Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 speaks to you in this short lecture about the importance of proper alignment, making adjustments to students, and modifications with props in tree pose.
Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 speaks to you in this short lecture about the importance of proper alignment, making adjustments to students, and modifications with props in tree pose.
By Bhavan Kumar
Although a specialist work shop or yoga teacher training course for arthritis is rare, there is much information available. We know that controlled movement such as traditional asana practice can give pain relief. We also know that too much repetitive motion will cause pain. Therefore, if a student has arthritis, holding asanas are fine, but flowing through them isn’t recommended.
General Information
There are many different types of arthritis. The two major types of arthritis include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms, which affects millions of people around the world. It is the result of premature or natural wear of the joints, causing the cushion between bones, or cartilage, to break down over time. Osteoarthritis can be hereditary, it can come with age, or it can be the result of previous stresses on the major joints. Many athletes suffer from osteoarthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis also affects over a million people in the United States, but it is a bit different than osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, meaning the body begins to attack the joints with chronic inflammation. Over time, this can lead to severe damage or deformation. Along with the swelling and joint pain that is common to all types of arthritic disease, the symptoms of rheumatoid include fatigue, loss of appetite and fever.
All types of arthritic disease can include symptoms such as joint pain and stiffness, swelling, pain, aching joints and difficulty performing certain movements. Regardless of the cause or type of arthritis, yoga can be an effective solution for lessening or even eliminating many symptoms.
The Yogic Solution
Regular yoga practice helps lubricate the joints, allowing them to move more easily and smoothly. Yoga poses increase the blood flow to all areas of the body, allowing the blood to remove toxins. This can benefit anyone suffering from the symptoms of all types of arthritic disease. Yoga also helps improve joints’ range of motion by moving and strengthening them gently on a regular basis. Many sufferers avoid using the affected joints because it hurts. The result of disuse, however, is more stiffness and pain. In order to work through the pain and stiffness, arthritis sufferers must continue to move the joints. Yoga instructors should remind their students to understand one’s pain threshold. Movement (vinyasa) may cause pain, but holding the asana for longer periods (up to 3 or 4 minutes) will give students long-term pain relief. Therefore, students should respect pain, but hold asanas for the best results.
There are many basic yoga poses to choose from, but arthritis sufferers should focus on stretching the joints that give them the most trouble. Some basic exercises and asanas to try include Sukasana, modified leg raises, mild shoulder stretches, linear neck stretching, standing side stretch pose, hand clenching and wrist stretches, ankle rotations and Shavasana. Students should also remember to breathe deeply with each pose. This can reduce the pain of the stretch and help fresh blood keep circulating within the body.
Side Notes for Yoga Teachers
Each student is different. The exact type of arthritis, the level of pain, and the joints affected will often be unique to each person. As always, learn all you can by independent research. To find a specialized yoga teacher training for arthritis isn’t realistic at this time, but we can collect data, which will enable future generations of teachers to help their students, while those who suffer will find relief. The medical industry and yoga can continue to make progress now and in the future.
© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
To see our selection of Yoga teacher training and continuing education courses, please visit the following link.
http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/
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In Part III of Wrist Injuries and Yoga, Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 (Director of Yoga Teacher Training at Aura Wellness Center) speaks to you about activities which increase wrist problems, how some asanas can put pressure on these problems, and the importance of modifications.
By Faye Martins
Practicing yoga is a well known method for releasing stress. Lowering chronically high levels of stress in your life will help you to speed up your metabolism, have more energy, increase the functioning of your immune system and sleep better. Cortisol is one of the main hormones found in the human body that revs the body up under internally or externally stressful situations. It is known as the flight-or-fight hormone. The release of cortisol can give you a quick burst of energy and enhanced mental ability.
However, if your level of cortisol is too high, too much of the time, you will be predisposed to gaining weight, particularly in the abdominal area. High levels of cortisol make you crave calorie dense, salty and sugary foods. Unremitting high levels of cortisol also lower the functioning of your immune system, raise your blood pressure, increase a predisposition towards heart disease and overtax your adrenal glands, which may lead to fatigue, irritability and depression. Yoga practice can help one shift away from unhealthy lifestyle.
