THE 8 YOGA POSES FOR GREAT MIND AND BODY.

Introduction

Yoga has become one of the most popular exercise practices in the world despite much criticism from some people. But Yoga is more than just exercise. Imagine practising an exercise that strengthens the muscles, calms and relaxes you, increases flexibility, and collects your thoughts.

It seems impossible, but that is the advantage of trying out Yoga as it does all that and much more. The first question which comes into the mind is the definition of Yoga. Well, for starters, Yoga is a physical and spiritual discipline that originated in India. The word itself means to join or unite as it merges all aspects of the body, the mind, body, and soul.

The main objective of Yoga is to reach emancipation. Further, it is imperative to know that nobody knows the person who came up with the idea of Yoga. It was practiced long before any written record came into existence. Yoga has developed over the years, and it has spread slowly with the development of schools that offer the programs.

Who Practices Yoga?

Before we move on, it is important to clear some misconceptions beforehand:

Yoga is not a religion or a religious activity.
Contrary to some belief, it is not just for women, as men and children also greatly benefit from it.

Presently, many people are not using Yoga, and after a long survey, it is estimated that more than 14 million Americans are practicing Yoga as well as other mind-body exercises. A bigger percentage of that number are middle-aged and older people.

A lot of people practice Yoga for the wellness of the body, including during treatments of significant health conditions as well as back and neck pain. Therefore, Yoga should be used by all people of all ages, including children. It can help children focus more on their studies and have a healthy lifestyle. Though some yoga exercises target the old, the practice can be adopted by people of all ages.

This Holistic Approach Will Help You Achieve Optimum Health, Mindfulness, And Spiritual Enlightenment.

Types of Yoga

There are many types of Yoga out there, and more are still being invented depending on the needs of people. In this article, we will look at some of the common types which are easy to understand especially for the beginners:

1. Hatha – this is the first type of Yoga, and it includes breath work and physical postures. This style is best known for introducing beginners since it is not so complicated. It is relaxed, and one will not end up feeling sweaty; rather, one leaves feeling calm and stretched out.

2. Ashtanga – this style is known for its involvement of breath to movement and is also referred to as an eight limb path. The method follows a particular pattern of poses in the exact order, which often leads to a lot of sweat, hot, and physically challenging postures. It is not suitable for a beginner but for those who are expecting to see a predictable pattern.

3. Vinyasa – also known as placing in a special way, meaning exercising the body in various positions that are suitable for the more athletic people. It is almost similar to Ashtanga since it involves a lot of breathing and postures. Sometimes, one could find some music in this style hence expect to burn calories and sweat a lot.

4. Bikram – expect to sweat and be consistent in this type of Yoga, and it is the same in any yoga center worldwide. It has a series of 26 poses, which are often repeated twice. Additionally, the style is usually done in a hot room with a temperature of up to 40°C/105°F. This means that if anyone is sensitive to heat, this is the class to avoid.

5. Yin Yoga – it is slow-paced and commonly used for relaxation of the mind. One could easily confuse it with restorative Yoga since it uses the same props in passive poses. The seated postures are held for more extended periods helping an individual find inner peace.

6. Prenatal Yoga– finally a practice which many expectant mothers want to hear about. It is suitable for women in all trimesters this exercise assists in the pelvic area, bonding of the mother to the unborn baby, and ease in labor and delivery. Stability is emphasized more than flexibility.

7. Kundalini – focuses on repetitive movements that are often accompanied by chanting and meditating. Simple poses are experienced in this exercise as more energy is focused on the awareness of the body and mind.

8. Anusara Yoga– this is almost similar to hatha but on a more advanced level. It focuses on alignment but has the body and mind connection. It focuses on spiral movements that aid in the opening of the heart.

Health Benefits of Yoga

Yoga has several poses that focus on the body first and assist in the integration of the body, mind, and soul. The first health benefit of Yoga to the body is high blood pressure management. It is believed that to lower blood pressure, one needs to reduce stress and breathe in a systematic manner.

It’s a widely agreed upon that lifestyle has a significant impact on the physical activities of a human being hence, the need to engage in exercises and manage stress. For people with hypertension, it is essential to have a routine to ensure that Yoga has an impact on the body.

Secondly, yoga assists in elevating the mood of humans, and the results are always seen immediately since as soon as one leaves a session, there is always a decrease in tension, stress, fatigue, and anger.

