Yoga: The Cure For Modern Day Stresses
Yoga is a 3,000-year-old, Hindu discipline of mind and body that became known in
Western society with the hippie generation of the Sixties and early Seventies. Its image as a mystic practice is disappearing as fast as the stressful aspects of the 21st century are appearing. More and more people are turning to yoga not as a spiritual or religious practice but strictly as a means to optimize health and well being.
As an effective method of stress management, yoga is spreading into the business world, the helping professions, nursing and old age homes, and is used in the treatment of alcoholics, hyperactive children and youngsters with learning disabilities. Yoga centers are getting stiff competition from adult education classes of community colleges, boards of education and parks and recreation departments.
The meaning of yoga is union of the body, mind and spirit with truth. There are many kinds of yoga to study, and there can be endless years of practice for the willing student. With the amount of information being shared on the internet these days, anyone can easily get started or advance their practice with ease and low or no cost.
Hatha Yoga is among the most popular forms in the west. It emphasizes the practice of postures, which stretch and strengthen the body, help develop a sense of balance and flexibility, as well as body awareness and mental concentration. All forms of yoga incorporate the practice of proper breathing techniques for relaxation, to rest the mind from its constant chatter, to experience an internal calm, and to energize and purify the body.
As stress levels in society reach new heights, Raja Yoga, the yoga of meditation, is growing in popularity in Western society, while others, such as Krya Yoga, the yoga of cleansing, and Mantra Yoga, the yoga of chanting, not surprisingly, have little appeal for newcomers. With so many variations of yoga available now and developing all the time there is literally a form for any personality type, religious belief or lifestyle.
Stretching and toning, though beneficial, aren't the primary reasons people turn to yoga. Newcomers are hoping that yoga will provide them with a means for handling stress and diffusing tension. The difference between exercise and yoga is that yoga has a meditative quality. Through the combined use of exercise and meditation yoga may be the most effective methods of staying in shape, being healthy and happy and dealing with modern day stress.
A lot of people are exercising for the psychological benefits and trying many of the Eastern activities, like yoga and tai chi. Martial arts such as Kung Fu and Karate are another forms of combined physical fitness and meditation that is growing in popularity. However, since yoga seems to have a calming effect on people it may be more suited to most people.
Yoga techniques work on children as well as adults. When your children are quarreling, ask them to stop what they're doing, raise their arms over their heads, lean forward and breathe deeply to help diffuse their anger. It definitely helps them to cool it. Simple implementation of yoga practices like this are easy to do once you gain even the most basic understanding of yoga. Learn a few breathing techniques and poses and do them everyday for a few weeks and you will be off to an excellent start.
by: Keith Langevin
Yoga Treated As Medicine Yoga: The Science Of The Body, Mind, And Soul Top 10 Yoga Music Cds Of All Time How Is Vitamin D Important In Our Body? Teaching Yoga Students About The Importance Of Sleep Naturopathy Treatment Can Be Quite Effective For Health Benefits Benefits Of Yoga Breathing Exercises . The 8 Physical and Mental Types of Yoga by:Jack Sinclair Yoga - Is Free Online Yoga Safe? by:Mike Mann Different Types Of Yoga Apparel by:Mike Mann Yoga Paths by:Stephen Kreutzer Benefiting From Your Yoga Practice by:Stephen Kreutzer Yoga History 101 by:Stephen Kreutzer