UNDERSTANDING YOGA: Part 01
August 30, 2011 by svetlana
Filed under Yoga and You, Yogacara Blog
What makes us different from other species that exist in parallel to us is that we possess the ability to answer questions related to us and our surroundings. But this intelligence has somehow stopped us from thinking that to get the right answers, the right questions need to be asked. Today many people can answer how yoga is beneficial for the body. But interestingly most of cannot answer what yoga truly is. Ok! Lets us begin with a small set of questions:
- Where did yoga come from?
- What is the meaning of the word yoga?
- Which is the text that deals with the earliest elements of yoga?
- Which language is the text written in?
- How old do you think is yoga as a practice?
Well if you do not know the answers to the above questions then think a little!! are you among the thousands people who pack their bags, roll up their mats and practice yoga every day all across the globe just because it in vogue or because a lot of celebs do it?.Question yourself. Is it possible to bake a delicious cake without knowing the ingredients that go into making it? Is it possible to read this article if you do not know the language. Much in the same way it is important to understand the elements which combine to form this beautiful art called YOGA .The true essence of yoga lies in understanding and absorbing it mentally and spiritually. To categorize yoga as just a physical practice is a crime against the beautiful art. The reason for this line of thought is the various mutants of yoga that have cropped up in the recent years. One does not mean that forms like hip-hop Yoga or power yoga are in any way bad but if one does not understand the history purpose and aims of yoga in its simples and generic form then it is impossible to reap the benefits of the new and contemporary forms of it. To begin with one needs to know what yoga is. It is not just a medium to remain physically active or fit. Yoga should be perhaps seen as a key to unlock a world where physical health and mental tranquility are not mere dreams. It is generally believed that the birth and practice of rudimentary forms of yoga predates recorded history but the Indian text which is considered to be the source of this elixir is sage Patanjali’s YOGA SUTRAS believed to have been composed and compiled in 2nd century BC. The work is divided into 4 Sections, called Padas in Sanskrit, which are as follows:
- Samadhi pada: – this section is composed of 51 sub sections called Sutras. This section outlines the problems a person faces in life in the form of evils deeds, material enticements and other worldly desires. It focuses on ways to harness the inherent energies to be able to understand the next section.
- Sadhana pada: – this section which is composed of 55 sutras deals with the dynamics of the obstacles mentioned in the first section. It identifies individual problems that do not allow one to reach the final stage and aim of yoga which isUNION.
- Vibhuti pada: – this section of the text arrays around the reader the results of constant yoga practice. Vibhuti is a Sanskrit word which means “manifestation or residue”. Composed of 56 sub sections this section delineates the forms in which a person strives towards the ultimate union after practicing yoga.
- Kaivalya pada: – this section is composed of 34 sub sections and deals with the ultimate goal of Yoga i.e. detachment. By detachment one does not refer to moral or emotional detachment but trying to free oneself from the pain that one feels after looking or experiencing the inevitable cycle of death birth and rebirth.
So it becomes very critical to know the secrets behind an art that we are following. What is being done in the world today is just a part of the entire process of yoga called “asana” which means positions. One should note that to understand yoga to its minutest details one should try to understand the elementary words of Sanskrit because the translation of a work to another language always results in a residual loss of essence which can make all the difference in understanding and adapting the work to the fullest. For more information about Yoga and its understanding watch out the same space. You will not have to search the internet or read inscriptions for the same. We will deliver everything to you. From the right yogic positions to the anecdotes which make yoga not only fun to do but great fun to read too!!
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Photo credits: asterix611 ( www.flickr.com)
5 Yoga Poses for Better Arms
October 13, 2010 by noreen
Filed under Yoga and You
Get lean, strong arms with yoga.
As well as balancing the body, mind and spirit, the toning and strengthening aspects of yoga asanas are evident. Many poses will help you to build strong and lean arms with defined muscle tone. The arm stretches and arm balances shown below will give you a great arm workout and bring desirable results.
Cowface pose or Gomukhasana
A challenging seated pose which opens up the shoulders and chest and stretches the arms.
- Starting in Dandasana (Staff Pose), cross right leg over left leg keeping both knees in line, stacked over each other.
- Extend your right hand back over your shoulder and simultaneously grasp the right hand with your left. The fingers of both hands must be clasped together.
- Hold and breathe. Relax and repeat the entire sequence with the other leg and hand.
Downward Facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana
Increases the flexibility of the shoulders and the strength of the arms.
- Get on your hands and knees, with your hands slightly ahead of your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Spread your palms, curl your toes in and push back raising the hips and straightening the legs.
- At first your knees will be slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor
- Press your tailbone into your pubis and stretch your heels into the floor. Keep your head between your arms and try lowering your shoulder blades and broaden the collarbone. Look at your stomach.
