Yoga is an ancient Indian form of exercise that helps improve health and fitness. It is also traditionally viewed as a set of spiritual or philosophical exercises that leads a person to greater self-awareness and internal peace. In India and in many parts of Asia, yoga is used as a means to attain spiritual enlightenment. The word yoga in original Sanskrit language means to control, to join, or to unite. There are different types or schools of yoga such as Karma Yoga (Yoga of Action), Bhakti Yoga (Yoga of Devotion), and Jnana Yoga (Yoga of Knowledge), and Hatha Yoga. Each school of yoga emphasizes a different aspect of the ancient art.
As a means of meditation, yoga can help an individual increase concentration and heighten the functions of the senses through various body postures and breathing techniques. The various body postures called ?asanas? stretch the limbs and the torso. The stretching helps relax the muscles and increase dexterity. These movements are accompanied by deep, controlled breathing called ?pranayana.? The term pranayama comes from the root word ?prana? which means breath or ?life force.?
As a spiritual discipline, yoga prescribes certain beliefs, thoughts, and behavior that should be practiced everyday. Another form of yoga called Raja Yoga prescribes eight major philosophical thoughts and practices, namely:
1.Yama - Abstention from lying, stealing, violence, illicit sex, and materialism. 2.Niyama - Observance of contentment, purity, austerity, study, and surrender to God. 3.Asana - Regular practice of meditative postures. 4.Pranayama - Controlled breathing as a means to generate internal energy. 5.Pratyahara - Exercise and ?reversal? of the internal body organs. 6.Dharana - Practice of concentration by focusing on a single object. 7.Dhyana - Practice of meditation. 8.Samadhi ? The ?merging? of one's consciousness with the object of meditation.
However, in the West, yoga is very popular as a means to reduce stress and anxiety and depression. Practitioners of the art claim that yoga practice helps alleviate lower back pain, migraine headaches, symptoms of arthritis and other ailments. Certain movements and poses also help relieve symptoms of allergic rhinitis and other allergies.
As a form of stress management, many find yoga to be very effective and easy to learn. The breathing patterns allow a person to regain a sense of relaxation while flexing and sweating out the body's toxins. In using yoga to manage stress, a new practitioner must be careful not to overstretch or strain the body. The key to yoga is to do slow, smooth movements in close coordination with breathing. Of course, there are different levels of yoga practice. Since the advanced postures require full dexterity, beginners are only supposed to follow or learn the basic movements.
Some of the celebrities who practice yoga include Madonna, Ricky Martin, Meg Ryan, and Sting. These celebrities were able to maintain a high level of fitness while sculpting their bodies in ?Hollywood? form.
In a world that is so full of pressure, fast-paced work, and other factors that adversely affect physical, mental, and emotional well-being, the practice of yoga should be considered as a simple, inexpensive form of physical training and therapy.
Here are some of the ways that are important for health and fitness and you should use to start to achieve a healthier lifestyle.
Do not smoke: smoking can lead to serious health problems and diseases, if you do not have the habit of smoking, good for you.Do not try to start as you will only get addicted with the cigarettes and it will be harder to quit when that happens. It is not true that you can smoke and quit when you want to. Once you become addicted to it, there is hard and more difficult to quit. If you are already part of those people who damage their lungs everyday, the best way is to make a commitment to quit. By doing this, you are already half a way to recovery. Make sure that you are serious with your plans and you are not just doing it for any other reason than your health and fitness.
Healthy eating: The best way you can help keep your body healthy is to eat foods that are more natural and with less chemical content. Avoid eating junk foods like those huge packs of potato chips or binge on candies. Eat fruits instead of cookies or candy or fat cakes. You should also make it a point to eat more fruits, salad and vegetables with your intake of meats. Try to eat more starchy foods such as rice, bread, pasta, potatoes. This does not mean that you should forget to eat meat. You should still eat meat, just remember fish and chicken meat is better than red meat. The protein inside meat is important for some of the basic processes of the body. You can also take your protein needs with eating beans with dark bread, or grain rice. These kind of foods will help you with your health and fitness.
Physical Activity: Try to make an exercise routine every day. You can schedule it every day when you wake up in the morning or do it in afternoon when you are free from your job. Whichever schedule you choose, make sure that you keep it to 30 minutes or longer about an hour. That way, you exercise your muscles and avoid muscle pains. Exercise will also strengthen your bones and your body, promote better breathing and cellular activities, clear the brain and of course keep those extra calories out of the body and you will help your health and fitness more. Thus, even if you eat a lot, you are not storing those fats and carbohydrates. You are expending them through your workout routine. You can also do these activities 2-3 times a week: Cycling, Football, Gym, Running/Jogging, Racket Sports, Swimming, Walking/Rambling and Yoga. Remember to drink lots of water, Skip the soda and even the iced tea as much as you can, drink water which is the safest and healthiest drink you can find. Sodas even the diet ones, are carbonated and contain high amounts of sugar and carbohydrates which can later be translated into fats. With use of the recommendation above, will you soon get better condition, your body become healthier, and you will be happier.
Both Cathy & Delmondo Sorell are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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