Yogacharya B.K.S.Iyengar (Guruji) is a living legend who has taught yoga in a unique way to all his students. B. K. S. Iyengar introduced Iyengar Yoga, a form of Hatha Yoga known for its use of props, such as belts, blocks, and blankets, as aids in performing asanas (postures). Iyengar Yoga is firmly on the traditional eight limbs of yoga as expounded by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras, which includes yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.
Yoga is all the rage for its combined physical and mental benefits, as well as the fact that so many of us look downright sexy in those groovy yoga pants and bare, recently pedicure feet.
Hatha Yoga is the most commonly practiced form, and it's ideal for beginners, focusing as it does on slow stretching and simple poses. Like all fitness trends, more intense forms of Yoga are the ones you hearing people talking about—Iyangar, Vinyasa, Tantric and Hot Yoga are in vogue with the same people who were all about Pilates a couple of years ago. If you're looking to increase your strength, balance and flexibility in a calm atmosphere, look for a generic, beginners' Yoga class instead of going with one of the trendier forms: you'll find it satisfying and you'll be less likely to suffer strains.
Some Yoga classes focus on spiritual work with a lessened emphasis on fitness. There may be meditation and chanting. Yoga at the gym or health club will probably be fitness oriented, but if you study at an ashram or another place dedicated to Yoga, you may find the classes more comprehensive.
If you're looking for a more challenging workout and want to shake things up a bit, you may want to try Iyangar Yoga, which can be fluid and fast paced. Iyangar is not for the out-of-shape: you'd be surprised at the muscles you can pull if you just jump into an already-moving Iyangar class. While Hatha Yoga doesn't generally use props, Iyangar uses some of the same bands and bricks as Pilates.
There are as many types of Yoga as there are people who teach it. Hot Yoga is especially popular because it's fun to do Yoga in a 95 degree room full of sweating students. Okay, that doesn't sound like fun, but people love it because it combines a Yoga workout full of stretching and bending with a room heated to bring waxy flexibility to even fairly stiff muscles and joints. Hot Yoga isn't for everyone—if you have health issues like heart trouble, if you're pregnant or out of shape, you shouldn't attempt Hot Yoga. But if you're in good health and especially if you live in the cold North and want a warm winter workout, Hot Yoga is the way to go.
There are various ways of becoming certified to teach Yoga, so before you join a class, find out about the instructor's educational background. You want a teacher who's been doing Yoga for a long time, and it never hurts if that person also has a degree in something like exercise physiology. Yoga is a specialist sport: your gym shouldn't be training Yoga instructors in 3 or even 6 months: Yoga takes years. And once you've ascertained that your instructor does indeed know her or his stuff, you will still want to look for the hallmarks of a good instructor. Instructors should be happy to answer questions, should provide demonstrations and feedback during class, and should never push you into doing things you aren't ready for. Because Yoga is about stretching and gaining flexibility, people who are in a hurry to get fit may feel impatient. That impatience can lead to injury if you stretch too far, bounce in your stretching or attempt poses that hurt. Don't expect to be able to do it all at first: over time, you'll get stronger and will be able to hold poses longer and take on new challenges in the form of more extreme poses.
The word yoga comes from Sanskrit, the scriptural language of ancient India, and means "to yoke" or "to unite." Dating back to the IndusValley civilization of 2000 to 4000 B.C.E., yoga practices are designed to help the individual feel whole. Ancient yoga texts present teachings that include the physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions of the practitioner. The physical aspects of yoga--poses (asana) and breathing techniques (pranayama) are the most popular in the West.
Restorative Yoga poses help relieve the effects of chronic stress in several ways.
1. The use of props as described in this book provides a completely supportive environment for total relaxation.
2. Each restorative sequence is designed to move the spine in all directions. These movements illustrate the age-old wisdom of yoga that teaches well-being is enhanced by a healthy spine. Some of the restorative poses are backbends, while others are forward bends. Additional poses gently twist the column both left and right.
3. A well-sequenced restorative practice also includes an inverted pose, which reverses the effects of gravity. This can be as simple as putting the legs on a bolster or pillow, but the effects are quite dramatic. Because we stand or sit most of the day, blood and lymph fluid accumulate in the lower extremities. By changing the relationship of the legs to gravity, fluids are returned to the upper body and heart function is enhanced.
Psychobiologist and yoga teacher Roger Cole, Ph.D., consultant to the University of California, San Diego, in sleep research and biological rhythms, has done preliminary research on the effects of inverted poses. He found that they dramatically alter hormone levels, thus reducing brain arousal, blood pressure, and fluid retention. He attributes these benefits to a slowing of the heart rate and dilation of the blood vessels in the upper body that comes from reversing the effects of gravity.
Fourth, restorative yoga alternately stimulates and soothes the organs. For example, by closing the abdomen with a forward bend and then opening it with a backbend, the abdominal organs are squeezed, forcing the blood out, and then opened, so that fresh blood returns to soak the organs. With this movement of blood comes the enhanced exchange of oxygen and waste products across the cell membrane.
Finally, yoga teaches that the body is permeated with energy. Prana, the masculine energy, resides above the diaphragm, moves upward, and controls respiration and heart rate. Apana, the feminine energy, resides below the diaphragm, moves downward, and controls the function of the abdominal organs. Restorative yoga balances these two aspects of energy so that the practitioner is neither over stimulated nor depleted.
Yoga is a methodical System of physical and mental excellence which requires agreement to certain rules, principle and methodology in order to acquire adequate results. If these rules and principles are not followed correctly it may causes harm and injury to the body. Some of the guidelines for practicing Yoga are as follows.
