Yoga in Practice: Bhakti Yoga
By Paul Jerard
If Yoga were like fine wine, Hatha Yoga would surely be the wine for export. It could be said that Raja Yoga and Kundalini Yoga got a fairly strong foothold outside India, as well. All of these forms of Yoga have many aspects, but the physical aspect is what lures most Yoga students - outside of India.
Bhakti Yoga, on the other hand, is a spiritual form of Yoga and is very commonly practiced within India. Bhakti Yoga is union by love and devotion to God. Therefore, this is the form of Yoga that really does have a deep spiritual aspect and a connection to Hinduism. This spiritual, and religious, aspect is possibly the reason why Bhakti Yoga has not managed to proliferate as well as Hatha Yoga, which is Union by physical mastery.
Could Bhakti Yoga be practiced by a Yoga practitioner who is not a Hindu? Let’s ask, for example, could a Christian, Moslem, or Jew practice Bhakti Yoga and stay within the confines of his or her religion? Some already do.
This could be considered sectarian Yoga, when a number of Yoga practitioners, of the same religion, gather to worship, meditate, pray, sing, or chant. Attachment to God is not reserved to any one specific religion. Therefore, in principle, Bhakti Yoga can be practiced by members of any religion.
There are many more types of Bhakti classifications, but I will name two basic classifications. Nishkamya Bhakti is praise to God for all that you have. This is appreciation and acceptance of all your situations, relationships, and everything else. Instead of being a seeker, you are now a “finder” of all that is good in your life. In turn, you will easily be able to project loving kindness to others.
In contrast, there is also Sakamya Bhakti. This is devotion to God with the desire for gaining something. The objective could be material gain, to free yourself from an ailment, or to gain power of some kind. In time of need is when most people pray to God. This is a common thread in all of us, and surprisingly our prayers are answered in a positive way.
It is important to understand that Bhakti Yoga is much more complex than this simplified explanation that I have presented. However, the principles of Bhakti Yoga are there for all Yoga students of every religion.
Interestingly, I have heard strong arguments against “oneness” with God. The theory is that God will only let us so close, as we are imperfect. It is true that humans are imperfect, but there is no harm in self-improvement or Yoga.
© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
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What Is Hatha Yoga?
By Kevin Pederson
'Ha' means sun and 'tha' means moon so in a simple language 'hatha' would mean the union of opposites. It can also be stated as a very forceful yoga. It deals mostly with the poses and basically more into the physical exercises in this type of yoga.
It is the best of exercising and stretching yourselves in the entire manner and provides you the best platform for making your life very beautiful and enhanced. It is the way for your spiritual realization and the important of making it an integral part of your life.
The whole meaning of this word is harmonizing your body or soul. The principle on which hatha yoga works is feeling, thinking, willing and acting. These all when come in perfect balance which makes it a perfect eternal bliss. It is a cleansing process and which helps in removing the blockages of your body and soul. It is a source of energy to remove the repetitive and constant negative energy. It purifies your mind and soul making it very important part of your cleansing.
It describes the Mudras and mental state of mind which results in the level of concentration. It also provides freedom from all the unnecessary worldly choices which would create the right impact on your body and would indirectly be positive for your soul too. This is also a state of withdrawal and the spontaneous state of meditation. Some of the several mudras in Hatha yoga are Vajroli Mudra, Sahajoli Mudra, Khechari Mudra, Shambhavi Mudra, Virpri Karani.
Kevin Pederson, the webmaster for Yogawiz ,and learning about the usefulness of yoga in office and knowing about the different types of yoga.
http://www.yogawiz.com
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Yoga For Kids
By Melvin Chua
Our children today are subjected to a lot of stress factors. There is homework that
they have to do daily, the competition from other children, after school game
activities and sometimes over-scheduling from parents.
And just like us adults these children need something relaxing to turn to and that
Yoga could just be that instrument.
Yoga for kids helps then develop better awareness of their body, and also teaches
them total self control, flexibility and coordination. All of these they could carry out
not just in their Yoga classes but also in their daily routines as well.
Yoga for kids has shown to help children who are hyper active to tone down and
also brighten up those attention deficit ones. Children today crave movement and
sensory motor stimuli that can help them to balance up their inner soul-flow.
Yoga for kids helps them channel out this impulses in a positive way.
The main Yoga for kids poses that seem to work perfectly with kids are the warrior
pose and the tree pose. These two yoga for kids poses helps instill in them calm,
confidence and balance.
