What is Yoga?
- Yoga word in Sanskrit means union. Yoga is one of India’s marvelous gifts to mankind. Yoga aims at uniting mind and body for gaining and maintaining health, and combatting daily stresses of life. It is one of the most popular forms of exercises because proper breathing and meditation calms mind and brings spiritual and physical well-being.
- Yoga is a discipline for the purification of the body, mind, and soul. Yoga exercises work on all bodily systems, stimulating circulation and rejuvenating every organ in body for a productive day.
- Yoga and meditation together help build a relationship to self, clear past emotions, release accumulated layers of stress, and habitual way of going through life. With daily practice of yoga and meditation, you will tap into your deepest potential and manifest your desires, wishes and dreams of your life.
- Yoga tells that all levels of mind and body are connected. In the time of crisis or tragedy, practice of yoga along with breath meditation helps you to dig deep into your reserves of inner strength, to find and build new hope, resilience, inspiration and happiness.
How many styles of yoga exist?
All yoga types are not exclusive of each other because in practice they blend but all of them have common goal of attaining freedom and realizing selflessness. There are five main styles of yoga: Jnana (pronounced Gyana) yoga (knowledge), Bhakti (Devotion to religion) yoga, Karma ( duty and compassion towards others) yoga, Raja( meditation) yoga, Hatha yoga ( ancient form of physical poses and breathing techniques called Asanas) to promote and maintain health and relaxation of mind and attain body’s longevity.
What is yoga history and philosophy?
Yoga has ancient history and was developed by sages more than 5000 years ago. It was originally passed down by word of mouth, but about 2000 years ago, a sage named Patanjali, wrote down a collection of writings called yoga sutras or yoga aphorisms. Yoga sutras summarize eight limbs of yoga, eight parts related to body and mind as a whole.
What yoga is not?
- Striving to be anything other than what you truly are. Yoga is a way of life, not just poses; its practice will propel you every day towards self-acceptance and discovering your life’s true purpose.
- A belief that people with lean and flexible body can do yoga exercises. Outcome of Yoga practice is to bring steadily and slowly the benefit of lean and flexible body.
- Yoga is not pushing your body too hard to feel pain. Yoga is stay easy with each inhalation and exhalation, and fun!
- Yoga is a daily life style, not a competition in learning and doing many poses without mastering any.
What is Asanas?
- It is yoga poses which are anatomically and physiologically sound and pose movements are attainable by the body. Poses are categorized by the level of difficulty and are grouped by the positioning of the body.
- Poses teach concentration, stillness, and dynamic movement.
- Poses have therapeutic effect.
- There are thousands of Yoga poses, which can be static or dynamic in movement, the name and purpose of each yoga pose is to make you feel the strength of that pose upon its practice plus its enhancing effect on strength, balance, energy, focus, muscle tone, and overall health. Standing poses such as, mountain, tree, elephant, warrior, eagle, dynamic and sitting poses: lotus, butterfly, frog, dog, cat, lion, mouse, tortoise, cross-legged twist, and cow face and lying poses: dead pose, cobra, bridge, swan, dragon, and bow. Yoga has many poses to do in partnership, such as, chameleons, tiger twist to connect and bring happiness between you and your partner.
- Many yoga poses are performed standing, sitting and lying down to increase mind’s concentration, body’s stamina, agility, balance and flexibility in movement with proper breathing. Check some Yoga poses pictures here.
What is Ashtanga Yoga?
This style of yoga is physically demanding because it links postural flow to the breath, and awareness, as in Sun Salutation.
What is Vinyasa yoga?
Vinyasa yoga is a series of interconnected yoga poses that you can move into sequentially without interruption. Each pose renders an affirmation feeling through your intention to gain stability, calmness and harmony of mind and body.
What is Chakras?
There are seven key points or vortex of energy in the human body called chakras. The first chakra is located in the center of the brain, and last one at the base of the spinal column. When energy becomes blocked in chakras, these can trigger imbalances that can manifest into diseases. But a proper yoga posture practice can free up the blocked energy and stimulate an imbalanced chakra in the body to yield a healthier body and mind. Take a Kundalini & Chakra Awakening Yogic Retreat.
What are Prana and Pranayama?
