By Annie Robinson
Why are so many people getting into Yoga? While most of us are not really into the philosophical, metaphysical or religious basis of Yoga, although many of us are, the one thing that no-one can deny is the incredible rewards of greater health, vitality and balance that result from a regular
Yoga practice.
In the east Yoga has been practised for thousands of years and shows no signs of flagging, in both India itself the birthplace of most forms of common Yoga, and in most Asian countries which have their own form of yoga known under different names.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is a system of techniques and disciplines that move the user to an end goal. The system may vary as in the many different forms of Yoga, but the end result is the same, to find the true balance within and without that leads to knowing the self completely.
Now that may seem like a big ask, but even taking a few steps toward that end goal can result in multi-faceted changes in your life as you begin to feel the effects of better posture, better focus and better health. Yoga literally means the 'union' of body, mind and soul that leads to enlightenment.
Within the many forms of Yoga there are the constants, those physical postures that enable the body to become more balanced, flexible and healthy and create a body awareness that can be felt in daily life. This body awareness helps to keep us healthier as we are able to become aware almost immediately of any imbalance in the body. In our busy world we are often too busy to take note of the smaller warning signs that our body is becoming overloaded, either through stress, toxicity or poor dietary and sleep habits and we often do not know we are becoming unwell until it is far too late to prevent. We end up sick and in bed and at times this can become the only time we take off from our busy schedules.
It is this Yoga cultivated body awareness that can help us to prevent and pre-empt most of these illnesses and become aware of the need to slow down and take some time for ourselves so that we can be at our best, and giving of our best at all times. We also get to enjoy our time off rather than spend it in bed wishing someone would just bury us alive.
The Character Of The Postures
An Asana or posture or pose, is meant to be refreshing and relaxing rather than fatiguing or requiring effort, although some forms of Yoga are a real workout. These postures when performed regularly are meant to create a stable and balanced use of your body in all situations. Some of the postures have been developed from copying the characteristic postures of animals, reptiles, insects and birds and others as form of dance performed as a prayer to the sun. All of them prepare the body for sitting, standing or moving in conscious stillness as meditation.
Before Performing a Yoga Workout
There are a few commonsense rules that should be observed before performing a Yoga workout:
Allow at least 2 to 3 hours to go by after a main meal and an hour after a snack
Empty the bladder and if possible the bowels
Sponge over your body to give a feeling of freshness before you begin
Wear loose fitting preferably stretchable clothing
Workout on a level floor or park and be sure the room has adequate ventilation
Use a thick blanket or yoga mat under your body
For greater control and for deepening your practice use a Yoga Swing
There are many types of Yoga filtering into Western society which means it will be easy to find one that suits you. There are the very traditional systems and the more westernised forms and amongst them you will find both hard Yoga and softer Yoga, my advice is to try a few different classes until you find the one that suits you.
Yoga can be a one way ticket to health, vitality and longevity so check out a yoga class or personal one on one instruction today.
Annie Robinson has been a Natural Practitioner for over 20 years, she specializes in metabolic disorders and their core preventable solutions. She also holds a Masters in Coaching and NLP and a Grad Dip in Education (science and history). Her passionate belief in everyone's ability to heal and manage all patterns of disease is her focus. Her partner Helen Eames is a Yoga Instructor who specialises in teaching Inyengar and Integral Yoga and together their business "balancenoosa" situated on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in sunny Queensland has the slogan "Wellness that Comes To YOU." They bring wellness solutions to your home, your business or your holiday unit and are about to launch an exciting new program of Lifestyle Makeover retreats. For more information on this subject or on 'balancenoosa' please see: balancenoosa.com or the balancenoosa Blog: BalanceNoosa Blog
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