The trick to get them to do Yoga for kids is to go beyond just doing the proper
poses, you should have to get them think about what the real posture means.
Let them think that they are really what the poses are symbolizing; let them perform
the postures strong and confident like a warrior.
Yoga for kids with partners is also a good way to build up trust with you children. It
develops their teamwork skills and fosters a closer bonding.
Some kids when it comes to relaxation have a big trouble closing their eyes and
having them focus on their exercises. One thing that encourages a child to relax is
visualization. Let them think of something that they really like and let them imagine
being like these things.
You may also have them focus out on belly breathing first and have them listen to
soothing and relaxing music.
Then ask them to imagine their favorite spot in the house or let them think that they
are in outer space floating, or let them visualize that they are at the beach, playing
their favorite sport or doing the best activity that they like.
Sometimes for boys letting them think of a favorite girlfriend helps them relax, but
this is sometimes hard to do because they become shy and intolerable when this
kind of issues are discussed. Just stick to the visualization thing if this technique is
quite complicated for you.
Every day at the end of each relaxation exercises, encourage the children to share
their own experiences. Ask them to tell to the group what it was like to be in their
visualized surroundings. Ask them also to share what place have they imagined they
where in.
Another approach is to create a guided imagination by telling them a story with a
calming theme of some sort.
As you know children have the most active imagination, they imagine all sorts of things. And at this point of imagination it makes them feel calm. So when doing
yoga for kids let them think that they are walking on a green pasture.
You can even let them think that they are butterflies in a beautiful garden. The main
idea in here is to instill a sense of peace and feeling of oneness with nature.
Yoga for kids should be taught more often and in different places. It is important to
teach children the meaning of union of mind, body and spirit.
There is such a wealth of knowledge that we can offer to our children with the
practice of Yoga.
© Copyright Melvin Chua, All Rights Reserved.
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Staying Fit with Yoga Exercises
By Melvin Chua
Yoga exercises are the best way to free your mind and to concentrate deeply. After
you have experienced a stressful situation, your mind, body and spirit is worn out
and fatigued.
The cause of these might have been from the interaction with other people or
something that have caused a frustration, anger, depression and disappointment in
you. These feelings created out of these circumstances should be released so that
you will live a happier life.
One effective way and method to express your outpoured feelings and emotion is by
doing yoga exercises.
When you feel like shouting out loud or cracking the television, you can instead
release your tension through yoga exercises that are effective and helpful.
This type of strategy has worked in many ways for different people. Those who
don’t find enough time for themselves can do yoga exercises in order to relieve
themselves.
Sometimes, work has caught up on us so tightly that we don’t find time to relax and
express ourselves. Yoga exercises are one of the best remedy to this problem.
Yoga exercises can be applied and learned in school. There are some sessions that
offer yoga practices. The yoga exercises you will learn in school can be performed at
home.
In fact, you can learn some yoga exercises at home all by yourself. You will just have
to need a television and a video tape. The tape shows the steps and procedures for
each yoga exercise.
During a tired and heavy day, you can set a little time and devotion in doing yoga
exercises. Also remember that in doing yoga, you’ll need to be consistent in
practicing the yoga exercises so that it will soon take effect and you will notice little
by little improvements on your body.
After doing the yoga exercises, you’ll need to relax in order for the effect of the
postures take place. In this manner, the body will accumulate the effects.
Before doing the yoga exercises, you should first lay in a relaxed posture so you can
focus well and not be distracted by outside forces. You will not feel pain or
discomfort too.
Yoga exercises can be done at any time of the day as long as you are free. Although
it chooses no time, still, the best time to practice it is in the morning. Before eating
your breakfast, the mind is on its state of calmness and free from distractions. This
is the perfect time to do the yoga exercises.
Before doing the yoga exercises, make sure that your heart is ready. It should not
feel any pain or ego. It is important to keep a good heart so that your mind can
work well.
The perfect place to do your yoga exercises is a quiet place. It should be well
ventilated and free from all unpleasant things and smell. You should be free from all
possible distractions.
Keeping a good stomach is also important so that you will feel good and your digestive system responses accurately. What you should do first is to empty your
bowels and clear your noses from mucus. You should stay clean and fit.
Now that you have clearly understood the important reminders, you can start your
yoga exercises and work your way out.
© Copyright Melvin Chua, All Rights Reserved.
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What Is Yoga?
By Melvin Chua
Yoga is widely known as a form of exercise that stretches and strengthens the
body through various poses known as ASANAS. For other people yoga is the
realization of inner self satisfaction. For others it is a religion that the believers
ought to follow.
