If you think yoga is all about bending and twisting the body then I would say that it is time to rethink it. Yes, it is not only about the poses or swirling around, it nurtures your body, soul, and mind.


Contents - 

  • What is Yoga ?
  • Understanding Yoga
  • History of Yoga
  • Benefits of Yoga
  • Yoga for Mental Health
  • Yoga Asanas 
  • Yoga for Kids 
  • Hatha Yoga


What is Yoga ?

Precise translation to Sanskrit says as “yoke” which means joining of two things and for our general understanding we refer to it as joining of the mind and spirit. According to rishi, yoga is used to control and rearrange the changes in our mind through correcting our breathing patterns, practicing various postures, and meditating. Practicing yoga as a habit by letting ourselves hold attention and awareness to our body, mind, and spirit will help us achieve mental stability and train us to be emotionally calm. Yoga isn’t an easy task, it requires ages of learning and focused practice to master it and the one that understands the deep impact of it can truly experience its benefits. 

Yoga is classified into different types termed as bhakti yoga, raja yoga, jnana yoga, karma yoga, hatha yoga, and tantra yoga. each type has its unique way of results with benefits. Bhakti yoga defines devotion and this type of yoga focus on devoted love toward a chosen deity, Raja yoga refers to royal or kings imply being the best results from yoga, Jnana yoga means wisdom, and this type focuses only mainly on personal development i.e. understanding the deep links between our body, mind, and spirit. Karma yoga is all about the yoga of action which teaches us to quit the expectation over the consequences and helps us understand the importance of the moment. Hatha yoga is the yoga of force, as the name suggests it’s mainly practiced balancing the energies of the sun and moon within us in the form of experimentation. Tantra yoga is all about exploring the sensations and energies flowing through the body and mind, according to resources available no one shouldn’t seek to practice it without a guru as no guided tantric text can give accurate knowledge.

Understanding Yoga




Yoga is recognized as an individual classification of Indigenous System of Medicine. Yoga is a spiritual discipline which helps a person to establish balance between one’s body, mind and soul. The word ‘yoga’ derived from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’ which means ‘to unite’ or ‘to join.’ 

Many think that it is a set of exercises done by adults or elder people whereas it is can be done by children as well. It does not have any boundaries or extent unlike other types of sports or training to be fit.

These days it is suggested that mothers-to-be must keep themselves fit and healthy during their period of pregnancy. Then choosing yoga would be the appropriate one for them to enhance themselves and their little one. It also helps to improve one’s posture, strength, balance as well as flexibility.

As we are in a pandemic it is important to keep one healthy and to be calm. Then doing yoga would be a great option as it helps the individual in managing stress and anxiety.

Overall yoga has also improvised in recent years where one can choose according to his/her choice. Hence yoga that is followed from the ancient time which also prevails to date helps an individual to have a balanced and active lifestyle.

Yoga is a method used to obtain the information, which refers to the balance of the mind, the spirit and the body. Yoga can increase an individual's physical flexibility, coordination, and strength, and, at the same time as you're breathing practices, and meditation to calm and focus the mind, to cultivate a great education. So, we need to take yoga in our day to day routine, healthy life style, because it also provides relief from stress.


History of Yoga




According to vedic philosophy yoga helps our individual consciousness to unite with the universal consciousness, thus leading to ultimate liberation of the soul or ‘moksha’. The practices of yoga started thousand of years ago by saints and yogis in India. Though the practices of yoga had been changed and enriched by different sages and saints over years, Maharishi Patanjali, who compiled different theories and practices related to yoga in his text ‘Yoga Sutras’ is considered as the ‘Father of Yoga.’ 

Tirumalai Krishnamacharya was the first Indian yoga teacher as well as an ayurvedic healer and scholar. He is crowned as “the father of modern yoga”. He is mostly regarded as one of the most influential teachers of the 20th century.The Research traces the development of yoga back 5000 years.