The satiety hormone, leptin, also directly affects the functioning of your metabolism. Leptin acts on leptin receptors in the hypothalamus to give you a feeling of fullness after you have eaten. Leptin helps the body to regulate appetite, caloric intake and energy output. Leptin and cortisol are intricately connected in the human body. A rise in cortisol levels actually potentiates a rise in the release of leptin. However, if leptin levels are too high, too much of the time from overeating and/or stress, the body becomes inured to its signal of satiety. In other words, the brakes may no longer work as well! Both leptin and cortisol affect the release of each other. Chronically high levels of leptin are associated with cardiovascular disease, obesity, chronic inflammation and metabolic syndrome.
Leptin also affects how much fat your cells store and your subjective experience of hunger and fullness. Leptin affects the HPA axis that helps your body to handle stress. When your cortisol and leptin levels are balanced and in the normal range, your body and mind will function optimally. You will be better able to not sweat the small stuff, handle stress well and lose weight more easily. An active lifestyle and a healthy diet are two of the main keys to keeping these important hormones balanced. Lowering your stress levels through exercise, keeping a manageable schedule and practicing relaxation techniques will also help to keep your cortisol levels in check and protect your body’s sensitivity to leptin.
© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.
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By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
Positive Psychology places much emphasis on what makes individuals happy and how communities thrive. In order to support an individual in manifesting his or her greatest potential, therapists, counselors, and teachers who utilize the techniques of Positive Psychology focus on the innate talents, gifts, and skills of that particular individual. Positive Psychology focuses on what is going well in your life and why, instead of what is going wrong. In this way, employing the paradigm of Positive Psychology to yourself will bolster your sense of self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth.
As Yoga practitioners, we often have the opportunity to witness the negativity in our own minds as we practice Yoga asanas, pranayama exercises, and meditation techniques. Yoga practices allow us to slow down and give us the time and space to witness our own thoughts. It is often the case that we Yoga practitioners become aware that we are hard on ourselves. We can be negative, critical, and judgmental, when we analyze our own tendencies and perceived limitations. According to the tenets of Positive Psychology, engaging in negative thinking about ourselves only undermines our own sense of well-being and happiness, in addition to the cumulative effect on our self-esteem and self-confidence.
Cultivating Gratitude
One of the primary recommendations of Positive Psychology is to cultivate a deep sense of gratitude. Cultivating gratitude cuts negative thinking at its roots. For example, if you are having trouble getting into your favorite balancing asana one day, and you are internally berating yourself for being so inept, gently shifting your inner perspective to one of gratitude will immediately halt your negative internal dialogue.
In order to shift your thinking to a more positive frame of mind, you may wish to contemplate all of the things you have to be grateful for today. If you are physically able to practice Yoga, you are blessed. If you have the time to practice Yoga, you are blessed. If you are able to walk into a Yoga studio, you are blessed. In this way, you can cultivate gratitude for the abundance in your life, which will uplift your own heart and free your mind from the cycle of damaging negativity.
If you teach Yoga, you should be a classic example of gratefulness. As a Yoga teacher, there is much to be thankful for. To be able to help others, to witness the accomplishments of our students, and to be a messenger of quality living in the local community, are blessings we cannot afford to take for granted.
© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.
http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/
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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!
By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
Positive Psychology is a branch of psychology that is gaining in popularity and recognition for its ability to uplift the minds and hearts of people. This may sound simplistic, but it is far from naive. Many of the common mental illnesses that plague thousands of people today develop and are sustained by negative thinking patterns. Negative thinking patterns profoundly lower the levels of serotonin and dopamine in our brains, among other critical “feel good” hormones.
When levels of serotonin and dopamine plummet from a painful event or from perpetual negative thought patterns, depression and anxiety often ensue. Positive psychologists present the theory that in order to truly support an individual in reaching his or her full potential, focusing on the inherent gifts, talents, skills and traits of that individual is paramount. To focus on the shortcomings of the client or Yoga student will only increase the individual’s awareness of his or her limitations and shortcomings.
