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| Yoga and Meditation |
 |
Yoga and Meditation can not be understood separately.
Yoga is the primary level which consists of bodily
exercises to build a ground for Meditation. The
word yoga had been derived from the Sanskrit word
yuj which means to join to unite to balance or to
integrate.
Yoga is a system of exercises for the mental and
physical well being. It combines stylized poses
with deep meditation and breathing. According to
Patanjali, within the human body
there are channels called Nadi
and centers called chakra.
If these channels & canters are tapped, energy
hidden in the body can be released. This energy
is called kundalini. |
| In the broadest sense Yoga thus means
integration at three levels Body, Mind and soul.
Renowned Maharshi Patanjali invented Yoga centuries
ago in India yoga gives you helpful principals for
mental and physical stability with the help of the
practice of asana or postures and pranayam. (The
science of breathing) Lord Krishna described three
types of yoga in Bhagwad Gita i.e. Karma Yoga, Bhakti
Yoga and Gyana Yoga. |
| The
Seven Chakras and Its Nature |
| |
Chakra |
Element |
Color |
Body Part |
Nature |
 |
Crown Chakra
Sahasrar |
Ether |
Violet |
Head, Right Eye |
Enlightenment, Spirituality |
 |
Brow Chakra Ajna |
Ether |
Blue |
Nose & Ears, Left
Eye, Brain, Spine |
Telepathy, Intuition,
Third Eye, Clairvoyance Light |
 |
Throat Chakra Visudha |
Space |
Sky Blue |
Throat Vocal Cord,
Upper Lungs, Alimentary Canal |
Communication, Sound,
Self Expression, Creative, Energy |
 |
Heart Chakra Nahata |
Air |
Green Grass |
Arms, Vagus Nerve,
Blood Liver, Lungs Heart |
Life Force, Compassion,
Love, Consciousness |
 |
Solar Plexus Chakra
Manipura |
Fire |
Yellow |
Spleen, Large Intestine,
Gallbladder, Liver, Stomach |
Action, Wisdom, Power,
Emotion |
 |
Sacral Chakra Swadhistan |
Water |
Orange |
Legs, Bladder, Kidneys |
Peace, Sexuality, Action,
Anger |
 |
Root Chakra Muladhar |
Earth |
Red |
Sex Organs |
Body Energy, Security,
Kundalini |
|
| Yoga is
not an exercise |
Yoga is much more than just
a workout routine. In fact, it has been
practiced in India for more than 5,000 years,
making it one of the oldest exercise systems
in existence. As exercise systems go, Yoga
is one of the most complex practice. A Physical
strengthen body is not the ultimate objective
of yoga - heightened mental physical and
emotional wellbeing are, based on the belief
that a healthy person is a harmoniously
integrated unit of body, mind and spirit.
This integration is achieved by controlling
the breath and holding the body in steady
poses, there by preparing the practitioner
for the rigors of meditation. |
| Origin
of Yoga |
| Back in the 4th century BC,
the physician turned sage, Patanjali, had
given short sentences or sutras, explaining
the working of the mind and the ways to tame
and train it. Since the human form has remained
basically unchanged since then, the sutras
hold as good today as they did back then,
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, considered to
be the Bible of Yoga, do not contain the description
of a single asana or posture. Rather, they
are a guide for living a better life through
yoga. Patanjali's teachings are divided in
the eight steps of yoga. |
| Eight
steps of yoga |
| The eight steps work together:
The Ist three steps are concerned with the
body and the IInd two with the brain and build
the foundation for spiritual life. The last
three, are concerned with reconditioning the
mind, and help attain enlightenment. There
are 4 aspects of being fit, and yoga helps
enhance all of them: |
 |
• Restraints or Yamas,
Sometimes called the “dont's”
or the “thou shalt nots”. There
are five yamas, i.e., refraining from violence,
lying, stealing, casual sex, and greed.
• Observances or Niyamas, Sometimes
called the “do's” or the “thou
shalts”. There are five niyamas: i.e.,
purity, contentment, austerity, self-study,
and remembrance of the Divine.
•
Postures or Asanas, mistakenly regarded by
the West as an exercise routine, but actually
used by yogis to prepare the body for meditation. |
• Deep breathing or Pranayamas,
Rhythmic patterns of slow used to control
the life force (prana energy) that flows through
all of us. Pranayamas remove distractions
from the mind making it easier to concentrate
and meditate. The basic movements of pranayama
are inhalation, retention of breath, and exhalation.