All of this statement makes it hard to really make a full realization of what yoga
really is.
So what exactly is yoga?
Yoga goes far beyond just mere exercises full of awkward routines. Yoga is the
union of mind, spirit and body. Yoga comes from the Hindu philosophy used to
attain spiritual insight and harmony.
Yoga generally refers to the common use of a system of exercises that is practiced as part of this discipline.
The word is derived from the Sanskrit “yeung”, which means to join. A yoke as used
on oxen is closely related, but also the same root gives us "join", "junction", "junta",
"adjust", "joust", and "juxapose" to name a few.
There are many institutions of yoga all of which have their own unique practices and
beliefs. But in this article we have listed down the five most common yoga practices.
However, schools and paths have been established with many different variations
that aren't listed here.
1. HATHA
This is the most popular variety of yoga and one that has been commonly
taught for years. So what is yoga for them? For them it is perfecting the mind by way
of perfecting the body.
With this technique many asanas or postures, breathing techniques and meditations
are used.
2. ASHTANGA
This yoga is another popular type they are much faster than the other
schools. What is yoga for ashtangas’?
For them yoga can be considered as a type of aerobic yoga for they instill quick and
smooth transitions between poses.
3. KUNDALINI
This school is focused on awakening and focusing what is known as
kundalini energy. Kundalini energy is most easily compared to life energy that lies
dormant in our bodies. It is commonly represented by a coiled snake.
4. MANTRA
This type of yoga is focused on calming the mind and body through the
usage of words and sounds. The well known 'om' chant is commonly heard in this
school.
5. TANTRA
This type of school is well known by way of its focus on sexual spirituality.
They also focus on kundalini energy, although their intent for awakening it is much
different from the Kundalini practice.
Yoga is a very diverse practice, so no matter which school you choose. People young
and old can gain many benefits from regular yoga practices, and asanas can be
adjusted to fit physical limitations and other complications.
If you want a break from treadmills, weight rooms, or the pool, take a look at yoga.
Not only are you striving towards physical well being, you are striving towards
spiritual well being as well.
Traditionally, yoga consists of eight fundamental paths: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga,
Jnana Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Purna Yoga, Tantra Yoga, Maha Yoga and Ashtanga or Raja
Yoga. In the western world, the term yoga often refers to Hatha yoga and its
postures, movements, and breathing techniques.
The ultimate goal of yoga is the attainment of liberation from worldly suffering and
the cycle of birth and death. Yoga entails mastery over the body, mind, and
emotional self, and transcendence of desire. It is said to lead gradually to
knowledge of the true nature of reality.
© Copyright Melvin Chua, All Rights Reserved.
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The Most Common Types of Yoga
By Melvin Chua
As there are so many different types of yoga available today, it can present a major
problem for beginners. It is of best advice 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 here and briefly explained in
order to assist you in choosing the best type of yoga that you can start off with.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Bhakti yoga
Or commonly known as devotional yoga. These types of yoga focus on
self surrender in the face of the divine.
7. 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.
© Copyright Melvin Chua, All Rights Reserved.
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Power Yoga And Powering It Up
By Melvin Chua
Power yoga is sometimes known as the western version of Ashtanga Yoga which
brought by the Indians.
Beryl Bender Birch was the one who gave the term Power Yoga. He was a teacher of
Ashtanga Yoga and at the same time an author of Power Yoga.
Yoga was inspired and was brought to the west by the renowned Sanskrit Scholar Sri
K. Pattabhi Jo’s. The people of the west were inspired with his Ashtanga Yoga and
also his philosophies.
Power Yoga is described to be the practice of Yoga ‘Poses’ which is done
continuously in series of exercises without stopping. The practice is accompanied
by the Vinsaya which is known as riding the breath. This enables you to make
certain movements from one pose to another.
The power yoga is characterized by vigorous exercises which challenges your
physical and mental ability and concentration. This enables you to reach your inner
power and connect with it.
The difference of power yoga is that the poses are done faster in a pace. This
practice is essential and helpful in increasing your physical endurance.
Power yoga enables you to sustain and keep up a good focus at a longer time
without breaking or distracting your concentration. if you need to fully concentrate
with something, power yoga might just be the right type for you.
Power yoga has some similarities with the modified versions of Ashtanga Yoga. The
certain practices of Iyengar yoga and Bikram also influenced power yoga.
Just like Bikram Yoga, notice that Power Yoga also applies the execution of the
common basic yoga poses which is a good practice because even the beginners can
do it.