In yoga, the important name of “8 limbs” comes from the Sanskrit words Ashtanga, which refer to 8 limbs of yoga: - 

  1. Yama (attitude towards our nature) 
  2. Niyama (attitude towards ourselves) 
  3. Pranayama (expansion of our breathing power) 
  4. Dharana (increase our concentration power) 
  5. Asana (improve physical posture) 
  6. Pratyahara (withdrawal of our senses) 
  7. Samadhi (complete integration) 
  8. Dhyana(meditation).


Yoga helps each person in a different way. All the systems in the body from the Lymphatic to the digestive to the cardiovascular benefit from doing yoga. People who practice eye yoga are hoping to improve their vision power. It is considered that as a spiritual act that makes people aware of themselves. Body more flexible after consisting doing yoga also develop discipline and awareness.

 

Benefits of Yoga



Yoga is the best method to connect nature by mind and the human body. It connects nature by balancing the human body. It also a type of exercise in which perform through the body and needs to control overeating, breathing, physically, etc. Yoga is the perfect synchronisation between the mind and the body.

Yoga promotes health in a holistic manner working in different dimensions of health- physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga helps in strengthening different systems of our body and helps to prevent different disorders. Today yoga has become a very important practice in the domain of health and fitness spreading it’s roots to international levels. Athletes and common people in many countries are coming forward to take up yoga as a part of their life. Yoga today has become a part and parcel of our lifestyle and a reason to our happiness. 

Here some benefits of yoga on Physical health listed below :

1. Yoga is a body soothing ancient exercise routine that promotes immunity boost and life durability.

2. Yoga Lower your blood pressure and heart rate.

3. It also helps us to relax both mentally and physically.

4. Yoga is an exceptional and natural tool to reduce stress.

5. Practicing yoga increases your concentration skills.

6. Yoga helps in the all-around development of our body.


Let’s also look at some of the benefits of yoga on mental health :

1. Yoga relieves depression:

Yoga helps to improve the release of serotonin in the body - a hormone that regulates mood. 

2. It reduces anxiety and stress levels

Yoga helps reduce anxiety and stress symptoms. 

3. Yoga helps to improve focus:

During yoga, our body and mind have to stay in a specific position for a certain period and focus on a balanced balance. 

4. It improves memory:

It occasionally reduces the “brain fog” that blends into our memory and helps us remember better.


What to Focus on?

  • Breathing: -

Focusing on your breath is a vital phase of yoga. Your instructor might also provide coaching on respiration exercising at some point in the class.

  • Poses: -

Yoga poses, or postures, are a collection of moves that assist improve strength, flexibility, and balance. They vary in the challenge from mendacity flat on the ground to challenging balancing poses.

  • Meditation: -

Yoga instructions commonly cease with a quick length of meditation. This quiets your thinking and helps you relax.


Yoga for Mental Health :

Yoga is an exercise that connects the body, breath, and mind. It makes use of bodily postures, respiratory exercises, and meditation to enhance usual health. Yoga was once developed as a religious exercise lots of years ago. Today, most Westerners do yoga for exercising or to minimize stress.

1. Anjaneyasana :


Anjaneyasana benefits - calms our mind and improves our blood circulation to the brain resulting in a lot less stress and anxiety.

How to perform Anjaneyasana:

  • Lunge pose with one leg in front of the plane and bend the knee while standing straight on the yoga mat.
  • Extend the back of the front leg to ensure that the left leg aligned with the knee of the same ankle.
  • Gently move your arms and extend them towards the sky as you connect your hands.
  • Be sure to inhale and exhale deeply as your arms stretch movement. Repeat the movement at least five times.


2. Garudasana:

Garudasana benefits - focuses on your breathing movements as well as finding balance in the body. This yoga position not only helps to prevent panic attacks due to anxiety but also helps to get more precise focus.

How to perform Garudasana:

  • Stand on straight yoga mats and focus on breathing in a rhythmic movement.
  • Gradually transfer your body weight from both legs to your dominant leg.
  • Slowly wrap the other leg around your dominant leg like a bird.
  • Sink your buttocks and slowly lower yourself until you reach knee level.


3. Natarajasana:


Natarajasana benefits - helps us maintain more peace and balance in your mind as you move.

