibility, posture, blood circulation etc. Many who regularly engage in Yoga often relate how the practice has helped improve their physical and emotional well being.

What even many yoga enthusiasts do not know is that the practice can often help individuals cope up with tremendous emotional trauma or sorrow. Also, yoga has been known to have a particularly marvelous effect on older individuals. As many older individuals are likely to tell you this effect is not just physical but in many ways quite spiritual. People who are above a certain age have found that yoga greatly improves their life in a manner not usually associated with an exercise regime.

In Sanskrit ‘Yoga’ means to add together or unite. It is from this very word that the word ‘Yoga’ is derived. The practice of Yoga originated in ancient India thousands of years ago and has since then been recognized as a means of uniting the soul with the body and thereby finding one’s true identity.

Often the various Yogic postures are accompanied by the utterance of the ‘OM’ sound, but usually they are practiced in complete silence. Though here in the West yogic postures or asanas are what receive maximum attention Yoga in its original form also emphasized equally on practices such as breathing by means of a special method called pranayama, meditation or dhyana and tremendous concentration called dharana. As is obvious each of these practices have less to do with basic exercises and more to do with what can safely be termed ‘spirituality’.

Hence, regular practice of yoga can open up a new doorway in our lives and lead us to a level of spiritual well-being where most of us have never been before.

Due to your unfamiliarity with the word you might be wondering what Spirituality actually means. Of course we tend to use the word Spirituality quite loosely in our everyday lives but originally Spirituality refers to the attainment of a certain form of wisdom that one seeks, willingly in order to achieve equilibrium in his/her life.

Spirituality is about transcending the confines of ones own self by means of an assisting force that is in many ways far more powerful than the self itself. It is the only means of finding the true reason for ones own life and thereby achieving a form of enlightenment that grants you unconditional tranquility and boundless joy.

Spirituality is your key to coping with the surprises life springs on you in a calm and collected manner.

To gain such composure we must enhance our spiritual capacities by means of methods such as Yoga and meditation.

Meditation allows us to extend our inner tranquility to our outer space by forming a link between our mind and body. Meditation is not a religion bound practice rather it is a spiritual routine that may be carried out by one and all.

Meditation may be accompanied by relaxing music or a spiritually stirring bit of reading for best results. Many also think that the best time for meditation is sometime early in the morning or even late in the evening.

Yoga Types: Chose One Which Suits You Best

Yoga is becoming extremely popular all over the world today, even though it had been in practice in the East for centuries. There are a lot of places offering yoga classes taught by trained and experienced instructors, and there is also a great number of types of yoga available. There re types such as Ashtanga Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Power Yoga, etc. So, if you don’t take a well-informed person’s opinion, you can easily get confused as to which type will suit you.

Ashtanga Yoga: In Sanskrit, ‘ashtanga’ means ‘eight limbs’. This yoga is quite energetic and intense, and involves a set of asanas (poses) which is coordinated with breath. Ashtanga yoga can be quite exhausting as it requires you to shift quickly from one asana to the next. You have to be quite flexible to do this type of yoga, and it helps you to increase your body’s flexibility, strength and stamina a lot since it is so demanding physically.

Hatha Yoga: ‘Ha’ means ‘sun’ and ‘tha’ means ‘moon’ in Sanskrit, which is an Indian ancient classical language. In contrast to Ashtanga yoga, the Hatha yoga is slow-paced and mild, and it is best for a beginner to yoga to start off with this yoga. Since it does not involve any difficult asanas, a beginner will be comfortable with this type of yoga. Like all other types of yoga, the Hatha yoga aspires to bring together the body, mind and spirit.

Iyengar Yoga: This yoga is founded on the teaching of B. S. Iyengar and focuses on the proper alignment and form of the body. While Ashtanga yoga involves moving fast from one asana to the next in the sequence, Iyengar yoga concentrates on holding one pose for a longer time before moving on to the next. For this type of yoga, you will need blocks and straps to help align the body into various poses.

