Yoga is a ancient discipline, which develops one’s mindset and enhances wholesome human well-being through the practice of physical and mental exercises. Since its origin in India, yoga has continued to be practiced by an increasingly wide cross-section of people. Perhaps one reason why yoga training is so popular is its perceived simplicity.
Any person at any age can learn and practice yoga. It is for this reason that today it is practiced in virtually all countries of the world. Despite its simplicity however, yoga has some technical difficulty, which require practice and study in order to improve. It requires a deep understanding of yogic methodology for one to be able to reap maximum benefit from the physical and mental exercises.
There are many variations of yogic practices and methods that can be carried out. The choice depends on the reason why one is getting into the practice of yoga. It is also determined by the particular needs, interests, and condition of the person and the amount of time he or she can dedicate to the practices. Yoga is practiced to enhance emotional stability, mental clarity, flexibility and holistic fitness.
On the physical side: The stretching and flexing of different muscles is done in systematic motions in which balance is also tested, learned, and improved. Different physical yoga styles and methods vary in speed and intensity.
All yogic practices have been proven to have great health benefits. For this benefit to be realized however, one must practice the deeper yoga exercises. Pranayama practice appears on the surface to involve learning breathing methods. It can be said to be the heart of yoga because it easily brings the mind and body together in harmony and awareness. Therefore, what appears on the surface to be a simple practice is a much deeper practice in terms of methodology and philosophy.
Asana practice entails the striking of the poses, which are the most noticeable of the methods for photography. The photograph can’t indicate the level of concentration or the type of pranayama a practitioner is engaging in while holding a pose for a photographer. For maximum benefit Pranayama practice should be learned first as the basis and then incorporated with asana practice. This is the way of true yogic methodology, which will encompass body and mind and bring the much needed healing to a person.
The general well-being of a person originates much deeper than just within the physical body. The same is true about poor health. If one is unwell, he or she needs to get to the source of illness and this will usually be found much deeper in a person than is normally imagined. Pranayama practice, which gradually progresses into all aspects of daily life, will bring wholesome and lasting healing to the body of a person. Practice and benefits start within the mind and spreads to every cell of the body. Yoga training teaches the body to heal itself and to remain in a perpetual state of wellness.
© Copyright 2013 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
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Yoga is practiced to enhance emotional stability, mental clarity, flexibility and holistic fitness. Thanks Faye Martins for writing this good article.