Welcome to the world and culture of yoga. Did you know that there are more than ten styles of yoga and breathing techniques and thousands of poses with hundreds of instructions all written Sanskrit? Fear not however, as you can and probably already are experiencing the peace and wellness of yoga in your life. Do you stretch, control the rate of your breathing, give physical or spiritual guidance to a friend, practice the virtues of charity and self-improvement and try to rest and meditate? In short, do you live? You are practicing yoga now as you read this article for your benefit. Yoga isn’t a “workout”, it’s a “work in”. It is increasing self knowledge and in turn universal well being. You as a better person make the world a better place.
Yoga is a process of self-fulfillment. The word yoga means to join or yoke together. It is the joining of your internal spiritual self with your external physical self and the linking of you to the universe in which you live. Yoga seeks balance in your life. One of the linking techniques is to align the physical body in a pose while regulating the breathing and creating a completeness of body and breath. This lends itself to quieting the natural turbulence of the mind and freeing your spirit to allow you greater knowledge of yourself. Once you relieve the tension in the muscles of the body and coordinate your breathing with your movement in a pose, you will allow the mind to quiet itself and re-energize.
How do you begin a yoga practice either alone or with others? Simply find a quiet time and place, wear loose clothing, have eaten 2 hours or more before starting, and have a mat and blanket. Check with your doctor concerning your specific medical conditions as appropriate. Always warm up with some gentle movement and breathing techniques. Sit comfortably and count your inhalation and exhalations. Close your eyes and mouth and breath through the nose. Center yourself and prepare to begin. Yoga is not competitive so move slowly and enjoy each pose. Whether you are in a class or following movement from a yoga book, allow your body to flow into a pose and using breath control deepen the pose on each exhalation. Once in the pose savor and enjoy it and let all thoughts flee from your mind. Feel your energy moving from the front of your body to the rear and grounded in each foot for standing poses. Breathe deeply allowing the abdomen to rise and fall with each breath. Most practices include a Sun Salutation and several poses of forward and backward bends and twists. The session ends with 10 – 15 minutes of meditation with you lying on the mat often covered with a blanket. The meditation can be totally silent or a guided meditation with soft, gentle music or the teacher’s visualizations. You will feel relaxed and re-energized by the end of the 45 – 60 minute class. Remember you can always practice yoga for as little as 10 – 15 minutes if pressed for time.
People have practiced yoga for 5,000 years and found it to be very beneficial for healthy living. Give it a try and reap the rewards of greater self-knowledge and peace of heart and mind.
Sources:
The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga, Vishnu Swami Devananda, 1995.
30 Essential Yoga Poses For Beginning Students and Their Teachers, Judith Lasater, Ph.D., P.T.
Article by Bob McDowell, Certified Personal Trainer.