How to perform Natarajasana:

  • Stand firmly on the ground and raise one leg using the hand in the same direction, grasping the ankle and bend the knee backward
  • Extend the friend hand (opposite direction) in front of you with a stable posture
  • Exhale and breathe every five times deeply before using the other bandage


4. Virabhadrasana:


Virabhadrasna benefits - It helps to improve memory and increasing focus.

How to perform Virabhadrasana:

  • Spread your legs as far as possible on your perpendicular axis.
  • Turn your ankles towards the scene in front of you
  • Bend at a right angle to your front
  • Extend both arms towards the face and take a deep breath.


Yoga for Kids:

Kids spend most of their time jogging between homework and extracurricular activities related to school. They face over-stimulation; Disruption; And academic and peer pressure is very early in life. Their insecurities and fears also plague them. Yoga can help children cope in this stress-cooker environment. , builds strength and confidence in their personalities. Yoga develops body, mind, and breathing awareness. It helps to overcome negative sensations like violence, fear, and anger. Exercises various muscles of the body, strengthens, and prolongs. Some yoga asanas that are beneficial for kids -

Sarvangasana Benefits :

1. Provides nutrition by increasing blood flow to the brain.

2. Strengthen the arms and legs.


Virabhadrasana Benefits :

1. Arm and leg muscle tone.

2. Helps to improve the balance of the body.

3. Increases stamina.


Vikshasana Benefits :

1. Tones the arms and legs, enabling children to enjoy physical activities.

2. Help strengthen the back, thereby increasing the height.

3. Increase concentration, strength, and focus, indeed a great help with homework.

4. Increases mind-body balance.


Surya Namaskar Benefits :

1. Relax the nervous system. It helps to overcome problems like fear on stage.

2. Increases leg and hip flexibility. Improves speed.

3. Strengthens the back muscles. It also increases flexibility when playing. Assists in posture at the study table. Improves memory.

4. The overall good that comes from saluting the sun cannot be inferred.


Dhanurasana Benefits :

1. Strengthens arm and leg muscles.

2. Makes the back strong and flexible.

3. Helps to relieve stress and fatigue.


Hatha Asana:

Hand yoga is an ancient Tantric method designed exclusively for physical exercises designed to increase kundalini strength. All physical postures, including Shivananda, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Kripalu, Jivamukti, Iyengar, Shakti Yoga, are derived from the teachings of Hath Yoga. The primary purpose of Hatha Yoga is to bring deep relaxation and balance to the body so that the Yogi can meditate. There are four stages to this process:

  • Asanas | Posture
  • Pranayama | Breathing exercises
  • Mudra / Bandhas Body lock
  • Samadhi Deep meditation


1. Swastikasana:


Swastikasana is a cross-legged meditative position where the legs mimic the swastika symbol below the thighs on both sides. It's the first physical posture described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika.

The toes of both feet are spaced between the calf and the thigh. Adjust the position so that the ankles do not vibrate against each other. A folding blanket can be placed under the poncho to improve the seat. This makes it easier to bring the toes down on the opposite thigh. The spine has to be straight, so nervous tendencies can travel freely to the brain.

2. Veerasana:

There are two strategies for breaking this. In the first option, one leg should be bent in such a way that we are sitting on the big toe (like a thunderbolt). The other leg can be placed on the opposite thigh (half a lotus position) with the knees wide and the hands in a meditative posture


3. Gomukhasana:


The Gomukhasana tradition is traditionally done by locking the fingers of both hands behind the back. However, the positions of the hand yoga lamp do not specifically mention the role of the hand. Usually, in Gomukhasana, the hand is held behind the back, which is called Infinite Formation.


4. Kurmasana:

It should only be practiced if we feel very comfortable in the position of Padma (discussed below). Once in the lotus position, slide the arms through the back gap of the legs as much as possible. Lean forward and lift the palate upwards. The hips are closed in groups, and the palms should be pointed along with the fingers firmly wide. The weight of both hands should be evenly balanced and should be lifted while breathing.