Self-Confidence – Self-Esteem
One of the primary focuses of positive psychologists is to help a client to develop a sense of him or herself as a competent human being. This sense of competency may come in many different forms. The client may be musically talented, gifted in mathematics or artistically inclined. From the perspective of a Yoga teacher, helping your students to develop self-confidence in their Yoga practice is critical. It is far better to start slowly and build a strong foundation of safety and self-confidence rather than challenge a student far beyond his or her current level of ability.
A mismatch between the level of asana practice and a student’s ability will leave a Yoga student feeling anxious and less confident about the ability to grow and deepen in his or her practice. An overly challenging Yoga asana sequence may also lead to injury. To serve your students well, it is advisable to provide a challenging, but accessible sequence of Yoga asanas. In this way, you will help your students to develop self-confidence and the physical ability to safely practice more challenging Yoga asanas, when they are ready. As a Yoga student, focusing on your strengths and accomplishments will lift your spirits and motivate you to continue growing in your practice.
Conclusion
Self-confidence is a valuable life skill for children and adults. Without self-esteem we are followers, because we do not believe in our ability to find solutions to problems. Luckily, there is no shortage of self-confidence among Yoga teachers. For that reason, our mission is to instill self-confidence in each student. Assist them and help them to become confident and creative thinkers. The survival of our species depends on innovation.
© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.
http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/
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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!
By Natalie Clee
Vinyasa refers to a series of yoga movements synchronized with the breath. The poses flow with rhythmic variations through each inhalation and exhalation. The breathing style used is called Ujjayi, which is a relaxed diaphragmatic breath with the sound coming from the back of the throat like the sound of the ocean. Vinyasa and Ujjayi together create internal heat, which purifies the body through increased oxygen, circulation and sweat. This breath helps take in fresh oxygen, build energy, and clear toxins from the body. Ujjayi is also said to aide in self – awareness and staying grounded and present during your practice, which is also helpful during meditation. Improved circulation can help ward off illness and aide in recovery of sickness and repair of injury. The circulation in your body is critical to the overall state of health of the body. The exercises performed in Vinyasa yoga are particularly good at improving circulation and increasing energy. Circulation is also improved when the toxins are released during a Vinyasa practice. Lung and heart function are also affected by healthier circulation. It can even lower your cholesterol by lowering stress and in turn eating better. When the nervous system is quieted, the body is much more efficiently digesting and eliminating food and waste products. Bandhas or locks create the spiritual fire dissipating the outward flow of prana back to the center. In the bandhas, the breath is concentrated on a certain part of the body. There are three bandhas: Mula Bandha, Uddiyana Bandha, and Jhalandara Bandha. These locks can be used in the practice to seal off a part of the body to cleanse and tone, and energize the inside of the body. Drishti is a point of focus where the gaze rests during practice to aid concentration. In a yoga pose the drishti can also help keep the body aligned by gazing to the sky or at the floor. The breath, the concentration of the breath and the point of focus all come together in the vinyasa practice.
Music and chanting can be part of Vinyasa yoga meant to connect the divine spirit to oneself, or sometimes music to connect yourself deeper to the practice. Chanting usually takes place at the beginning of a class to bring awareness to the sacredness of the practice, a reminder that the practice is not just a physical practice and sometimes at the end of class to seal in the practice and furthermore live it in daily life.
Vinyasa yoga can also serve as a strength-training process as it helps to build lean muscle mass and balanced strength throughout the body. The continual flowing movements of Vinyasa stretch and elongate muscles, while the breath allows for fresh oxygen to fuel and loosen muscles making them more flexible, prevent muscles pulls and tears. The fast paced power yoga practice of Vinyasa burns calories resulting in weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight throughout life. As yoga is sometimes referred to as a lifestyle change affecting the whole body mind and spirit promoting overall health of the body and mind, including the practice and healthy eating habits. Regular yoga practice promotes mindful eating habits, and those who eat mindfully are less likely to be obese.