Power yoga also adapted some practices of the Iyengar Yoga which gives emphasis
on the form and alignment during the practice. It also includes practice in holding a
pose longer without breaking which aims to achieve maximum benefits.
Although Power Yoga has been influenced by a lot of yoga types, still it aims on the
steps of ‘Classical Yoga’. It aims to unite the body, the spirit and the mind uniquely.
The main objectives of yoga is for you to be able to connect to your inner power and
reach every level through the various poses and practices.
With the help of power Yoga, you can dig deep to your physical, mental and spiritual
power.
Power yoga is considered a good preparation for athletes. Not only does it train
them to concentrate deeply but it also aids them in the prevention of injuries and
rehabilitation that may come.
If you want to do Power Yoga, you should know first if your health condition can
withstand the practice. You should know that Power Yoga is dine in a heated room
which is perfectly designed to increase the strength and flexibility, increase your
concentration, release tension, stamina and tone in your body which is achieved and
released through sweat.
Power yoga are taught by teachers but there might be various differences depending
upon who is teaching it. The people who are healthy and fit can practice power
yoga. If you enjoy doing exercises and if you want less chanting sessions, then
power yoga is the best style for you.
© Copyright Melvin Chua, All Rights Reserved.
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Nude Aerobics Yoga?
By Melvin Chua
Nude aerobics yoga may sound vulgar, offensive and impossible but it does exists.
A lot of people may not practice doing this but there are some who would really
prefer doing nude aerobics yoga.
Nude aerobics yoga may imply something not applicable to some culture and
society. There are some places that might not respect that kind of practice.
They say nudity is healthy natural. Those who do nude aerobics yoga say that
clothes keep them disturbed and it prevents the flow of air in getting inside the
body. This may be funny but they really think it that way. For them, wearing clothes
is like an excess baggage.
Some can’t even carry out yoga with their clothes on. If this is the case, a lot of
people will be intimidated or perhaps be interested in doing nude aerobics yoga.
Somehow, this brings some negative effects in the people or group doing this kind
of practice. Some might think that they will take nude aerobics yoga for fun and for
some other reasons which goes beyond imagination.
Clothes are considered an art in yoga exercises. Without clothes, where would art
take place? Did they say that the body is considered the art, not mentioning nudity?
Nude aerobics yoga is believed to be a clean exercise because people believed that
wearing clothes invited and encouraged the proliferation of microscopic fungi and
bacteria. This is acquired in warm and humid temperature and circumstances.
When the temperature is warm, they are able to interfere with the natural body
temperature of our control mechanism. This makes some of the parts hotter than
the others.
People who do nude aerobics yoga can freely sweat and not be absorbed by cotton.
This may sound gross but they claimed that people who perspire in clothes smell
bad. Sweaty clothes are not pleasing to our nose. That is a fact. But those who
perspire naturally smell better.
Wearing shorts and trousers will raise the temperature of the testicles for the male.
This then results to hinder the growth of sperm and the male hormones which
reduces fertility. This can also cause impotence to both genders.
Looking back to the early generation, nudity was our natural condition as they say.
It was also added that nudity adds to the physical and emotional health of the
individual.
The main reason why people love doing nude aerobics yoga is because it feels great.
A lot of them have alleged the same reasons and they really stand for it. Nude
aerobics yoga lets you articulate your natural emotions and let you speak for
yourself. After all, it’s nice to feel the natural air slapping on your skin and feeling
the sweat roughly come out of the inside.
At first it may be too cognizant to practice the nude aerobics yoga but once you get the hang of it, you will feel that it is nourishing and exfoliating. You will realize after
that doing this exercise is not that gross as what you think. Later on you will feel its
effect on your body and it wouldn’t be surprising to see that your body has changed
because you have bared it all.
It is now time to change your viewpoint in life and go on a different level. After you
have experienced all the styles of yoga, try the nude aerobics yoga and have that
nice feel.
© Copyright Melvin Chua, All Rights Reserved.
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Hot Yoga?
By Melvin Chua
There are a lot of yoga types and one of them is the famous hot yoga. The hot yoga
is characterized by a series of yoga poses which is done in a heated room. The room
where you perform the exercise is conserved at a temperature of 95-100 degrees.
This kind of exercise gives off a lot of perspiration during a session.
Hot yoga is advantageous because it cleanses your body and gets rid of the toxins
inside your body. Since is makes your body warm, the more flexible it gets.