Diabetes is another health issue that affects many people, primarily due to the poor lifestyle we have. Yoga is believed to lower blood glucose, although it works better with a monitored diet. There is wrist pain, otherwise known as carpal tunnel syndrome, which can be improved through yoga grip exercises.

Another major health condition improved by Yoga is asthma, which gets healed after regular classes. However, the mentioned ailments still need medication despite the yoga sessions. One should follow all the doctors’ prescriptions to ensure they get the benefit of both practices.

After extensive research on Yoga, it is fair to say that it aids in the treatment of the mentioned health issues. Additionally, there are other health benefits that are not related to medical ailments but still improve nevertheless due to yoga practices. These include:

Improved flexibility– this is the first and obvious benefit of Yoga. There is a lot of stretching on mats, bending of the body, as well as backbends. Regular exercises enable the body to loosen slowly, allowing one to do the impossible poses. Moreover, joint aches and pains eventually disappear as well.
The perfection of posture– yoga helps in poor posture, which can lead to neck, back, joint, and other muscle issues. Many people develop arthritis due to poor posture and fatigue. Yoga is known to help ease some of the pain issues as well as assist in perfecting the position. Imagine having to hold a standard head straight for more than eight hours. The neck becomes strained and eventually leads to problems.
Building of the muscles– strong muscles protect the body from conditions like arthritis and back pains. Everybody wants strong muscles, but many do not know that they do more than make them look good. When muscles are built with Yoga, they also gain flexibility, unlike going to the gym where one will gain muscles and lose flexibility.
Spine protection– the shock absorbers which are found in between the vertebrae need a lot of movement, which many people do not know. By moving the spinal disks, they get their nutrients, and that’s where the backbends, forward bend, and twists assist.
Repair of cartilage– whenever an individual is practicing Yoga, he or she ensures all joints are in motion hence prevention of arthritis. The theory behind this is that all cartilages are squeezed, and since they are like a sponge, they get new nutrients frequently. If they are neglected, they eventually wear out, exposing the underlying bones.
Bone health– bones are one of the vital parts of a human body, and strengthening them prevents lots of ailments, including osteoporosis. Most of the yoga postures help in strengthening the bone muscles and, in some cases, increases bone density in the vertebrae.
Boosting of immunity– Body immunity is enabled by white blood cells, and when a person does Yoga, body organs move around, increasing the drainage of the lymph, which is rich in immune cells. The lymphatic system can now function fully and dispose of toxic waste as well as destroy cancerous cells.
Increasing blood flow– The relaxation exercises assist in blood circulation as well as pumping of more oxygen into the body cells. Various types of poses, which will be discussed, assist in increasing the blood flow and boosting hemoglobin levels. If someone has leg swellings and heart problems, regular yoga practices can become useful.
Improving heart rate– Certain yoga types are vigorous hence boosts the heart rate into the aerobic range. The theory behind the flow is that during exercise, there is increased endurance, the maximum intake of oxygen, and the resting rate is lowered as well.
Regulations of adrenal glands– Studies have shown that yoga practices lower cortisol levels hence boosts the immune system. The immune system can be affected by so many things, including the kind of lifestyle that many people live. Food intake has also changed, and lots of people are consuming a lot of processed foodstuffs. The popularity of Yoga is also brought about by the increase in body ailments caused by malnutrition.
Healthy lifestyle– Many dieters have the slogan; eat less, move more. Yoga is an advantage to anyone who is trying to stay healthy as it assists in the burning of calories, and moving of every muscle of the body. The spiritual and emotional connection can encourage an individual to become a conscious eater. Yoga also elevates focus as it improves the IQ, memory, and coordination of the body. That ensures a person can make proper decisions regarding life and choose to live happily.
Management of the nervous system– Advanced yogis can control the nervous system and scientists have discovered that they can raise their hands’ temperatures, induce unusual heart rhythms and control their brain functions. If they can do that with Yoga, then it is possible to increase blood flow into the pelvis if one is trying to conceive or induce sleep if one has trouble going to sleep.
Balance– Yoga is all about twisting, moving and controlling the body in such a way that one can gain balance. Yoga can be of help to people who have poor posture or dysfunctional movement patterns. Improved balance can mean lesser falls, especially for the elderly, and this could mean that in the future if all people adopt Yoga in their daily routines, nursing homes will have few clients.
Reliving of tension in the limbs– There are times when the handgrip becomes tight due to chronic tension. Yoga assists in releasing of tension in the body parts which are tight. Moreover, there are some tension in the eyes and tongue. Immune functionality is also enabled by asana and pranayama (types of body postures).
Improving of lungs– Yogis use this practice to take fewer breaths of great volume hence gaining a calming effect. Another benefit of Yoga could be the promotion of smooth breathing.
Improved Digestion– Digestion problems could also be caused by tension in the body muscles. Irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and ulcers are all related to stress in the body. Yoga eases tension leading to easy movement of food through the bowels.
Self-esteem– Yoga boosts self-esteem hence improving the inner peace of a person. There are lots of stresses in the current world due to high living expenses, high crime rates, as well as high population. Lots of stress often lead to a lack of sleep and overworking. If one obtains a positive approach to life and practice yoga, feelings of gratitude, empathy, and belonging manifest, making it easy to adapt life.
Strengthens relationships– Relationships are becoming the main concern in today’s era, and lots of cases have occurred regarding that. Regular practice helps develop friendliness and compassion, which has helped save a lot of relationships. Yoga philosophy emphasizes caring for each other, avoiding harm to others, and always telling the truth.
Self-care and mindfulness – Yoga is known to encourage people to take care of themselves by providing tools to aid in the transition process. Serving others is also known to improve health, and studies show that those who do a lot of volunteering work live a longer life.

