Saturday, September 20, 2008

Benefits of Yoga!

Nowadays the buzz word is YOGA! Everywhere around the world, everyone speaks of Yoga now! Though it started and belonged to India once, the importance of it is getting exposed and the benefits are really seen in real life.

Western, European, Middle East Countries are practicing Yoga. Why this sudden change? I won't say sudden change, but a slow change that is happening. The speed is not enough if one wants to live healthy, peacefully and more importantly happily.

What does Yoga do? Though I have given the definitions already and there are forms of Yoga, the asanas, Karma Yoga and Bhakthi Yoga are easy to do. But, it requires complete committment and dedication.

Physical Benefits of Yoga Asanas:

1. It brings a good practice and habit of exercising in human system;

2. It gives a rhythmic life--you set a time to do the Asanas and it becomes a routine;

3. It helps in shreding weight; throught continuous practice and making it as part of daily routine, all portions of your body goes through physical exercise;

4. The entire body gets a shining; do not use towel or napkin or clothes to wipe out the sweat; just do it with your hands and it really helps;

5. Helps to control or even reduce BP, Cholestrol, mainly sugar in the blood;

6. It helps to control and reduce the sugar level - Diabetics;

7. It helps in eliminating the back ache; with proper guidance if you do the asanas, sure that it will help in back ache;

8. It helps in eliminating the neck pain as well;

9. It helps in controlling and eliminating the Arthiritis; Do it when you are not in pain and know the right asanas to do for arthiritis;

10. Asana is not only about physical movement (postures) of body. It also involves proper breathing; proper inhaling and exhaling through nostrils. This helps in controlling asthma and bronchitis;

Benefits Related to Mind:

1. Through meditation and proper breathing techniques, the mind can be controlled onto something that you really want to focus on during meditation; Normally the mind is not easily controllable; it waves--for a second it is Las Vegas and next second it is in Sydney and the next moment in Delhi. Mind has no speed and it is the fastest travelling machine in this universe;

2. It helps proper breathing practice which is very imporant for a healthy life;

3. Keeps the mind clean and avoids bad thoughts;

4. The big word and most often used word in the machine world is STRESS. It can be easily controlled and you can control your mind rather than you are controlled by it;

5. The focus and concentration improves;

And Many More....... what benefit you wanna get out of Yoga and Meditation? You will get it. Only thing you need to do is to practice them with full committment and dedication. Love doing it and you will get what you want!

All the Best!

Yoga for Back, Arms, Chest, Legs, Hips - Salutation Pose


Another Asana for improving your focus and concentration. This will also help you to have a strenthened and flexible back, arms, chest, legs and hips. The pose helps you to keep back, hips, chest, arms and legs completely healthy because it involves all of these body parts.

Asana is called Anjaneya-asana or the Salutation pose bcause of the posture.

Asana Name: Anjaneya-asana
Pronounciation: Hon-Jha-nay-ya-Asana
Posture: Salutation Pose
Hints: Requires flexibility in hips, legs, shoulders

Meaning and Explanation:

Anjaneya refers to Lord Monkey. Anjaneya is a strong devotee of Lord Ram and helped him during his fight agasint Ravana. The word means Salutation or Praise from the Root. The first syllable Anj means "to honor, to celebrate."

Instructions:

1. Site in the vajra-asana pose. This is a seated posture by sitting back on your heels and placing the knees and legs together. Ensure that the feet are together and the toes of both the legs are close to each other or even touching each other;
2. Keep the back straight and place your palms on the thighs;
3. Kneel up;
4. Ensure that the back, buttocks, thigh and head are aligned;
5. Keep the palms on the thighs;
6. Extend your right foot forward, bending at knee level;
7. Place your right arm in the right thigh;
8. Raise your both the arms, close the palms with (as if you are doing Namaskaram) and bring the arms to the chest; Let the thumb touch the center of the chest; (this is called Anjali-Mudra);
9. Raise your arms straight up and at the same time, bend your head backwards; look up; stretch the left leg as much as possible; do this slowly;
10. Slowly bend your head backwards and taking the arms also backwards; your face should look up as if you are looking up on the sky;
11. Be in this position as long as possible;
12. Breathe gently through nostrils;
13. Slowly come back to the Vajra-asana pose;

Repeat the above set with the left leg. Do it twice on each leg;

Advantages:

This will help reduce your back pain and give strength to the back; raising the arm above the head while keeping the back straight will help the shoulder to be flexible;
stretching the leg would help the nerves to be flexible and not stiff.

General Advice:

Do all of these yogas in a pieceful place; You should be able to spend this 10 or 15 minutes for yourself; If you are in doubt about how to do this yoga or any posture, please seek help from your guru.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

To Improve Focus and an Exercise for Hips and Legs


To improve your focus and concentration, do this asana. This will not only help you to improve the strength and fitness of your hips and legs. To start with, this may be little difficult, but without giving up, if you continue to practice this, you will get the result you wanted.

The asana is called "Akarna-Dhanura-asana" and also known as "The Shooting Bow Pose" because of the pose of the asana.

Asana Name: Akarna-Dhanura-asana
Pronounciation: ah-car-nah-da-noor-ah-sa-na
Posture: The Shooting Bow Pose
Hints: Requires flexibility in hips and legs

Meaning and Explanation:

The word "karna" is from sanskrit language which means "ear". The prefix "a" means "near to or towards." Dhanur means bow-shaped, curved or bent. Asana is the posture. So, this is a shotting-bow pose.

Instructions:

1. Sit on the floor with the legs together and extended straight out in front;
2. Keep the back straight, shoulders level and head straight;
3. Place the hands on the thigh with palms down;
4. Inhale deeply;
5. Exhale, take the right hand, take it to the right toe, loop the forefingers (of right hand) around the right toe. Similarly, hold the left leg with the left hand.
6. Inhale and pull the right foot back place the big toe next to right ear;
7. Ensure that the back is straight as much as possible, and hold this posture as long as you can hold the inhale breath;
8. Take the right leg back to the original position; Exhale slowly while doing this coming to normal position; release the hand;

Repeat this procedure with the other leg; Do this for 3-5 cycles a day.

"Having caught the toes of the feet with both hands and carried them to the ears by drawing the body like a bow, it becomes Dhanura-asana." - The Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika I.27.

Advantages:

While practicing this posture imagine yourself as an archer with the gaze focused on the target and the arrow firmly yet gracefully being pulled back in the bow. Hold the posture steady as an archer would hold the arrow aimed at its target. Return the foot to the floor gently. This simple technique will help cultivate a focused and unwavering attention.

General Advice:

Do all of these yogas in a pieceful place; You should be able to spend this 10 or 15 minutes for yourself; If you are in doubt about how to do this yoga or any posture, please seek help from your guru.