What is yoga?

YOGA is a combination of science and philosophy...certainly not a religion. It has a great influence on and elevates spirituality irrespective of our religion. Once we start practicing yoga we can realize that it is neither religious, nor unattainably 'Eastern'. 

Yoga stands for 'oneness', union with our own 'self'. Due to ignorance, we are always divided from our 'self'. This is a journey of consciousness, that takes us to meet our true 'self'.

Most of the people think of only asanas and meditation as yoga. Yoga, in essence is a life style.The style that changes our life. There are eight disciplines under a yogic life style, which is called 'ASHTANGA' in Sanskrit. 

Yama -  dont's or self control

Niyama - do's or self-restraints

Asanas - yogic postures or exercises

Pranayama - yogic breath culture

Prathyahara - with drawl of senses from external objects or the outer world

Dharana - steadying the mind

Dhayana - meditating or concentrating on one object

Samadhi - total abstraction or attainment of higher self

The complete yogic discipline helps us to withdraw from the attractions and distractions of worldly life and realize the greatest version of our'self'.

It is true that the first practitioners of yoga were the saints and recluses. They realized the importance of a state of perfect and healthy psychosomatic harmony as a prerequisite to the successful pursuit of any important goal, be it spiritual or materialistic. Hence they imparted the knowledge of yoga to all men and women.

It is a proven and demonstrated fact that normal men and women, while giving full and effective attention to their work routine and family life, can adopt the practice of yoga. And welcome a great deal of physical and mental benefit to themselves and their family, improving and excelling in all aspects of their lives. It can be utilized with equal efficiency to fulfil objectives other than ascetic too. Hence it is not a compulsion but a free choice...

Why do we need to exercise?

I can hear a lots of people saying that they don't have time to exercise. It often makes me wonder on how they are not able to spend some time for themselves... and only themselves. It is we who have to do it, no one else can do it for us.

No gift is greater than the gift of knowledge. The knowledge of practice of yoga is perhaps the greatest of them all. It is not at all difficult to acquire at the level you and I can practice. Once we have this knowledge we will not find it a bed of nails, but a bed of roses, a source of radiant joy and of scintillating health.

First of all, we need to be ready for changes and accept them in our life. Sticking on to our old belief system will not help us realize our higher self. 

Now I'm going to reveal the greatest secret about the importance of exercising...

  The real reason behind why we need to exercise is that it helps us erase the bad imprints in our genes. As we all know, we have in our genes, the imprints of all the living beings, that with a single sense (touch) like plants, two senses (touch and taste) like worms, three senses (touch, taste and smell) like ants, four senses (touch, taste, smell and sight) like snake, five senses (touch, taste, smell,sight and hearing) like elephant. Man evolved with all five senses and additionally with the reasoning capacity as the sixth sense. If we note carefully, we can find that we have in our genes the characteristics of all the organisms and depending upon the environment and the situation, one character shows up. We are sometimes calm like an elephant, sometimes ferocious like a tiger, sometimes cunning like a fox, sometimes creepy like a snake and so on. We do deeds driven by the imprints in our cells. The more the bad imprints, the more we do bad deeds. 

  We are repeatedly and unconsciously recording bad imprints in our cells through our bad actions. What are bad actions? all the actions that are carried out in an emotional state, causing physical or mental pain to others and ourselves either in the present or future are bad. They create bad imprints in our cells and the imprints prompt the actions when the situation comes. Even when we think of changing them, we are not succeeding, because they are rooted deep into each and every cell of our body. In a particular situation, the cells prompt us to carry out the kind of actions that we are used to. For example, if you are used to take a coffee right in the morning as you wake up from the bed, every morning your cells will prompt you to take coffee immediately after waking up. Similarly if you are used to bang up on somebody when they go wrong, you will be triggered by even a small mistake committed by them. 

   Bad imprints affect our physical and mental well being. The body gets various diseases and the mind is always distracted. Not only that, they are also transferred to the children through the genes, the children start with a bad credit. 

  Exercise brings in a positive rhythm in the cells and the body is rejuvenated. By being consistent, slowly we can get rid of all the bad imprints in the cells. Then the body comes under the control of mind. Diseases are cured and prevented. 

Relaxation

Relaxing after exercising is as important as exercising. While exercising, our body is heated up. Hence it is very important that we relax lying down simply with the eyes closed and cool down our body. While doing this, we have to imagine each and part of the body, from toes to head and feel that they are relaxed. We can even sleep for sometime if we feel like. 