• Withdrawal of the senses or Pratyahara
Occurs during meditation, breathing exercises,
or the practice of yoga postures - any time
when the focus is directed inward.
• Stilling the mind or Dharana By focusing
on one point or image and gently pushing away
superfluous thoughts.
• Uninterrupted
meditation or Dhyana With the objective of
heightened awareness and oneness with the
universe.
• Super consciousness
or Samadhi, A state of absolute bliss, in
which the practitioner and the universe are
one. |
| Impact
of Yoga on Body |
• Cardio-vascular capacity
yoga increases this through deep breathing
and the continuous flow of postures which
make the heart rate go up.
•
Muscle Strength yoga develops this through
holding the body in postures for increasing
periods of time.
• Flexibility
yoga enhances this safely through the gentle
stretching action of all the postures.
• Balance yoga improves this between
the left and right, front and back and upper
and lower parts of the body. |
| Yoga and
Religion |
| Yoga does not derive from Hinduism
as is commonly believed. In fact, Yoga pre-dates
Hinduism by several centuries. It does not
meet the traditional definitions of a religion
(though it has a deeply spiritual tradition),
and the practice of it will not interfere
in any way with the practitioner's religious
traditions. It is not necessary to be a vegetarian
in order to do yoga. |
| Yoga and
Sex |
| Perhaps the most misunderstood
yoga style, Tantra Yoga is not about sexual
indulgence. Rather, Yoga is about discovering
and stimulating sensual spirituality, by using
chanting, asanas, visualization and pranayamas
to awaken the kundalini energy in the body.
Tantra Yoga and Hatha Yoga have common roots,
but while Hatha Yoga adopted an ascetic, almost
existentialist, stance, Tantra Yoga chose
a more sensual practical approach. |
| Yoga and
You |
Yoga is suitable for adults
of any age or physical condition, and almost
everyone who does it will find an increase
in strength, flexibility, coordination, body
awareness, and concentration. Yoga is not
recommended for children under 16; pregnant
women and nursing mothers or who’s nervous
and glandular systems is weak and are still
growing. However, easy breathing exercises
are relaxing and safe.
Yoga is performed barefoot. Any comfortable
clothing, like a pair of tights, track pants,
or shorts, and a loose T-shirt is recommended.
Wait for at least an hour after eating before
doing yoga. |
| Benefits
of Yoga |
The Yoga and meditation ancient
health & fitness practice provides both
physical & mental therapy. Yoga considers
ageing as largely an artificial condition,
caused mainly by autointoxication or self-poisoning.
By keeping our body parts clean and well lubricated,
cell deterioration can be greatly reduced.
To get the maximum benefits of yoga one has
to follow three main guidelines i.e. practice
of asanas, pranayama and yoga nidra. With
the regular practice of asanas, we reduce
weight, normalise blood pressure and improve
cardiac performance and control our cholesterol
level. Yoga postures harmonize our mental
energy flow by clearing any blockages in the
subtle body, leading to mental equilibrium
& happiness. |
| Transcendental
Meditation |
 |
Transcendental
meditation is one of the easiest meditation
techniques to learn. It might be best described
as a set of meditation techniques introduced
by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
TM is said to bring the practitioner to a
deep state of consciousness often characterized
as "enlightenment" or "bliss."
It is practiced for fifteen to twenty minutes
twice daily while sitting with the eyes closed.
TM technique comprises the silent mental repetition
of a simple sound known as a mantra. |
The goal of this meditation,
according to practitioners, is called pure
consciousness (Samadhi).
The TM organization emphasizes in its teaching
that the procedure for using the mantra is
very important, and can only be learned from
a trained teacher of TM.
The mantra functions to focus your mind on
a single idea, representing the "oneness"
of the universe. During Transcendental Meditation,
the body gains a deeper state of relaxation
than during ordinary rest. It is found during
TM EEG (electroencephalogram) changes indicate
a state of heightened awareness and coherence.
Regular practice of TM has been found to produce
a state of increased stability, adaptability,
and integration during all phases of activity.
Also, TM has been found to increase intelligence,
creativity, and perceptual ability and to
reduce high blood pressure and illness rates
by more than 50 percent. It is one of the
effective techniques known for reducing intake
of drug and alcohol which leads to decreasing
anxiety and increasing self-actualization.
Transcendental Meditation is by far the most
thoroughly researched in terms of its benefits
for mental, physical, and social health. TM
is a simple, easy to learn verbal practice.
Anyone can learn it within a few days and
can begin to experience beneficial results.
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