Yoga is a series of practices and disciplines which took birth in ancient India. It is intended for the physical, mental and spiritual growth of a person. There are about 37 million yoga practitioners in the US alone (HealthCareers.co) These practitioners and wide availability of yoga products, itself emphasis on its wide acceptance. This article will give an elaborate idea on the five Ws of yoga.
Who Can Do Yoga?
Anybody.
There is a misunderstanding that yoga is only for helping in weight loss or toning of the body. Yoga is much beyond a physical exercise. Yoga is not only about body movements, it also has the capability to cure a lot of diseases. It is better to start engaging in yoga at the earliest in life as it helps in better exploration of the body. It can be practiced by people of any age group. Yoga is one exercise that is easily accessible by the older people.
What is Yoga About?
A lot of people have the misconception that yoga is only about bending and twisting about. The aim of yoga is to harmonise the mind and body. There are various breathing exercises, asanas and meditations to achieve this.
There are eight limbs for yoga. They are dhyana (meditation), niyama (observances), yama (abstinences), asana (yoga postures), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), pranayama (breath control), dharana (concentration), and samadhi (absorption).
An asana is a term used for body posture, usually a meditation posture. It was later adopted into yoga as a term for any type of position, including standing, twisting and even balancing. An asana is performed in order to cultivate awareness, relaxation and concentration in the body. It also helps in freeing up the limbs, spine and breathing inhibitions. It helps in achieving mental balance and clarity in thought.
The different asanas in yoga include Tadasana, Vrikshasana, Trikonasana, Bhujangasana and many more.
When Can You Do Yoga?
In yogic science, a day is divided into four parts. They are, Brahma Muhurta, Sunrise, Noon and Sunset. There are different benefits according to the time that yoga is practiced. For instance Brahma Muhurta is the perfect time to practice yoga, if the intention is spiritual elevation.
Noon is not a recommended time to practice yoga as it is meal time. The body needs to rest about 4 to 6 hours after eating to practice yoga. This is for the food to digest and the body to extract the energy. There are also chances for dehydration due to excessive heat in the noon hours. Similarly, Pranyama and meditation should also not be practiced between two to four hours after meal.
Asanas, Pranayama and meditation can be ideally practiced in the morning as they energize the body throughout the day. It is also important to have a fresh body while engaging in yoga. A mind free from alcohol or drugs with calm and composed self is ideal for yoga.
Where Can You Do Yoga?
Yoga can be practiced anywhere with the right yoga products. There are a lot of centers open where
Yoga can be practiced with the help of a guide. There are also workshops organized with the aim of engaging more audiences. Yoga can even be practiced at a silent corner of your home with enough room to stretch on all sides.
Things to carry:
- Wear comfortable loose clothes
- Own a yoga mat
- Use a mat towel
- A water bottle
Why Should You Do Yoga?
There are a lot of reasons to make yoga a part of life. Stronger and flexible limbs and muscle is just one of the reasons. Yoga can also help in improving a lot of other conditions including High Blood pressure and poor blood circulation. Osteoporosis, Arthritis, Asthma, Body pains and mental stress have assured results from doing yoga.
There are various poses for muscles improvement and flexibility. For instance, vrksasana or the tree pose is aimed at the betterment of thighs, shoulders, arms, legs and back. The various postures give balance and stamina to the core muscles. Yoga also promotes relaxation in a person and thereby reduces stress. The physical postures and the controlled breathing works towards having a calm mind.
Yoga gives an overall awareness of the body through the contraction and relaxation of various muscles. Each pose contributes towards the end result of awareness about the strengths and weaknesses of the body.
CONCLUSION
Yoga is a perfect exercise that works for both the body and mind. It is not only for flexibility but can also cure a lot of diseases. Engaging in yoga can bring a lot of changes in the physical and mental capacity of a person.