Relaxation pacifies the entire body and helps us swing into the normal chores after exercising.

Acupressure

                                     

In this step, we touch the specific acupressure points on the body to stimulate them and equalize the short circuiting of the energy flow through various channels (called meridians in acupuncture). 

• This is a very good preventive exercise for blood pressure and heart attack.
• As the energy flow is regulated, pain in the body parts is relieved. Pain is nothing but a short circuit of energy in the channels carrying energy in the form of electrical pulses to the parts of our body. So pain is felt in the place where there is a short circuit. If this short circuiting is not treated and it is prolonged, ends up in a disease in that part.
• This also helps in reducing the stress and strain in the nervous system.
• Helps cure insomnia. Promotes good sleep.

Massage

                     
                   

In this part of the exercise we are massaging the stomach area, breasts, ears, temples and the face.

By massaging, we are actually regulating the distribution of bio magnetic energy through the parts. As we know, availability of bio magnetic energy is the key to proper functioning of the body parts.

• As we massage the stomach area, all the internal organs like stomach, liver, small intestine are stimulated and this helps in proper digestion of food we intake.
• Massaging around the breasts ensures that the bio magnetic energy is equally distributed throughout and there is no fat accumulation around them, preventing breast cancer.
• Massaging the ears and their peripheries cures hearing impairments. And as per auriculotherapy, this is equivalent to massaging all the internal organs. because there are acupressure points of all the organ channels on the peripheries of the ears.
• Massaging the face upwards and downwards stimulates blood flow throughout the face and helps it glowing. 

Benefits continued

                                                   

EYE EXERCISE:

• As the eyes are rotated in all directions, the tissues around the pupils are well activated. This corrects the shape of the lens, maintains it circular.
• Eye glasses can be removed on regular practice. Prevents rise in power.
• Prevents eye diseases, eye pain and irritation.

KABALAPATHI:

• Cures Sinusitis and Eosinophilia
• Expels dust from lungs, wind pipe and nostrils.
• Oxygenates brain cells. Helps improving memory power.
• Keeps the body active and energetic.

Note: People suffering from heart diseases, Hernia, Blood Pressure should take master's advice before practicing this posture.

MAKARASANA (PRONE AND SUPINE):

• Exercises all the spinal nerves (central and autonomous) and the muscles in our back. Hence aging is slowed down.
• Regulates all the endocrine glands.
• Controls and cures diabetes, nervous tension, blood pressure, sciatica, back pain, cervical pain.
• Helps burn fat in the body. Hence reduces weight. Muscles are strengthened
• Reduces belly.
• Cures menstrual problems. Eases delivery. 
• Cures impotence.
• Entire body is refreshed and helps remaining active throughout the day.

Note: Pregnant ladies should not practice all the supine postures of makarasana.

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Benefits...posture wise

        

  

If we tilt a bottle containing a liquid thoroughly, the contents get distributed evenly throughout the bottle. Likewise, by moving the parts of our body in all possible directions, we distribute blood flow evenly throughout our body. Hence heat circulation, air circulation and bio magnetic energy circulation in the body is regulated. 

Note that we get pain or disease in a particular part of our body only if any of these three circulations is confused (more or less) or ceased.

HAND EXERCISE:

• Hands and shoulders are strengthened. Their rarely used muscles and joints are exercised.
• Trembling of limbs, joint pain, numbness, arthritis are cured.
• The functionality of lungs is improved greatly.
• Brain cells, its glands and nervous system are activated.

LEG EXERCISE:

• Legs are strengthened.
• Blood circulation in stomach and abdomen is regulated.
• Sciatica, rheumatoid arthritis, joint pain, numbness are cured.
• The meridians that carry energy to all the organs end up in our feet and hands. By massaging the pressure points in the feet, we activate the nerves of all the important internal organs like heart, lungs, stomach, pancreas, spleen, intestines, liver, kidneys, sexual organs and glands, head region, brain, spinal cord etc. 

NEURO MUSCULAR - BREATHING EXERCISES :

• Cures diseases in the nervous system, respiratory system and all muscles.
• Activates lower abdominal region and its internal organs. Helps reduce fat in those areas.
• All the air sacks in the lungs are activated through systematic full breathing. Hence cells throughout the body get oxygenated.
• Cures asthma, bronchitis, allergies, sinusitis, laziness, headaches, insomnia.
• Relieves psychic diseases and Epilepsy.
• Improves memory power, grasping power, alertness.
• Orderliness becomes a habit.

Note: Pregnant ladies should avoid neuro muscular postures.