Yoga Teacher Training Forum

Physical Fitness can be measured in various aspects such as your balance, stamina, strength and flexibility. It is often assessed by measuring heart rate after exercise. Fitness can also be measured in terms of the strength and flexibility of specific muscles, the proper breathing though yoga practice greatly increase oxygen flow to all muscle groups. Thus allowing the body to maintain muscle strength and flexibility. Optimal physical fitness requires both aerobic exercises, which can be found in Ashtanga practice and muscle - strengthening and flexibility exercises, which can found in Hatha.

The World Health Organization has defined health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease. Good health is a condition of physical and mental well being, free from disease, pain or defect that enables us to live our lives with choices and with vitality. When all the organs of your body function normally in relation to your age and *, you are considered to be in good physical health. The need to adopt a healthy life style, particularly with regard to diet and the taking of exercise, of which yoga is an integral part, is important to maintain good health. So, we are not here to talk about high concepts, but rather to see what the simple things are which we can adopt either in therapy or in our lifestyle to experience harmony in our minds.

Yoga offers these different possibilities through its systems of relaxation and concentration, asana and pranayama. I would definitely request my students to understand the principles of yoga by practicing yoga. I am sure that these sciences of yoga will provide a very good opportunity for the yogis to keep all aspect of their selves healthy.

The recommendations for asana practice to change our lives, including the stress response, are different in different traditions. A Yoga practice that focuses only on physical remedies is limited, for it deals only with physiology and not psychology. Similarly, a practice that is formed around moral precepts and exhortations to change ones lifestyle has distinct limitations, for behavior modification is not simple. Thus, a combined practice of physical postures, breathing exercises and meditation in a sequence is the best compromise to meet the present day needs of the society. The results of these practices can be enhanced much more if one follows all the recommended restraints and observances in everyday life.

These restraints and observances are the yamas and niyamas of classical Yoga. The ethics and morality of the traditional texts help lay a groundwork for moderate, compassionate living, but behavior change is complex and ones personality is rooted in layers of unconscious conditioning. While it should be noted to all that Yoga is not a religion, but rather a complete lifestyle practice with many benefits to all aspects of a persons health.