It is essential to practice Yoga regularly to get most of the benefit from the exercises. It would be so great to start practicing Yoga in schools and colleges so that it can help the younger generation, especially due to their poor lifestyle. Institutions contain all kinds of lifestyles, from drugs to poor dieting hence the need to incorporate Yoga in daily activities. There are lots of exercises practiced today, but Yoga had proven to be one of the cheapest but very effective. Once someone gets control of their emotions, it becomes easier to have peace of mind.

Yoga equipment and gear

The first item needed for Yoga is a mat. A reasonably thick and soft mat would be great shock absorbers to prevent injury. Additionally, most of the exercises need mats to assist people from falling on the slippery floors. There are certain studios with carpets, but it is advisable to have your mat, and they are readily available in stores at affordable prices.
The second item is a towel that can be used for support on the neck or used to wipe off the sweat.
A blanket can also be useful since some poses require covering, for example, the savasana or if one has difficulty sitting on the floor with legs crossed.
Straps are also used in some of the advanced Yoga hence necessary to include them in the list of the needed items. They are used for stretching and holding during poses. You can find them for around $10, but some classes have them for rent, which may be cheaper.
Blocks and wedges are used to align the body into getting some of the yoga poses. They are usually found in the studios where Yoga is offered, but some prefer getting their own to practice at home. In that case, they can be bought at around $15 per block.
Also, some of the yoga poses one needs to know include chair pose, triangle pose, tree pose, bridge pose, down dog pose, warrior 11 pose as well as downward –facing pose.

Conclusion

Many people have questions about what to expect when attending a yoga class. A typical yoga class goes up to around 60 minutes, at least. Of course, there is always a period of break-in between to allow breathing, warming up, and a relaxation (savasana) at the end. Moreover, beginners might ask the type of clothing to be worn during a workout session. Any kind of clothing which is not too tight – t-shirt, short, leggings or tank tops will work. The feet should be exposed and free to ensure full circulation of blood flow.

Yoga studios are becoming popular; hence it is easy for a beginner to find a place and enroll. Additionally, technology has made it easy to locate a yoga center around you. All one needs to do is search using search engines as well as use yoga finders to find a center near you. Depending on locality, classes cost about $10 for a single session, or someone can sign up for a monthly plan, which tends to cheaper.

Alternatively, some people are too busy and prefer home exercising. If that’s you, it should not stop you from enjoying the benefits of Yoga. You have the option to either stream a live class or watch workout videos in the comfort of your own home. Better yet, you can have family members, including your kids join you for a healthy dose of fun!

The first yoga class is always a bit unnerving since there are chanting and spiritual parts. Before someone becomes used to the breathing exercises, it seems hard, but after a couple of sessions, one gets the hang of it. The primary classes have an instructor who knows the beginners and takes them through all the simple steps as well as keep an eye on them. Yoga is safe for everyone as long as those with preexisting conditions have talked to their doctors before starting the classes. Finally, it is vital to try out any of the yoga classes; after all, nobody has anything to lose. All the best for anyone willing to try out Yoga and change their lives.

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