In addition to physical benefits, yoga has many mental and psychological effects. Helping to reduce anxiety and stress, increasing overall health, mood, and concentration during the day. Helping to find inner peace and purpose, learning to be present and self acceptance.
Vinyasa yoga usually starts with a fast paced series of poses called Sun Salutations, followed by a flow of standing poses then deeper stretches and backbends; however, there are many variations and flows to choose from. Sun salutation start in Tadasana (Mountain Pose), Uttanasana (forward-bend), Arda Uttanasana (half-lift), lunge, Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog), plank, Chaturanga Dandasana, Cobra – Bhujangasana or Upward Facing Dog – Urdhva Muhka Svanasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog, lunge (other side), Tadasana (Mountain Pose).
Vinyasa could also be a seated flow including Baddha Konasana, Knee to Ankle Pose, Gomukhasana (Cow-face pose), Janu Sirsasana (Head to knee pose), Upavistha Konasana (Seated wide leg straddle). Or even as simple as a cat-cow flow. Inhaling, spine arched looking up and then exhaling rounding the spine.
Vinyasa Krama Yoga is the ancient practice of physical postures in correct order for maximum benefit; it is the sequencing of a personal yoga practice designed with a specific intention for the spirit. The personal sequence can include postures, pranayama, and meditation that help lead to a personal goal. The goal can be for immediate or long- term goals and are applied throughout daily life. ` In Vinyasa krama there are twelve sequenced vinyasas that flow with correct breathing in correct order unrelated to level of practitioner and practiced with sequential linked mantras chanted, heard, or mentally recited while holding ones breath in or out.
Other Vinyasa styles include Anusara, Ashtanga, Bikram (Hot Yoga), Jivamukti, Kundalini, and Power yoga.
• Anusara, which means flowing with grace, emphasizes heart opening movements and brings focus to alignment of each asana. An intention is learned within each class to facilitate in daily life.
• Ashtanga which refers to the eight limbs of yoga (Yoga Sutras of Patanjali) is a series of poses done in the Vinyasa style using ujjayi breathing, mula bandha, uddiyana bandha, and drishti. There are six different Ashtanga series which the student progresses through at his / her own pace.
• Power Yoga, like Ashtanga is a vigorous, athletic style of yoga, however, does not follow a set or series of poses. Power yoga can vary from practice to practice and teacher to teacher with the emphasis usually on Vinyasa style flow to increase strength and flexibility and typically minimal chanting and meditation.
• Bikram or hot yoga is done in a room heated to 95 – 100 degrees promoting intense sweating and detoxification.
• Jivamukti is a physically intense Vinyasa class that incorporates yoga scripture, chanting, mantras, music and meditation.
• Kundalini Yoga is one of the more spiritual styles of Vinyasa yoga, but non-the-less can be physically challenging as well. Kundalini yoga helps to release the energy said to be dormant in the body and move it upward through the body by awakening the chakras. Full enlightenment is said to occur when the energy reaches the crown chakra.
Vinyasa yoga as mentioned start with Sun Salutation, then usually lead into a flow of standing series, arms balances, deeper forward bends and backbends, twists, hip openers, inversions then Savasana. When performing any posture safety should be a top priority to prevent pain and injuries. Standing postures and backbends require the practitioner to be aware of his/her body and its limitations. Correct alignment in standing poses protects knees, hips, and shoulders. Knowing your restrictions in backbends and not comparing or competing will also prevent injuries. Twisting poses make your back feel good and relaxed, straighten and stretch the spine, improve posture and breathing, improve circulation, aide in digestion and cleanse the internal organs. Twists wring tension in the body helping muscles relax and release fresh blood and nutrients into the body. Yoga inversions are poses where your feet are placed higher than your head. As with all yoga postures, listening to your body is very important. If you experience neck pain during a pose it’s an indication to stop. Inversions circulate the blood in your body taking the blood to the brain. They are said to move impurities out of the lower body and reduce fluid in the ankles and legs. Inversions if done properly and for a sufficient time can be a massage for the internal organs and even keep them in their intended spot inside the body as through the years it is possible for them to become displaced and thus cause ailments of the body. Some people experience neck pain during inversions which is sometimes the result of tension and poor posture. Performing inversions without being thoroughly warmed up could lead to injury. People who have had spine, neck, or shoulder injuries, high blood pressure and/or are pregnant should be most careful when practicing inversion or should avoid these postures.
