Essentials of Yoga

ESSENTIALS OF PRACTICE

Yoga is a Scientific System of physical and mental excellence which requires obedience to certain rules, principle and methodology in order to acquire satisfactory results. If these rules and principles are not followed it may cause reverse results, i.e. harm and injury to the body.

1. There is no specific time for doing yoga. In the point of view of convenience, morning is always better as you will be free for the rest of the day.
Whatever time you have chosen, stick to the same time of practice every day.
Practice yoga regularly and continuously. Irregular practice will not bring good results.
Practice only once within twenty four hours.
Practice at least 15 minutes a day , for 5 days a week. 15 minutes can be gradually increased to a maximum of 1 hour.
2. The place of yoga practice should be neat, clean and airy.
Try to practice at the same place regularly.
Practice alone, if possible.
3. Yoga should be practiced on an empty stomach.
If you have taken food, wait for two or more hours before practicing.
Practitioner must avoid hot food or excessive spices and try to eat a balanced diet.
4. Relax in between asanas for 6 to 8 seconds. Take 2 or 3 normal breaths between asanas.
Rest at the end of the asana session. The general principle is to rest 1/4th of the time of actual practice. For example if you practice asanas for 30 minutes, your rest time is 71/2 minutes.
5. Your body should be neat and clean nor it should be tired or under any excessive physical pain.
Wear clean and light cloth while practicing.
Avoid excessive intake of coffee, tea, alcohol and drugs.
6. Try to keep the mind free from anxiety, worries and any strenuous involvement while you are practicing.
7. Women should not practice yoga during their menstrual periods. Pregnant women should take care to practice moderately.

PRANAYAMA - BREATHING CONTROL IN YOGA

Pranayama' is the fourth stage in Pathanjali's eight stage Yoga discipline. Two Sanskrit words are combined in the word 'Pranayama' - Prana and Ayama. 'Prana' means life or life force. 'Ayama' means development or control. Therefore Pranayama is the development and control of life force. It is a form of breathing exercise, very important in yoga. It goes along with the asanas or exercise.

Breath is the life force that sustains life. Nobody can survive more than a few minutes without air. When the breath stops, life ends. The Forefathers of Yoga developed a special system- 'Pranayama' to increase, develop and control this life force. Normal breathing use only a fraction of our potential respiratory capacity. Pranayama helps to control this life force in a superior and extra ordinary way to reap maximum benefits.

There are various types of Pranayama. Some of the popular forms are Ujjayee, Shitali, Viloma, Kapalabhati, Anuloma, Suryabhedana, Bhastrika etc. There are variations in performing different Pranayamas. Some of them can be done in a sitting position while others in a standing line or sitting position. Some of the Pranayama are difficult and complicated to perform while others are easy.

Pranayama can be mastered only gradually. It may take months or even years before the practitioner mind becomes receptive to the regulated flow of breath and he experiences the full benefits of pranayama. Proper practice of pranayama can control almost any disease but improper practice may give rise to all sorts of respiratory ailments. So one should take care to acquire control over his breath gradually.

Health and Meditation

With modernization, various forms of alternative treatment have come into existence; you will be surprised to know that even doctors from the conventional school of Medical science recommend their patients alternative therapies which include Ayurveda, Yoga and meditation. All these therapies have been backed by hundreds of scientific studies going back to decades.

Meditation – the way to better life style’ these advertisements are splashed today all across the newspapers, journals, magazines and even television. You will find ‘gurus’ offering meditation courses and classes to combat all kinds of diseases and ailments. So what is meditation? Some wonder drug that has the ability to heal all disorders! No, it isn’t. As mentioned, meditation goes back to a long time in history and has very effective healing powers. However, it is not a kind of faith where curing or healing is based on hypnotic suggestions. If you are suffering from some problems, meditation can help you in some measurable ways; if you are not sick, meditation will help you to stay fit and healthy. It works in two main ways: it helps the body to relax quickly and settles the stressed mind.

Meditation is effective because it helps restore the body to a state of balance. This condition is technically termed as “homeostasis”- a situation when all the functions inside the body are at peace or rest or operating within sustainable limits; things like the heart functioning normally, the blood sugar level does not go beyond the ideal range, the gastric juice levels are proper, the breathing rates are normal and so on. It is not that our body cannot function if things are not in order – for example when we are running a race or over exercising or gorging on a meal. In such conditions, the body continues to operate without making us going through a process of major suffering. Nevertheless, if such situations happen frequently, it gradually starts giving up. This is when pathologies start occurring. Sickness thus can be defined as a state of imbalance in one or multiple systems of the body.

Our body is always battling to return to the state of homeostasis. Our body functions the best when all its organs are in a state of harmony and peace and this is also the optimum state for self-repair and growth. By relaxing and de stressing ourselves, we help the body to heal by itself.

Some health conditions that can experience remarkable experience through meditation
Heart related problems – Meditation is a key component of the Ornish therapy, the only treatment that is scientifically proven to reverse heart disease.

High blood pressure – It has been scientifically proven that the ‘relaxation response’ in meditation is very effective in reducing blood pressure and thus decreasing the chances of stroke and heart attack.

Respiratory problems –Respiratory problems like asthma, emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD can be cured to a significant extent by practicing meditation.

Skin disorders like psoriasis – Psoriasis is a condition that causes scaly red patches or blotches on the skin. You will be surprised to know that when a study was conducted between two groups – one which was going through the regular psoriasis treatment and the other that was practicing meditation along with the treatment, the skin condition of the latter healed much faster than the others.

Besides all these, meditation also treats stress and strain, fatigue, drug addiction, stomach upset, insomnia or sleeplessness, any kinds of pain, anxiety and phobias.