YOGA – An Art and Science of healthy living
Yoga is essentially a spiritual discipline based on an extremely subtle science, which focuses on bringing harmony between mind, body and spirit. ‘Yoga’ is a Sanskrit term meaning ‘to join, unite or yoke together.’
The central methods of yoga are physical postures or ‘asanas’ and movement, breathing techniques or ‘pranayama’ and meditation. The Asana sequence was first recorded as yoga in the early 20th century, though similar exercises were in use in India before that.
SURYANAMASKARA
Asanas like Surya Namaskar, is a practice in yoga as exercise incorporating a flow sequence of some twelve gracefully linked asanas and it can be said as an exercise for all the internal organs. It specifically strengthens back as well as muscles and brings down blood sugar levels. It also improves metabolism and blood circulation which results in a glowing skin and ensures regular menstrual cycle for women.
PRANAYAMA
Pranayama means working in the dimension of prana. ‘Prana’ refers to the universal life force and ‘Ayama’ means to regulate or lengthen.It is the prana or life force in us that nourishes the mind and keeps the body alive. The prana creates an aura around the body and It flows through thousands of subtle energy channels called ‘nadis’ and energy centers called ‘chakras’. The quantity and quality of prana and the way it flows through the nadis and chakras determines one’s state of mind.
DHYANA
Meditation can produce a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. The effects of dhyana are still under research and yet to explore. Our ancestors and Rishis have attained various stages and achieved lots of knowledge through penance.
YOGA TODAY
Iyengar Yoga, Astanga Yoga and the Shadow Yoga are three of the most well known and widely practiced traditional forms of yoga. The body in yoga is the vehicle for the development of wisdom, spiritual awakening as well as spiritual progress. The idea is that through entering more deeply and subtly into our physical experience, we can become more connected with ourselves, more grounded, and less swayed by anxieties or neurotic cravings for things that will not truly satisfy us. This can be a very positive influence on our approach to life, offering an antidote to the alienated rushing and disconnection from ourselves that characterizes much of our modern world.
BENEFITS OF YOGA
According to the Bhagavad Gita “A person is said to have achieved yoga, the union with the Self, when the perfectly disciplined mind gets freedom from all desires, and becomes absorbed in the Self alone.” Practicing yoga develops Physical health, Mental health, Social health, Spiritual health and helps in our self-realization. Yoga promotes self-healing, increases self awareness, Removes toxins from the body and negative blocks from the mind, increases personal power and boosts immunity. Yoga also helps in reducing stress level and tension in the physical body.
Even amidst COVID-19 pandemic Yoga is considered as the best medicine for relaxing mind and body as it carries multipurpose functions like It helps in weight loss, increases flexibility and muscle strength, improves the function of the brain, Lowers the blood pressure, Improves lung capacity and a sense of balance, Make bones stronger, Lowers the risk of heart diseases, helps in fighting with depression, Stimulation of organs and also help in the improvement in gastrointestinal health and Increases metabolism.
YOGA AND AYURVEDA
Yoga and Ayurveda are two interrelated branches of the same great tree of Vedic knowledge that encompasses all of human life and the entire universe. It can be said that the basis of Yoga is Ayurveda, and the fruit of Ayurveda is Yoga. We can call Ayurveda “yogic medicine”, because it follows a yogic approach to healing. The yoga system, as a science of self-realization, is the ultimate goal of Ayurveda as a science of life. While yoga deals with the harmonizing of mind, body and soul while Ayurveda takes care of the person’s both physical and mental wellbeing through the means of diet and lifestyle changes.
Leading physiotherapists have begun the integration of Yoga and Physiotherapy based on the emerging evidence for its effectiveness. Yoga therapy combines knowledge of physiotherapy with traditional yoga, to improve physical performance, treat chronic pain conditions, rehabilitate serious injuries.
Clinical Yoga concentrate more on an individual and their health issues and customised yoga therapy is advised. It is typically conducted 1-on-1, or in very small groups, supervised by Ayurvedic physicians, yoga experts and registered physiotherapists. Each client is individually evaluated, and prescribed specific poses to form a personalised yoga sequence.This is an ideal environment to overcome injury, rehabilitate from trauma, and reduce stress.
Mrityunjaya Ayurveda helps you in getting personalised yoga charts and advices from experts for your ailments in specific. Like for diabetic, those who have undergone surgeries, not all the yoga practices can be followed. Each patient will be analysed and routines will be customised. Contact us for further queries.