Savasana is done at the end of the Vinyasa yoga practice to seal the practice assimilate what the body just did. Savasana is about letting go completely to relax the mind and body, which is essential for good health. Take time to carefully place yourself in this position called the corpse pose lying on your back with the feet out to each side, arms alongside palm facing up relaxing the whole body including the face and allowing it to be heavy and then resist movement from then until the end of the 5-30 minute pose surrendering to yourself gaining peace and calm. Some of the great yoga masters have said Savasana is the most difficult to master. The goal is to relax every part of the body and just “be”, observe. If the mind gets agitated or distracted, you could use an eye pillow to help relax the mind or just focus your attention again on just relaxing the body. A mantra or image inside the mind can be your focus if the mind repeatedly wanders over time will increase and may one day lead to the final vinyasa of forgetting yourself completely, called Samadhi.
The health benefits of Vinyasa yoga far outweigh the risks of the practice. The most simple and most important rule is to listen and respect your body and its limitations. To be content with the present moment from day to day and practice to practice following the principal of non-harming starting with loving and kindness to yourself.
Namaste
Natalie Clee is a certified Yoga teacher. She teaches Yoga classes in the Feasterville, Pennsylvania area.
By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
Positive psychology is a new paradigm in the fields of psychology and sociology. This branch of psychology differs from traditional approaches to psychology because it emphasizes what is going right in an individual’s life, instead of what is going wrong. In other words, there is a strong emphasis on the cup being half-full, instead of half-empty. The “cup,” in this case, may represent a client’s health, a student’s skill and talent in a particular field of study, or the strong points of a practitioner’s Yoga practice. Two of the core elements of positive psychology are mindful awareness and a sense of flow. The application and practice of these positive psychological principals, both “on and off the mat,” can have a profoundly uplifting effect on a Yoga practitioner.
Mindful awareness is essentially the ability to be completely present in the moment without anxiety, expectation, or any attachment to the outcome. This practice can be similar to walking the proverbial razor’s edge. In order to mindfully move through the asana segment of your Yoga session, it is necessary to practice the postures without any kind of story attached to your momentary ability to practice a variety of asanas, on any specific day. For example, if you were able to balance in Handstand Pose for several minutes yesterday, but you are not able to even stay up in Handstand for one minute today, letting go of any negative internal dialogue that may be spurred on by your failure to balance in the pose today is the core of your internal work, as you move through your practice.
Letting go of any attachment to performing a specific sequence of asanas is one of the more challenging aspects of incorporating mindful awareness into your Yoga practice. When you are able to honor where you are today, and offer your practice up as an act of service to yourself and those around you, you will feel a freedom, peace, and lightness of being. Practicing Yoga, in a mindful way, will also allow you to enter into a state of flow. This state is marked by a sense of ease and independence from time. Being attached to performing certain asanas, for a set length of time, can interrupt, and even prevent, this feeling of flow. By internally supporting a mindful approach to your practice, and cultivating the experience of flow, the sense of self-respect, gratitude, and well-being will naturally arise from your Yoga practice.
© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.
http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/
FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”
FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!
By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
Positive psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on what makes us happy, vital, and thrive as human beings. This paradigm focuses on each individual’s strengths, aptitudes, and talents. Positive psychology shifts the focus to what is working, rather than what is not working. Positive psychologists seek to increase an individual’s well-being and sense of thriving by focusing and developing the unique strengths and talent that a particular individual naturally has, instead of honing in on his or her weaknesses. Mindful awareness and enhancing a sense of “flow” are two of the main techniques that positive psychologists use to uplift and inspire their clients. Positive psychologists also seek to increase a sense of well-being and thriving, through engaging in positive group affiliations, and a sense of purpose.