When doing the hot yoga, you should have some accessories like your yoga mat and towel. Since you will be sweating severely, you should have something to wipe up
your sweat every other time.
Some people who practice hot yoga do not wear very thick clothes because it causes
them to sweat more.
If you are going to practice hot yoga, you should be ready with your clothing. The
clothes you should wear should be appropriate. You can wear shorts during the
session.
Wearing of shorts allows your skin to breathe and give off heat. Students are the
ones who usually wear shorts. They tend to wear small clothes because they are still
vigorous and they sweat too much. If you are taking hot yoga sessions, make sure
that you drink a lot of water. If you are in the class, you can also bring along your
own bottle of water so that you can drink anytime you want. It is important to bring
along a bottle of water so that you will not get dehydrated and so that the skin will
produce more sweat. Before having a hot yoga session, you should take note that it
is not advisable to eat two hours before the class starts. This is because your body
is opt for a heavy exercise.
Bikram’s method is such a good yoga style. People who want to be slim can practice
this type of yoga because their fats and cholesterol will be burned through sweat.
Although it burns your fats, you should not be burning all of it because you still
need some. Yoga started about 2500 years ago which was founded by Patanjali.
After it’s discovery, it was then practiced and spread around the world. Picture
yourself doing Yoga when you are suffering from illness like Fever where your body
temperature is at 105 deg. Fahrenheit! I bet you couldn’t stand this kind of heat. If
ever you will, you have over fatigued yourself.
At the compassion of the disagreement is Choudhuryís wish to put off anybody
teaching yoga in a heated room from calling their class ‘Bikram Yoga’. He would like
to put to one side this title only for those teachers who are qualified by his Yoga
College of India and who stick to his arranged process precisely. This has been
handled upon because there are a lot of people who imitate his teachings.
Now that you have learned the difference of hot yoga among all other styles, think
again if it satisfies your desired to release your sweat and excess toxins. Remember
that in doing hot yoga, all your energy is taken away. If your body has not a single
energy to waste, then hot yoga is not the ‘perfect’ yoga style for you.
© Copyright Melvin Chua, All Rights Reserved.
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Tracing the History of Yoga
By Melvin Chua
The history of Yoga has a lot to do with the present times. Yoga started some 5000
years ago when human civilization has only begun. 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 society and at
the same time act as the religious mediators.
Archaic Yoga also had the same purpose 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 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 Postclassical 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 1800ís.
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.
© Copyright Melvin Chua, All Rights Reserved.
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Need Power? Try Core Power Yoga
By Melvin Chua
Core power yoga is an energetic yoga exercise that is both physically and mentally
challenging and helps to connect to our inner powers 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 is a dynamic and 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
was given by Beryl Bender Birch, an Ashtanga Yoga teacher. It has been brought to
the west by followers of Sri K. Pattabhi, 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 ‘mid-body’
emphasis and some very challenging moves.
Yoga sessions are done in a heated room and made up 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, Boot camps, Teacher
Trainings and Mat Pilates. Moreover, it provides better instructors that are
personally involved in student’s 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; it lengthens and stretches the
muscles and at the same time also 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, running, martial arts and
various other team sports. Some training grounds in sports practice this exercise in
transition for aerobics.
Core power yoga can and does reshape your body and mind!
© Copyright Melvin Chua, All Rights Reserved.
Melvin has dozens more related articles and tips on doing yoga at his site: doing yoga, check them
out today!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melvin_Chua
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The Manifold Benefits Of Yoga
By Melvin Chua
Yoga through meditation works amazingly 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.
1. Yoga is known to increase flexibility and suppleness; yoga has postures that
trigger the different joints of the body. Including those joints that are not acted
upon with regular exercises routines.
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.
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.
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
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.
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 is equal to 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.
© Copyright Melvin Chua, All Rights Reserved.
Melvin has dozens more related articles and tips on doing yoga at his site: doing yoga, check them
out today!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melvin_Chua
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Welcome to Vortex Yoga.
Vortex Yoga is a yoga blog and forum, combined. It is designed to be a community, where anyone can post interesting topics (or questions) about yoga. You don't have to register, just click here to contribute to Vortex Yoga. Your message will appear on the Yoga Blog and on the Yoga Forum.
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This new article talks about toddlers doing yoga. The boy featured in the article has been foing yoga since he was six months old, apparently. (Personally, I've seen six-month old babies, and while they are very flexible, I really can't see them following along during a yoga practice - but maybe thats just me). Starting yoga at a young age does seem to make sense, and according to the article, it can be a bonding experience with parents.
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