Yoga increases muscular strength. It reduces tension and stress. It has a low potential for injury, and it doesn't even look like exercise. Why, then, don't more people practice simple yoga?
People think of yoga as being passive and mystical - an otherworldly activity that doesn't relate to their lives. People are experiencing a vacuum because of all the outward directed activity, and they are going to have to go back to the experience of self.
Yoga is an Indian discipline that has been practiced for more than 5000 years. Yet in most western societies, it still has relatively few followers. About half of the American adult population swims, while about 25% run or jog, but only 2% practice yoga.
The word yoga derives from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning to yoke or connect. Through yoga's various techniques, one is said to arrive at mental and physical equilibrium, better health and inner peace. It has been described as providing, in effect, a "work-in" rather than a workout.
There are at least eight main branches of yoga, with several variations of each. Essentially, though, only two are concerned with exercise. Those are kundalini yoga and hatha yoga.
Hatha yoga is most commonly practiced in the Western world. Slow paced, it emphasizes controlled breathing, and its practitioners assume a variety of physical poses. Advocates believe that it boosts the health of your vital organs, glands, and nervous system.
Kundalini yoga, introduced to this country in 1969 by Yogi Bhajan, is more active than hatha yoga, and combines various movements, modes of breathing, and meditation. With kundalini yoga, the idea is that body energy is coiled below the base of the spine and this energy can be tapped so that it will travel upward through the different chakras or energy centers until it reaches the top of the head. When one arrives here, it is said that you have reached your fullest potential.
Classically, there are 84 basic yoga positions, or asanas, which are coordinated with special breathing techniques. The asanas range from simple bends and twists to pretzel-like contortions reserved for the most advanced practitioners. The various poses elongate the muscles and build flexibility. Along with the proper breathing, they help rid the body of tension. Static holds isolate and strengthen particular muscles.
Asanas have evolved over the centuries so that they now exercise every nerve, muscle and gland in the body. They can give you a fine and toned physique that is elastic and not musclebound, but strong. In addition, these asanas can help keep the body well and free of disease. Asanas can also help soothe the nerves and reduce fatigue. However, perhaps their real importance comes from the way they discipline and train one's mind. - 16752
People think of yoga as being passive and mystical - an otherworldly activity that doesn't relate to their lives. People are experiencing a vacuum because of all the outward directed activity, and they are going to have to go back to the experience of self.
Yoga is an Indian discipline that has been practiced for more than 5000 years. Yet in most western societies, it still has relatively few followers. About half of the American adult population swims, while about 25% run or jog, but only 2% practice yoga.
The word yoga derives from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning to yoke or connect. Through yoga's various techniques, one is said to arrive at mental and physical equilibrium, better health and inner peace. It has been described as providing, in effect, a "work-in" rather than a workout.
There are at least eight main branches of yoga, with several variations of each. Essentially, though, only two are concerned with exercise. Those are kundalini yoga and hatha yoga.
Hatha yoga is most commonly practiced in the Western world. Slow paced, it emphasizes controlled breathing, and its practitioners assume a variety of physical poses. Advocates believe that it boosts the health of your vital organs, glands, and nervous system.
Kundalini yoga, introduced to this country in 1969 by Yogi Bhajan, is more active than hatha yoga, and combines various movements, modes of breathing, and meditation. With kundalini yoga, the idea is that body energy is coiled below the base of the spine and this energy can be tapped so that it will travel upward through the different chakras or energy centers until it reaches the top of the head. When one arrives here, it is said that you have reached your fullest potential.
Classically, there are 84 basic yoga positions, or asanas, which are coordinated with special breathing techniques. The asanas range from simple bends and twists to pretzel-like contortions reserved for the most advanced practitioners. The various poses elongate the muscles and build flexibility. Along with the proper breathing, they help rid the body of tension. Static holds isolate and strengthen particular muscles.
Asanas have evolved over the centuries so that they now exercise every nerve, muscle and gland in the body. They can give you a fine and toned physique that is elastic and not musclebound, but strong. In addition, these asanas can help keep the body well and free of disease. Asanas can also help soothe the nerves and reduce fatigue. However, perhaps their real importance comes from the way they discipline and train one's mind. - 16752
About the Author:
Learn more about the practice of yoga at Simple Yoga Essentials, a guide to simple yoga exercises that will improve your body, mind and spirit.