In the context of a Yoga practice, focusing on developing and enhancing your sense of capability and accomplishment, will lay the foundation for having a strong sense of confidence in your abilities, as you begin to engage in a more challenging Yoga practice. Active participation in a vibrant Yoga community will also give you a strong sense of positive affiliation. Additionally, many Yoga shalas today also offer selfless service to the community at large, whether it be donating money to a local food bank or planting flowers in a community garden. Offering selfless service will also increase your happiness level, according to positive psychologists, because it will increase your internal sense of worthiness, responsibility, and connection to the community around you.
On a physical and emotional level, incorporating the positive psychological techniques of mindful awareness and flow into your Yoga practice, will take your practice to the next level and greatly enhance the benefits you receive from your practice. One simple way to incorporate “flow” into your practice is to engage in deep Ujjayi breathing throughout your Yoga session. As you link your breath to the postures, you will find that you are able to ride the wave of your own breath from asana to asana. This will greatly enhance a sense of flowing through your practice, and will leave you feeling both centered and energized.
To incorporate mindfulness into your Yoga practice, simply witness the state of your body and mind as they are today. Sometimes, this awareness can lead to frustration, if you find that you are not able to go as deeply into a posture as you could yesterday or last week. Practicing non-violence towards yourself, in this context, means to simply witness “what is” and to practice appropriately. You may be pleasantly surprised, as you easily go up into Upward Facing Bow, a pose that may have previously eluded you. Whatever the case may be, simply being aware of the current state of your body and mind will relieve tension and stress, leading to a greater sense of ease and well-being.
© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.
http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/
FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”
FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!
By Shahid Mishra
Some religious groups raise objections toward the reading of scriptures outside of their religion. The reasons are often rooted in controlling the thinking of all members within the group. An open-minded person could be a dangerous ingredient within a controlled extremist setting. Most Yoga and meditation teachers tend to be rational thinkers, who like to read everything. Regardless of religious background there is much to be learned within the Upanishads.
The Upanishads are a collection of wisdom or philosophical writings, which were passed down orally until they were written down. Over 200 are known, but what are considered the principal Upanishads were the first 12 or so that were written down in the pre-Buddhist period, around 500 B.C. The Upanishads were written by a variety of authors over the course of several centuries.
The Wisdom of the Upanishads
Considered to be the crowning tradition of the Hindu religion, the Upanishads emphasize meditation and Yoga to achieve a higher spiritual state. The word Upanishad is derived from the Sanskrit and literally means: “to sit down near,” conveying the image of a student sitting at the feet of a master to obtain wisdom.
The Upanishads are primarily concerned with the universal soul, or Brahman, and the individual soul, the Atman, and how the two interact. Other well-known ideas that the Upanishads espouse include karma, nirvana and reincarnation. In short, the Upanishads exhort the Atman to deep meditation that results in greater awareness of the self, which transcends the individual and can be one with the Brahman.
The Upanishads themselves are divided into multiple categories according to various schools of philosophic thought. Additionally, there are numerous texts, which comment on the Upanishads and their spiritual disciplines. The principal Upanishads and some of the important minor ones are often integrated into yoga as a way to focus meditation and enhance spiritual awareness.
The Upanishads and Yoga
Yoga originated as a physical manifestation of spiritual disciplines and as a way for practitioners to achieve higher spiritual and self-awareness. The idea was that by holding certain physical poses that build on each other in physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual discipline, one would be able to explore the inner self and, ultimately, transcend that self to unite with the universal plane of existence, the Brahman.
Today, Yoga is most often taught in the West as a purely physical discipline, one that offers stretching, breathing, and mental exercises as a way to calm the body and relieve stress. For many of these practitioners, Yoga is not a religious practice but a fitness activity.
There are still some schools of Yoga, however, which emphasize the use of Upanishads within Yoga practice. These schools hold the practice of Yoga up as the primary spiritual discipline toward self-enlightenment.
© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.
http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/
FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”
FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!