- Straighten your knees but be careful not to lock them.
- Hold and breathe.
Plank Pose and Side Plank Pose
This upper body workout is excellent for strengthening the arms and spine, and has major toning benefits.
- Starting in downward facing dog, inhale and draw your torso forward until the arms are perpendicular to the floor and the shoulders are directly over the wrists.
- Tuck in your tailbone and firm your shoulder blades against your back. It should feel like the beginning of a push-up.
- Hold and breathe.
- From Plank Pose, shift your weight onto your right arm as you roll onto the outside of your right foot.
- Keeping the both feet flexed, stack the left foot on top of the right with the legs very straight.
- Bring the left arm up to the ceiling and the gaze upwards.
- Hold and breathe.
Upward Plank Pose or Purvottanasana
This inclined plank is an intense stretch and arm balance, providing natural resistance to tone the arms.
- From dandasana, with the arms behind your hips and the fingers pointed either towards or away from your body, begin to lean into the palms.
- Press your inner feet and hands down against the floor, and lift your hips until your torso is at a natural incline but parallel to the floor with arms perpendicular.
- Engage your shoulder blades to support your chest. Your body should be in a straight line. Drop the head back, hold and breathe.
- To release, slowly exhale the hips back to the floor.
*Image credits by Kelly Loves Whales, myyogaonline, lululemon athletica, tarnalberry on flickr
This article is brought to you by YogacaraShop.com – your source for special Yoga Apparel, yoga inspired clothing, comfort clothing clothing designed according to the Colors of the Chakras and the best trendy, high quality and comfortable Fitness Apparel do visit YogacaraShop.com
Looking for a Yoga Weight Loss Workout? – Turn to Power Yoga
January 3, 2010 by noreen
Filed under Yoga and You
Power Yoga: The Physically Intensive and Exercise Driven Modern Yoga
If your looking at Yoga as a form of physical exercise and want minimal amount meditation and spiritual guidance, then Power Yoga is just the type of Yoga you’re looking for.
Started by two American Yoga teachers Beryl Bender Birch, based in New York, and Bryan Kest, based in Los Angeles, almost at the same time, Power Yoga was designed to suit the weight loss and physical work out needs of Americans. 
Adapted from Ashtanga Yoga, power yoga practices a fitness approach to yoga and is a sweat-producing, muscle-building series of yoga asanas (poses) that flow into each other without the usual pauses between the poses practiced in traditional yoga. The goal of power yoga is health and fitness rather than spiritual quest for enlightenment or a balance of body, mind and heart. At the same time power yoga leads to a calmer mental state by releasing tension, making you feel lighter and better balanced and a healthy body harbors a healthy mind. It’s this connectedness of the physical body influencing the mind, that Power yoga touches upon. It creates optimal physical health by enlivening and invigorating the whole body which is a direct manifestation of the mind, as the body heals, our mind naturally follows.
A Glimpse of What They Do at Power Yoga
While all Power yoga classes will differ from teacher to teacher the essence of the emphasis on strength and flexibility remains the same. There are no set series of poses, but it’s dynamic mix of stretches, nd poses all done while struggling to maintain balance and support your own body weight. This increases strength by natural moments, tones muscles, makes you more flexible and improves posture.
Classes often start with a series of stretching poses like the child’s pose or Cat – Cow Stretch as a warm up. This is followed by a five to six pose set, flowing from one to the next with no break. All poses are done twice on both your left and right sides. Another very important aspect of a power yoga routine is the breath flow. Each pose is synchronized with one’s breathing patterns and each movement is soft and free-flowing like a rhythmic dance. It’s important to first know the correct posture and alignment of each pose before going on the power yoga which needs to be uninterrupted to be effective. The transition from one pose to the next is not fast, but slow yet steady pace.
Some of the popular poses in Power yoga include the warrior poses, triangle poses, side angle pose, a variety of balance poses, forward folds with chest openers, seated folds, twists and balances. For the more advanced students poses like the side crane, tree pose into warrior 3, eagle pose, deep lunge with back bend and twist into pigeon are popular. A brief breathing exercise or meditation poses closes a session.
So what are you waiting for? If you want that intense physical workout with none of the spiritual jargon grab that yoga mat & yoga apparel and join your nearest Power Yoga classes for a all round workout that works!
*Photo Credits: photos by myyogaonline, Kelly Loves Whales, BeckyKP on flickr.
This article is brought to you by YogacaraShop.com – your source for special Yoga Apparel, yoga inspired clothing, comfort clothing clothing designed according to the Colors of the Chakras and the best trendy, high quality and comfortable Fitness Apparel do visit YogacaraShop.com
