What is Yoga?
Yoga is therapeutic for many injuries and medical conditions. Yoga therapy can provide relief from stress, as well as many other mental and physical ailments. But always consult your doctor before beginning a new yoga therapy.
The word yoga means "union" in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India where yoga originated. We can think of the union occurring between the mind, body and spirit.
What is commonly referred to as "yoga" can be more accurately described by the Sanskrit word asana, which refers to the practice of physical postures or poses.
Yoga is a scientific system of physical and mental practices that originated in India more than three thousand years ago. Its purpose is to help each one of us achieve our highest potential and to experience enduring health and happiness. With Yoga, we can extend our healthy, productive years far beyond the accepted norm and, at the same time, improve the quality of our lives.
Yoga is an ancient Indian practice dealing with the well being of human mind, body and spirit. The principles of yoga, called Yogasutra, were given by Patanjali, a saint philosopher and a physician, who lived around 3 centuries before Christ. He is known as the founder of yoga. These sutras are timeless and hold true even today. They help you to lead a blissful life by improving your physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
Yoga is a series of exercises that is performed to improve health and flexibility. People of any age, sex or any fitness level can practice yoga. The beauty of yoga is that it is highly flexible, so you can modify yoga techniques to meet your need. If you have mobility problems, use chair to perform yoga. Office-goers can try the deep-breathing practices to relieve their stress.
Sportsmen and physically active people can use the strengthening techniques to enhance their activities. Children can increase their attention span by using yoga techniques. Seniors can use yoga techniques to improve the body mobility and the flexibility of their joints. Doctors recommend yoga practices for the people with cardiac problems.
Creating a yoga environment
Yoga can be practiced at any time of the day. Choosing to practice in the morning energizes you and the relaxed, soothing practice helps to wind up in the evening. The room should be airy, clean and well lit. Avoid air conditioners. Play soft music or yoga cassettes and keep incense sticks in the room to clean the air. If possible, keep some flowers in the room.
Yoga can be practiced at any time of the day. Choosing to practice in the morning energizes you and the relaxed, soothing practice helps to wind up in the evening. The room should be airy, clean and well lit. Avoid air conditioners. Play soft music or yoga cassettes and keep incense sticks in the room to clean the air. If possible, keep some flowers in the room.
Adopt a positive attitude. Set manageable goals. Start with simple exercises and as you progress, increase your intensity. Record your progress so that you can note down your experiences, thoughts and anything else. Practice yoga on an empty stomach or 3 hours after a meal. Avoid smoking, drinking, drugs, non-veg and fried foods. Keep your meals simple. Do your practice at the time convenient to you. But mornings till 9.00 am are preferable since they are neither too hot nor cold.