What is it ?
Yoga is the practice of a set of postures and breathing exercises that aims to bring a physical and mental well being. this ancient art of living as it is explained in the texts is revealed as an initiatory path that transcends physical discipline.
The first references to yoga are found in the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali written about 200 years before our era. In this book we understand the foundation of yoga philosophy and its possible application in all spheres of our lives.
The different types of yoga
There are several styles of yoga and each one focuses on a specific aspect of this practice.
There are dynamic yogas in which the sequence of postures is at the rate of breathing such as ashtanga and vinyasa, in these courses rather physical while softening and strengthening the body, it improves the cardiovascular system.
The Iyengar, which is a more static yoga, focuses on the alignment of the body, here we take the time to dissect each of the asanas, we develop the understanding of our body.
Hatha yoga is a gentle yoga that is easily practiced by older people.
it is important to find the yoga style that suits us best, it depends a lot on our potential.
It is preferable, in order to benefit from the benefits of dynamic yogas, to be in good general health and to have a certain physical condition, otherwise it becomes difficult to keep pace, which generates a risk of injury.
For those who have back problems and who are not athletic we must turn to a less dynamic yoga or we take the time to properly explain postures like Iyengar and hatha.
The benefits of yoga
Today, when we talk about yoga, we mainly talk about the practice of asanas and pranayama, that is, the postures that aim to soften and strengthen the body and the breathing exercises that regulate the flow of vital energy.
Yoga brings a lot of physical benefits including muscle relaxation (yoga postures are varied to stretch all major muscle groups). Some postures help build muscle smoothly, others work rather balance.
With regular practice we can correct posture errors developed throughout our lives which greatly alleviates chronic back problems. A study conducted by Temple University in 2008 showed that Iyengar yoga practice improves balance in women over 65 years old.
Yoga helps reduce stress. During the session the attention is entirely directed to the body and the breathing, we are in "the here and now", which is a form of meditation. A study of the Boston University published in 2010 showed that the yoga was effective in relieving anxiety.
On the carpet one is invited to take the time to listen to the body, the attention is constantly brought back to the breath, one develops its capacity of concentration. For example in balance exercises all our attention is required to maintain posture
Yoga postures to do at home
When practicing at home the best is to do simple postures not to get hurt like for example:
The triangle (trikonasana): stand with your feet together, take a step forward with your right foot, put your right hand on your right ankle and raise your left arm in the sky, try to keep the bust aligned with your right leg . Do the same thing on the other side.
The posture of the child (balasana) which is excellent to relieve the tensions at the level of the lumbar: put on your knees, feet and knees joints then put the forehead on the ground in front and bring back the arms along the body, listen your breathing.
A yoga session in practice
The sessions can be very different from one type of yoga to another. For dynamic yogas, the entire body is warmed up at the beginning of the lesson, with emphasis on the muscular group that the teacher has chosen to work more specifically.
Once heated, we advance in the intensity of practice with the sequence of standing postures and balancing postures. The last part of the course aims to slow the heart rate so that it returns to normal, we then favor the stretching in sitting and lying postures. We close the session with the posture of the dead or "shavasana" which consists of lying on the back and relax all the muscles of the body.
What material to take a yoga class?
The practice of yoga does not require a lot of material just a carpet for comfort, in some styles of yoga including Iyengar we can use "bolster" who are big cousins on which we can rest a part of the body.
The yoga teacher: what is his training?
The yoga teacher must complete a minimum of 200 hours of training which can be completed by 300 hours of training to deepen his knowledge and improve his teaching techniques.
In conclusion, yoga is a way of life and a complete physical activity for the body and mind. The practice of yoga brings real benefits by improving strength and flexibility but also reducing stress and anxiety.
Little history of yoga
Yoga as revealed by Patanjali is a path to Samadhi, the union of the original principle. This path has 8 branches. To advance on the path of yoga one must first of all follow a set of ethical principles that represent the cornerstone of this philosophy: The Yamas and the Nimyamas (do not steal, do not covet, have discipline, study self and sacred texts ...)
Then comes the practice of asanas, which are the postures taught in a yoga class, the asanas soften and strengthen the body and teach us to focus our attention in the present moment.
Once the practice of postures well integrated, we can move on to the third stage which is the harmonization and regulation of breathing: pranayama. Breathing exercises regulate our life force called prana.
the path of the yogi (the one who practices yoga) is then more subtle and includes such notions as abstraction of the senses and meditation always in order to unite with the higher principle and return to unity: samadhi .
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