Power Yoga: This type of yoga is based on the Western interpretation of the Ashtanga Yoga. It does not always stick to the correct sequence of asanas as prescribed by the Ashtanga yoga, but it does involve moving through various poses without stopping and starting again.

Bikram Yoga: The Bikram yoga is also known as the ‘Hot Yoga’. This is because it is practiced in a room which is heated to 105 degrees and has a humidity of 40%. Usually, the Bikram Yoga involves a sequence of 26 different asanas, and the heated atmosphere helps to loosen muscles. The hot room temperature makes people perspire a lot, and this helps to wash toxins out of the body.

Vinyasa Yoga: ‘Vinyasa’ means a breath-coordinated movement and this is yet another rapid kind of yoga. It begins with salutations to the sun and continues to strong stretching. Each asana is balanced with a counter-asana.

There is no rule about you sticking to one kind of yoga. You can start with an easy one and proceed on to more difficult ones.

Yoga For Relaxation

Yoga has now become extremely popular all over the western world even though it has been known to the eastern world for thousands of years. A lot of yoga asanas are named after and emulate the plant and animal world, such as the eagle pose, the tree pose, the cat pose, the frog pose, etc.

The ancient Vedic seers must have been trying not only to imitate the postures and the character traits of these animals, but also to create compassion for them. By reading the old yogic texts, you can understand the connection compassion has with yoga and its aim of freedom from the earthly world.

You can understand the meaning of the Vedas only when you are deep in meditation, be it the Rig Veda (knowledge of praise), Yajur Veda (knowledge of sacrifice), Sama Veda (knowledge of chants), and Atharva Veda (knowledge of atharvan). When we can understand the teachings of the Vedas, we can experience an ecstasy which is beyond the material world.

When you have comprehended the Vedic sutras, then this humdrum everyday world recedes and you have a greater insight and more acute perception of things.

This feeling has been described by H. P. Blavatsky, who is an expert of Eastern sacred texts, in his The Voice of Silence. He says, ‘Compassion is no attribute. It is the Law of Laws - eternal Harmony, Alaya’s SELF; a shoreless universal essence, the light of everlasting Right, and fitness of all things, the law of love eternal.’

Yoga always instructs one not to strain oneself to do an asana properly, since straining causes discomfort and pain, which is opposed to compassion. This is because yoga believes that we are all part of the cosmic whole. If an individual hurts himself, then he causes pain to the entire world at large. Thus, strain should be avoided when doing yogic asanas.

There are many yogic postures meant to bring peace. Patanjali in the Yoga-Sutra says relaxation is the spirit of yoga, which shows itself in the asanas we practice today. Yoga demands that we respect our bodies and have compassion for its physical limitations.

Yoga wants us to see our bodies as heavenly objects and requires us to foster health in this mortal temple. Yoga experts know that their bodies have flaws, even though they look toned. While yoga encourages us to preserve the body’s health, it also reminds us that true freedom is achieved only when one is free from one’s body, when one has escaped the incessant cycle of death and rebirth.

Yoga is different from the western concept of exercising. The physical outcome is the only goal of exercise, but yoga aims for the betterment of the soul, with the physical results being an offshoot. Since the ancient texts stress that the mind and spirit are more important than the body, yoga stands apart from modern notions of exercise. It aims for unification with the divine, and the feelings of compassion can be merged into each pose.

Beginners Tips For Yoga

Yoga has been around for centuries, but it has become popular over the world only during the past five years. It offers tremendous health benefits if only yoga is done regularly. For a beginner, yoga holds the door open to many possibilities, as yoga can cure a lot of health problems, help one reduce weight, and also tone one’s body.

Yoga: Types

There are many types of yoga to choose from. Since you are a beginner, you should go through all the various types of yoga and choose one which suits your personality, condition of health and fitness level.

Understand what each kind of yoga offers and select the sort which you know you will be able to perform without straining your muscles.

