Delve Into the World of Namaste Yoga

Posted on August 14, 2011 by admin

Namaste yoga often causes confusion. The word seems odd. It is typical however for you to hear your instructor and classmates make use of this “word”. The problem is, its meanings are seldom defined to us to make it clearer.
What is “Namaste”?

Namaste is a Hindi word, which Indians used for salutation. It is a way to say “hello” and “goodbye”. You do not say “na-mas-te”, rather you say “nam-a-stay”. This word is an expression of respect. It is however hard to pinpoint a distinctive meaning of this word in yoga. Therefore, for the sake of argument, here are some of the meanings of this expression:

“A respectful salutation to you.”
“I salute your goodness.”
“My spirit meets your spirit.”
“I bow to you.”
“I respect you.”
“I welcome that place where both of us are one.”
“I salute the light of God in you.”
“I bend to the godly in you.”
“I am aware that we are all the same.”
“I recognize that our body is where divinity dwells.”
“The whole universe resides within you.”

The Namaste yoga recognizes that we have all a divine spark that resides in our heart. The gesture acknowledges that the soul in one person is the soul in another. If you attend a yoga class, you will realize that you perform this gesture during the beginning and end of yoga. The teacher will make use of this gesture as his expression of gratitude.

In the eastern religion, the Namaste yoga is another word for Anjali Mudra. A hand gesture wherein one hand signifies the worldly self and the other is the spiritual nature. The goal of Namaste is to let you cross the gap that separates the two worlds. Learning how to do Namaste yoga is easy. All you need to do is to bring both your hands together. Your palms must touch each other. Your hands should be at the chest, above the head, and below the chin. Close your eyes while you bow your head.

In most yoga practice, you can perform the gesture together with the phrase “Namaste”. However, in India, the case is different. You do the gesture without pronouncing the phrase because the gesture is so clear that no verbal words are necessary. In Japan, the Japanese call Namaste yoga as “gasho” while the Thai calls this as “wai”.

Now that you understand the facts behind this yoga gesture, you should practice it according to its meaning next time you are in your yoga class. Make use of this sacred technique called Namaste yoga so you can fully develop your spiritual and physical wellbeing.

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The Principle Behind Pure Yoga

Posted on August 11, 2011 by admin

Pure Yoga is currently the industry leader within the fitness world. It gives a wide range of benefits—for both the mind and body. The benefits that you can reap out of this workout are overwhelming. However, with the hype going around, some people failed to realize the true essence of yoga.

People nowadays are looking into yoga as just another way to lose weight. Some even join yoga in order to get close to other famous personalities who do it. The truth is, there is a deeper meaning behind yoga. Each move you do will increase your level of spirituality. It will cleanse emotional worries. You get inner peace and happiness through its movements. Therefore, if you like to work on this workout, you need to understand what pure yoga is about.

The first principle of yoga is about proper exercise. This is the principle that works for your physical health. As you see, the movements you do in this workout will involve different parts of the body. Each part will work hand in hand for the entire goodness of the whole. Therefore, when you do each yoga pose, you are doing a good deed for all your body parts, which result to stronger bones and muscles.

The next principle of pure yoga is the proper breathing technique. This is the principle that works to cleanse your mind. Pranayama will help regulate the flow of prana, which is a term for “life force’. The movements will calm your mind, and give you the focus you need. In the end, you will also experience an improvement of energy.

Another principle is Shavasana, which is about proper relaxation. This is the principle that rejuvenates your system so you can achieve the inner peace that you need. This is one of the best techniques in yoga. In fact, many stress managements methods derive their techniques from this principle.

Sattvic, which is a principle in pure yoga that talks about proper diet, focuses on the proper eating habit of people. This calls for a purely vegetarian diet in order to purify the mind and body, including the spirit. Through the help of proper diet, you can get the best health that you can get for your mind, body, and spiritual needs.

Dhaya, which is another term for meditation, is a principle of pure yoga that proves to be the most important. Regular practice of this will condition the mind to think positively all the times. Your mind will be able to control every situation.

Now that you know the principle of yoga, you will be able to appreciate how significant it is in our lives. The help it brings can be the reasons why other religions actually consider yoga as part of their beliefs. So next time you practice it, do not just think about the physical changes it can do to you. Rather, look at the overall change pure yoga can do to your life.

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The Best Yoga Moves to Lose Weight

Posted on August 8, 2011 by admin

Yoga is among the most effective kinds of fitness exercise today. In fact, thousands of people have trusted it, not just to get emotional health benefit but to lose weight too. However, the question is, can yoga really bring you into the shape you want? If it is true, what is the best yoga move that can help you trim down your weight?

Through yoga exercises, it is hundred percent true that there are many benefits that you will get from it. It can improve one’s flexibility through stretching routines and strengthen one’s muscles through the so-called power routines. However, if you want to know how to lose weight, take note that this is also possible.

Here are few of the best yoga moves for your weight loss goal.