Prana is a Sanskrit word which means life supporting universal energy. Pranayama does not mean control of breath, but the control of the universal energy, Prana, that moves the whole universe. Thought is the highest expression of Prana. Pranayama is the practice of building and directing breath control through techniques with care and discrimination. There are several pranayama exercises from ujjayi, kapalabhati, bhasrika, nadishodhana, kumbhaka, sheetali, sheetkari, bramari and sudershan kriya.
What is Kundalini?
The object of Pranayama is to control the functioning of vital energy in the body, through the control established over the nerves and muscles involved in breathing, and utilize the generated power to rouse the Kundalini, which is located at the lowest level of spinal column in the sacral plexus or the Muladhara. It is absolutely necessary that one who seeks to rouse the Kundalini should practice perfect purity and abstinence in sex life.
What is meditation or Dhyana?
Meditation is exercise of mind to calm itself, quiet itself, and tame itself. It is practice of developing a quiet state of mind by being mindful of breathing process to its minutest detail in the present moment with mind. The goal is the mind to stay focused on the breathing task with the exclusion of any other thought. When distracting thoughts come to the mind’s attention, simply notice them without judgement, and return your attention back to inhalation and exhalation. You discover your true authentic self only upon quieting the mind through concentration or Samadhi, where you experience bliss. See our Yoga & Meditation Retreat package.
Why do mantra chanting?
The mantra chanting for beginner is first is loud chanting with eyes open in front of an idol. As the concentration develops then japa is practiced with closed eyes and chanting with the mind. Japa helps in meditation.
What is Japa?
japa is a training of mind to keep it fixed to a single line of thinking or thought. Japa is the training by which ever-wandering thoughts in mind are disciplined and made to converge in one particular thought.
Why do Yoga?
- Yoga postures strengthen body and mind, joint and muscles stay fit and flexible.
- Yoga is a lifestyle of proper exercises, proper relaxation, eating nutritious food, positive thinking, and proper breathing and mindful-meditation.
- Practicing daily yoga will make you will feel happier, have more energy, and stay healthy.
What does the word OM signify?
The word Om is a most powerful and sacred symbol representing the supreme Brahman or supreme reality. Brahman is the transcendental ideal.
Why study human anatomy and physiology?
It is important to understand the effect of yoga on the body structure and on many different systems which support body functions. Students will learn asanas benefit for common health problems, and avoid doing Asanas when there is serious health problem to avoid injury.
Yogic History and Philosophy
Yoga has ancient history and many influential yogis and sages have written influential texts, such as, Patanjali’s yogs sturas, Vedas, and Upnishads. The teacher will introduce, explore, and hold discussion so that students will learn how to apply ancient wisdom for making positive improvements in their daily lives.
What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is a 5000-year old system of healing, treating illness and providing guidelines and interventions through wisdom of many modalities for improving the health of body, mind and sprit’s connection. In Ayurveda science, mind has the greatest influence in bringing health or sickness to the body. There is an interconnection of all things and higher state of consciousness, and there is an infinite field of energy that can bring vitality, happiness, creativity, peace, and joy to our daily lives. Ayurveda is a science of health and wellbeing and a holistic preventive medicine of health care. It treats the mind, body and spirit together to bring healing to body, creating a feeling of happiness, and improving overall health.
- By Eating Vegetarian diet and using herbs to heal, provide nutrition, and restore balanc,
- By Undertaking practical seasonal cleaning routine to boost our immune system,
- By Doing daily meditation, pranayama, asanas to destress us and for mindful living,
- Using massage and gentle, restorative yoga postures for treating illness and maintaining healthy body,
- By Living an ethical and disciplined life to recharge and to connect deeply
According to Ayurveda, there are three energies or primary forces such as wind, fire and earth, in every body. These energies govern mind and every cell, and organ in each person’s body. Each being mixes these three energies in a distinct manner thus bringing distinct qualities to mind and body. An imbalance in three energies happens through movement, transformation and structure and changes in inner and outer environment. The imbalance of three energies is expressed through the unhealthy functioning of our mind and body.
What is Ojas?
Ojas is the body’s internal energy, which comes from good physical and emotional well-being and conscious eating practices improving digestion. Beauty and attractiveness starts with lifestyle of practicing silence, practicing one or more peaceful yoga poses, and expressing contentment through appreciating a unique aspect of yourself.
What is yoga retreat?
An ideal Yoga retreat is not just vacation but a life-enhancing experience in Yoga, yoga philosophy, and meditation that fits your schedule, yoga style, and budget.