There is no exact time for doing yoga. But is advised to Yoga in the morning hours, because is always better as you will be free for the rest of the day.
Whatever time you have selected, attach to the same time of practice every day.
Practice yoga regularly and you will not get good results with asymmetrical practice.
Practice only once per day.
Do yoga at least 15 minutes per day, for 5 days a week. You can increase workout time 15 minutes to a maximum of 1 hour.
You have to maintain the place of yoga practice neat, clean and airy. It will give motivation for you.
Practice Yoga with blank stomach in the morning.
Women should not practice yoga during their menstrual periods.
Pregnant women should take care to practice moderately.
If you have taken food, wait for two or more hours before practicing.
Avoid hot and spicy food and try to eat a balanced diet.
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 20 minutes, your rest time is 5 minutes.
Wear clean and light cloth while practicing.
Avoid excessive drinking of coffee, tea, alcohol and drugs.
Try to keep the mind free from anxiety, worries and any strenuous involvement while you are practicing Yoga.
Yoga is a science that has been practiced for thousands of years. It is consists of Ancient Theories, observations and principles about the mind and body connection which is now being proven by modern medicine. Studies show that regular yoga regimen involving a variety of Yoga Postures (Asanas), Yoga Breathing (Pranayama), and Meditation can offer relief for patients suffering from asthma, chronic back pain, arthritis and obsessive compulsive disorder, among other problems.
The most important benefit of yoga is physical and mental therapy. According to medical scientists, yoga therapy is successful because of the balance created in the nervous and endocrine systems which directly influences all the other systems and organs of the body. Yoga acts both as a curative and precautionary therapy. The regular practice yoga helps in getting mental peace, improved concentration powers, a relaxed state of living.
Benefits of Yoga:
It increase Muscle flexibility and joint range of motion increase
Breath-holding time increases
Eye-hand coordination improves
It improves the dexterity skills
Posture improves
Strength and resiliency increase
Yoga increases Endurance and energy levels
Yoga regularizes the weight of our body
Yoga decreases insomnia and increases Immunity
Yoga improves blood circulation in our body and it provides healthier organs, skin, and brain.
Daily Yoga practice decreases blood pressure through better circulation and oxygenation of the body.
Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) increases
EEG - alpha waves increase (theta, delta, and beta waves also increase during various stages of meditation)
EMG activity decreases
Cardiovascular efficiency increases
Respiratory efficiency increases
Gastrointestinal function normalizes
It normalizes the endocrine function
Yoga reduces spinal density and helps overall body alignment to reduce back pain.
Integrated functioning of body parts improves
Yoga has been used for disorders such as addictions, Asthma, Backache, Bronchitis, Cancer, Cold, Constipation, Depression, Emphysema, Eye strain, Flatulence, Headache, Heart Disorders, Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), Indigestion, Insomnia, Menstrual disorders, Migraines, Neurasthenia, Obesity, Premenstrual Tension, Prostate troubles, Rheumatism, Sciatica, Sexual debility etc.
Mental Benefits of Yoga
Yoga has a positive effect on learning efficiency and a better memory.
Through yoga self-acceptance and self-actualization increases
Social adjustment increases
Anxiety and Depression decreases
Regular practice of Yoga can result in better concentration and more motivation.
Well-being increases with yoga practice. The combination of creating a strong mind-body connection, creating a healthy body, and focusing inward can all lead to improvement in your mood.
Yoga reduces anxiety and depression
Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
Depth perception improves
Through Yoga meditation techniques calmness increases
Biochemical Benefits of Yoga
Yoga reduces the Glucose levels in the body
It reduces sodium levels in your body
Yoga promotes a strong lymphatic system and reduces toxins in your body
Yoga reduces cholesterol through increased blood circulation and burning extra fat. It is a great tool to fight against harmful cholesterol levels.
Triglycerides decrease
Yoga helps to regulate and control hormone secretion. An improved endocrine system keeps hormones in balance and promotes better health for you.
Cholinesterase increases
Catecholamine decrease
Hemoglobin increases
Lymphocyte count increases
Yoga increases the level of red blood cells in the body. Red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen through the blood. It decreases white blood cell count
Thyroxin increases
Vitamin C increases
Total serum protein increases. Yoga routine increases the vitamin C in your body. Vitamin C helps boost immunity, helps produce collagen, and is a powerful antioxidant.
Siddha Yoga is a religious path of discipline, of mastering the mind and senses with teachings and practices instilled with grace. The Siddha Yoga was founded by Gurumayi's ancestor and Guru, Swami Muktananda in1970’s.
Siddha Yoga was previously used as a Sanskrit term. The term ‘siddha yoga’ is documented in 1948 by Swami Vishnu Tirtha. The yoga of Kundalini is known as ‘Mahayoga’. It is also sometimes called ‘Siddha Yoga’ because it can be acquired only through the favor of a perfect master (Siddha Guru) without any effort on the part of the initiated.
The teachings of Siddha Yoga are stated in the scriptures like ‘Bhagavad Gita’, ‘Yoga Sutras’ of Patanjali, ‘Bhakti Sutras’, the ‘Mahabharata’, ‘the Ramayana’ etc. The main practices of Siddha Yoga include meditation, chanting, seva, dakshina, satsang and intensives. The form of meditation practiced is the silent focusing on a mantra and on the flow of breath. The mantra used for meditation is ‘Om Namah Shivaya’.
Siddha Yoga is a new religious movement that is based in part on the Hindu spiritual traditions of Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism. It has ashrams and meditation centers in several countries like India, the United States, Australia, Great BritainandJapan.
