About Yoga

 

Yoga, brings about spiritual and physical transformation. It was first developed in India more than 3,000 years ago. Yoga is an ideal means to good health or preventive health care.

There are instant benefits of yoga. On an average, 250g to 1kg of weight gets reduced in a day by practicing Yoga regularly. In many other diseases, like heart ailments, hypertension, high blood pressure and diabetes one also gets immensely benefited by doing yoga. A huge population over the age of 40 years is suffering from different types of ailments such as arthritis, insomnia caused due to stress. All these problems are taken care of effectively by yoga

 In the past decade, a large number of people have become interested in yoga, for the health benefits that come along with it.

 

Important aspects of Yoga

 

Exercise or Asanas : The Yogic physical exercises are called Asanas. There are more than 8 million Asanas according to the scriptures, the practice of the 12 basic postures brings out the essence and all major benefits of this wonderful system.

Breathing Exercises or Pranayama : Most people use only a fraction of their lung capacity for breathing. They breathe shallowly, barely expanding the ribcage. Their shoulders are hunched, they have painful tension in the upper part of the back and neck, and they suffer from lack of oxygen. They should learn the full Yogic breathing. Breathing exercises are called Pranayamas. Pranayama controls the energy within us, teaches us the proper way to breathe. With the breathing technique, we increase the capacity of our lungs, bringing more oxygen supply to the body to function well. It is the science of breath control.

Relaxation : three methods are used by yogis: "Physical", "Mental", and "Spiritual" relaxation. Lying flat on your back, bring the feet at least 50 centimetres apart, and allow the toes to fall outward to the sides gives you physical relaxation. When experiencing mental tension, it is advisable to breathe slowly and rhythmically for a few minutes. Soon the mind will become calm. You may experience a kind of floating sensation.

Diet : The yogic diet is a vegetarian one, consisting of pure, simple, natural foods which are easily digested and promote health. Nutritional requirements fall under five categories: protein, carbohydrates, minerals, fats and vitamins. One should have a certain knowledge of dietetics in order to balance the diet. Eating foods first-hand from nature, grown in fertile soil (preferably organic, free from chemicals and pesticides) will help ensure a better supply of these nutritional needs. Processing, refining and overcooking destroys most of the food value

Meditation : We can control the mental agitation by meditation. To achieve that state of lasting happiness and absolute peace, we must first know how to calm the mind, to concentrate and go beyond the mind.