Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Is Yoga Honestly A Form of Exercise?

By: Javier Melendez

India's most ancient gift to the human species is said to be Yoga. "Uniting" is what the word Yoga can be translated to in Sanskrit and consequently we take this small word as having a very large meaning: thre uniting of discipline.

Yoga is practiced for mental and moral development and helps generate whole health - Yoga practitioners call this "arogya". Yogic exercise also cultivates "chirayu", which is longevity. Yoga in its whole aims to develop inner peace and positive, perennial happiness. As such, Yoga is thought of as being essential for an individual's ultimate completion in life.

Yoga is really a kind of science that not only affects the consciousness of oneself, but also one's subconscious. Yoga's physiological training practice (Kriya Yoga) when done correctly, can lift human beings to a supra-mundane level.

Yoga shows people how to embrace life. It promotes mental control and self-development and brings out the noble in any being, thus removing the ignoble in any human. Yoga is pertinent to all people regardless of their belief system, race, religious inclination and gender. There is no doubt that everyone can benefit from Yoga – the sick and the healthy, the bad and the good, the non-believer and the believer, the ignorant and the educated and the young and the old. Age does not matter; anyone can reap the advantages of Yoga.

Yoga began as wandering Hindu monks sought solitude in the forests to practice contemplative techniques. These monks (Yogis) passed on their knowledge with ardent students who resided at Hindu hermitages. The Yogis were quite possessive when it came to the teching of Yoga, and they did not consider popularizing the techniques. Yogic postures alongside the different stages of the Yogic techniques were only passed on to students that deserved them, so the art of Yoga remained in remote caves and forests and was not shown to anyone but the Yogis and their students.

Developing Yogic techniques (like the Asana - a sitting position) aids the circulation of the blood. Other techniques (like Pranayama - breathing exercises) decrease carbon dioxide in the body, ensuring good health: Yoga gives a wealth of benefits to people.

Many doctors prescribe air baths, sun baths, shower baths and steam baths to maintain blood purity and toxin elimination. Yogis have created the "Neti" (nasal cleansing), the "Dhouti" (stomach wash) and the "Vajroli" (purgation of the bladder, intestines and reproductive organs).

Yoga can also have major benefits on the nervous system. The physiological activities are non-tiring and also engender composure of the mind and body. Almost every other type of exercise concentrates more on muscle activity whereas Yoga focuses on looking after every part of an individual's anatomy.

Yoga is not some "reach down and touch your feet" exercise: for example, asanas is an all over exercise that trains one’s physical and spiritual body function.

Yoga's effects are:

- Physical – through relaxing, stretching, strengthening and healing the muscular, skeletal, cardiovascular, nervous and digestive systems.
- Spiritual – the preparation of contemplation.
- Mental – developing a tranquil and calm mind, concentration and alertness.

Yoga truly offers something for anyone.

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Javier Melendez writes for several health web sites such as the Muscle & Fitness UK website. His recent work concerns weight loss clinics research.

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