Yoga: Instruction

Since you are a beginner, you should definitely consult a yoga instructor. An experienced yoga teacher should supervise you while you do yoga. He or she will also help you select the type of yoga which is suited to your body’s fitness and health. It is vital that you are able to maintain the correct body alignment.

A yoga instructor will help you made adjustments so that you don’t hurt yourself, and also offer changes to the posture if you have any physical limitations. A teacher will also be able to help you get the most out of every yoga pose so that your health problems are all targeted and solved in the shortest time.

Yoga classes are offered in many gyms and studios. Since is many of these places the first yoga class is free, you can try different places and see which one suits you the best.

Yoga: Attitude

Your attitude is important during yoga lessons. You have to remember that yoga is absolutely non-competitive.

You only have to concentrate on your body and its responses to yoga. You might want to challenge your body and make it more flexible, but always listen to your body’s complaints. If you feel the slightest pain, then come out of the yoga posture or ease up a bit. As a beginner, you do not have to do each yoga pose perfectly. It is normal for your body to protest a bit. Always listen to it.

Yoga: Breathing

It is very important that you breathe properly during your yoga poses. Breathe in and out through your nose during yoga, and breathe deeply. Proper breathing will help you to feel more relaxed and also to do the yoga poses better. In case you feel a tense spot on your body, try and channel your breath to that area in order to relax it. Whenever you feel that you are not being able to breathe properly, immediately come out of the posture.

Get yourself a yoga beginner’s kit which contains a sticky mat, a strap, and a couple of yoga blocks and maybe a yoga video. Yoga is best done on an empty stomach, but do drink a lot of water before and after yoga practice to prevent dehydration.

Kundalini Yoga

The nuclear energy contained within a single atom is considered to be a source of great power. Tantric yogis firmly believe that the energy or the nuclear energy existing in the human psycho physical is actually comparable to that of atomic nuclear energy.

As atomic energy is released through the bombardment of the atomic nucleus or the core with high voltage alpha particles similarly, the high pressure of the concentrated biological psychic energy if mobilized by methods like mental focusing can unleash the immense power of the psycho nuclear energy of man.

This pressure of bio-psychic energy if harnessed properly gives a great sideways push and produces quite a few beneficial effects on the body, like:

1. Helps control and channel the sexual libido( retas ) into the much more subtler and purer ego - transcending or trans personal Being-energy (ojas).

2. If the psycho nuclear energy is awakened in a proper manner, it will then automatically appropriate the valve energy or the ojas, which would then produce an upward movement along the central canal (sushumna) of the spinal cord.

3. Will help the overworked, external organs of the body to rest by withdrawing a notable amount of energy from the muscles, nerves etc of the external organs. Also helps in keeping stress out from the vital organs of the human body.

4. Helps in slowly opening or activating the numerous energy centers and associated glands of the body. Thus if the focused meditation is done through days on end, it will help the body and the mind to explore the higher levels of consciousness, which are normally unattainable.

Modern sciences of all sorts, uniformly agree that at the bottom of everything, all existence is energy. And the Indian Tantric system too agrees on this point by proclaiming the importance of energy and by focusing on ways of cultivating and harnessing, this driving force behind everything-energy. According to Tantric parlance, the primordial energy is termed the mahashakti.

The Vedas tell us that the all pervading divine energy or the state of super consciousness and attainment of pure wisdom is experienced and attained by a person meditating at the absolute highest stage of cosmic consciousness.

Some believe that the primal energy or the kundalini is controlled by the right vagous nerve that controls the nerve phlex of the autonomic nervous system or the ANS. Therefore through mediation when the vital centre in the medulla oblongata is stimulated the functions of vital organs like the lung, heart and larynx are slightly inhibited while the functions of other organs like the stomach, intestine and digestive glands are increased.

The kundalini being the nuclear energy of the psycho physical system, when awakened stimulates the physical, vital, mental and spiritual senses of the human body. Some people call it the bio nuclear, others refer to it as the psycho nuclear energy, but it really encompasses all categories and attempts to name or classify it, for it is the most powerful nuclear energy governing man’s existence.