Extended Side Angle and Reverse Warrior Routines

This move helps yoga practitioners build up lower body muscle, tighten core, and stretch the entire body. To do this, get on your yoga mat. Position your right foot in front of your left foot. After you do this, turn your right toes toward the front of the mat as you angle your left outward.

Slowly get your knees bended by about 90 degrees. Your knee, ankle, and thigh placed parallel to the floor. Lean your torso to the right. Rest your right elbow slowly on your bent knee. Lift and extend your arms over your head. Hold the extended side angle and bring the torso in an upright position. Slide your left arm downward to the left leg. While doing a deep right knee bend, lean into a backbend while extending the right arm overhead. You should do a warrior pose now. Continue with this move for more rounds, and go repeat the process.

Downward Dog, Cobra and Chaturanga

To increase your leg, back and shoulder strength, portray the downward dog routine coupled with cobra and chaturanga pose. You can do this routine by lifting your hips skyward, while pressing your hands into the mat. Place your chest towards the thigh. Work in a dog position while you lower your hips until you straightened your body and your hands are directly beneath your shoulders.

Slowly proceed into the chaturanga move. Hover your body few inches from the floor. Put feet flat on the floor. Push up with your arms to get a backbend. From the cobra pose, get your body lowered on the floor again and start rolling over your toes as you move back to downward dog. For several times, repeat each process and get to know how long you can hold each pose.

Doing these yoga moves repeatedly and consistently will surely help shed lot of fats. However, be reminded that these moves can do nothing, once not coupled with improper nutrition. So eat rightly to make the most out of these yoga moves.

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The Healing Effects of Laughter Yoga

Posted on August 5, 2011 by admin

One of the best medicines for wellness is laughter. Various studies have proven the therapeutic power of laughter when it comes to individuals’ overall health—physical, mental or emotional. It alleviates physical pain, relieves depression and stress, and controls even the most adverse emotion. Laughter too is the basis of laughter yoga.

Today, one can effectively put laughter as a fitness routine through laughter yoga. Numbers of people around the globe have made this routine a part of their fitness activity due to countless effects and instant benefits this yoga exercise can offer.

Weak Immune System

Do you know that one minute of laughing can bring out body chemicals that are great for your immune system? Studies have proven that regular practice of laughter yoga can strongly boost one’s immune system. This is because through laughter, disease-destroying antibodies present in the body increases. Meaning, once you get to practice this yoga exercise, you will definitely get a more balanced immune system function.

Pain

Research has also shown that laughter yoga practitioners can instantly be relieved from both physical and emotional pain. This is because laughter triggers endorphin release in the bloodstream providing about two hours of instant pain relief from headache, surgical pain, muscular pain and the like. When it comes to emotional, yoga helps you cope with life challenges and depression easily.

Mobility and Circulation

Another good thing about laughter yoga is that regular practice boosts circulation and oxygen supply to the brain and body. This is true because during your laughter session, you are creating a deep diaphragmatic breathing, which massages your mid body. In short, this routine is one effective and healthy kind of physical exercise too for it takes body movements as well.

Emotional Well-being

There are no more painful, sad, and boring moments with laughter yoga. Once you get this into your everyday routine, you will always feel good. This is because you release painful emotions through the painless mechanism of catharsis. When you laugh, it makes you feel better and happier. Hence, tension, pain, stress and resentment are everything you can get from this yoga exercise. In addition, it gives individuals better insights too.

Add to these, laughter increases heart rate and blood pressure too. It can also help us prevent diabetes, arthritis, asthma, and other respiratory related illnesses or even help fight and prevent cancer to some extent. Take note, laughter yoga can prevent all these problems at no cost at all.

Overall, laughter yoga is nothing but the best fitness routine you can ever go for these days. It heals body and mind in the most inexpensive, healthiest, and most effortless way. So why invest and waste your cash on expensive and time-consuming fitness routines out there? You can find peace, happiness, and wellness with this very powerful laughter yoga.

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How Yoga Works To Relieve Menstrual Discomfort

Posted on March 7, 2011 by admin

Finding Comfort In Doing Yoga

Yoga works during the time of the month when all you want is to crumble beside the corner of your bed because of menstrual pain. Yoga has always been famed to cure different types of ailment known to human race. Some of the poses are easy to learn while some requires you to summon heaven and earth to help you. Never feel discouraged though because once correctly done, yoga works great wonders.

Some yoga postures to relieve menstrual pain are better done while standing like Trikonasana or the Triangle posture. This kind of yoga is really good to increase blood flow into your lower abdomen and it even works to massage the reproductive organ to eradicate the causes of malfunction and pain. Also, let it be known that there are other yoga postures for menstrual cramp that are done in a bending position.

If you are better in doing yoga in a sitting position then try Bhada Konasana and the Malasana. These are the tricks to effectively relax muscles at the lower back. They also work effectively to tone the muscles at your lower abdomen. This is the reason why they work amazingly to relieve menstrual spasms and menstrual cramps brought about by your period.

With the many choices you are given with, choose the discipline that you could practice depending on your capability. Soon enough, you will experience a relief in menstrual pain and you will be able to affirm to yourself that indeed, yoga works.

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