Archive for the ‘Yoga Practice And Lifestyle’ Category

Vacationing and Yoga

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Even during our vacationing we are still plagued by stress related factros which can ruin a very promising holiday . Holiday stress is a rather antagonistic expression but it is real and it can cause serious upset. There are countless reasons to get angry during your vacation: sub-standard services, poor weather, high prices, rowdy tourists, pestering insects and on an on. Yoga offers several methods of reducing the effects of such negative elements in the form of meditation, sakshin, pratyahara and pranayama.

Meditation is also a recommended practice when holiday stress factors become active. Meditation helps you relax and get in touch with your feelins on ANY situation. Meditation helps you prepare for any potential stressful situations and is invaluable during and after these obstacles are gone. A detached state of mind that allows you to get a better understanding of the realities around you is referred to as sakshin. Pratyahara is a state of peace obtained by reducing to a minimum all outside interferences. The mind gets calm and relaxed, focusing towards the inside of your own body. By using pranayama you are able to calm yourself in almost any difficult situation by regulating your breathing and thus harmonizing the energies in your body.

Being prepared for any stressful situations is a MUST for a successful holiday. Anticipating a potential problem doesnt mean fretting about it before hand. It means that when the problem does occur you should already have a good understanding of why it happened. You will always get much better results by addressing an issue with a clear and calm head, rather then acting on an impulse.

When a situation occurs try to step out of your body and see yourself in that particular setting. Objectivity is difficult to achieve, especially when it comes to your own self, but it helps to get a neutral perspective on things. Directing an action by the guidelines of an objective mind will prove more successful than jumping in head first into a situation. Concepts like I couldnt help myself should be constantly discouraged from your own vocabulary and thoughts. Take control of your inner self and you will have better control of whats outside your body in the surrounding world. You should first feel you bodys reaction to an outside element and only react afterwards, when a clear judgment dictates what to do. Breathing techniques are of great help when it comes to relaxing an impulsive spirit and bringing calm to a particular event or situation.

You need to interrupt the actions of your subconscious mind before you are able to take control of a situation. Initial responses are hasty and often very hard to avoid, but it is essential that, through practice, you get a constant feeling of control over your reactions. The first reaction to a negative element can be either that of fighting back or that of fleeing. In any of the two cases a considerable amount of tensions fills you body, and it could be days or weeks before you manage to get over this unfortunate event. A calm and balanced response has chances of eliminating any sort of tension before it even gets a chance to start growing.

Remember that most vacations are short and you cant afford to spend a good portion of your stay in a negative mood. After all, you are there to try to recharge your batteries, not to try to waste it on meaningless stress.

Yoga And Nutrition

Wednesday, December 10th, 2008

If you are going to practice yoga you should definitely become familiar with the nutrition aspect of doing so. Generally speaking, the basic principle of nutrition as a yogi is to eat high quality food in small quantities. This may be a big change for you, but soon enough you will see how this goes along with practicing yoga on a regular basis. High quality foods are defined as those that help both mentally and physically without producing excess toxins.

Recommended foods include nuts, fruits, whole grains, and vegetables. Again, this may not sound like a balanced diet but once you learn more about yoga and the best nutrition practices you will realize that there are plenty of options to consider.

Green vegetables are considered the best and include broccoli, spinach, and lettuce. These are thought to have a higher life force than other vegetables, as well as the ability to promote overall well-being.

Fruit is also important from a nutrition point of view as a yogi. Of all foods, fruits have the highest life force and are easily digested. By providing quick energy without toxins it is easy to see why fruits are so popular among those interested in practicing yoga.

What about meat? This is one question that many new yogis ask time after time. You should be cautious of eating meat if you truly want to live this lifestyle. While you do not have to become a vegetarian, it is important to keep meat out of your life for the most part. It is believed that eating meat can result in a lower life force for the person consuming it. To go along with this, meat will increase the level of bodily toxins.

As you can see, practicing yoga can be much more than learning the postures and meditation. It can also dictate the type of diet you follow.

Yoga: A Treatment For Disease?

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008

Many people believe that yoga can treat a wide variety of health issues and diseases. While experts may not agree, it is something to consider if you are suffering from disease that is not responding to traditional treatment. Additionally, if you are not interested in receiving medicine to treat your disease you may want to consider yoga as an alternate therapy.

There are many reasons why it is believed that yoga can treat certain diseases:

  1. Yoga can help to increase flexibility and spine health.
  2. Promotes healthier bodily systems.
  3. Has a positive effect on joints and bone health.

At this point you are probably wondering what types of problems yoga can treat. While there is no set list there are some problems that are thought to respond to yoga. They include: stress, fatigue, constipation, asthma, migraine headaches, insomnia, depression, indigestion, hypertension, hypotension, and arthritis among many others.

The body postures and meditation techniques used during yoga can help to treat many diseases, including those aforementioned.

Even though yoga may be able to help treat these diseases it is important to consider traditional medicine as well. There is no reason that you cannot listen to what a doctor has to say, while also doing yoga on your own to ensure that you are getting the best of both worlds.

If practiced regularly yoga may be able to help you achieve a healthier mind and body. At the very least you should give yoga a chance while keeping a close eye on your progress. You may find out soon enough that this is a great way to help you feel better, both physically and mentally.