Things you don’t know about Yoga
Yoga is an ancient, 5000-year-old physical and mental discipline and branch of philosophy that originated in India. In Sanskrit, the word yoga means “to unite.” Nowadays, yogis encourage all yoga practitioners to experience the gift of yoga. Whether you are an experienced yoga practitioner or new to the practice, yoga practices are meant for everyone. Yoga is a long journey that can be enjoyed throughout a lifetime. The main goal of yoga is to achieve unity of the mind, body, and soul. Here is some of the yoga information that the yogis want you to know when you think about indulging in yoga:
How does yoga achieve unity of mind, body, and soul?
Yoga uses asanas (poses), focused concentration on specific body parts, and pranayama (breathing techniques) to integrate the mind, body, and soul.
The Mind:
Yoga focuses on the mind by teaching you to concentrate on specific body parts. The focus is internal, between your head and your body. Yoga leads you through visual imagery to help you focus on how your muscles feel. The aim is to drift into a calm and relaxing state.
The Body:
The yoga asanas help to condition your body. Several yoga poses help to condition the body.
The Soul:
Yoga uses controlled breathing to merge the mind, body, and spirit. Breathing techniques, called pranayamas, are believed to control the energy flow in the body and lead to deep, inner calm and a sense of relaxation.
Different types of yoga
Many beginners get confused by the many different types of yoga exercises. Choosing the type of yoga depends on your goal for doing yoga. Therefore, experienced and highly knowledgeable yogis say studying the different types of yoga is crucial before deciding which type to start with.
Below are some of the yoga types and their role in your health:
Hath yoga:
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Hath yoga:
It deals with the physical aspect of the body and provides a better introduction to basic yoga poses.
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Restorative yoga:
This type of yoga focuses on body relaxation through restful poses. Because it involves holding long poses, you will need a yoga mat, ball, blocks, and other yoga equipment.
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Anusara:
This style can be practised by people with disabilities, from beginners to advanced yoga enthusiasts. It encourages yoga enthusiasts to look at the positive side of everything.
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Iyengar yoga:
This yoga type pays attention to body alignment. The poses are also longer than those in other exercises. You may require a yoga mat, ball, or other yoga equipment to assist your body alignment.
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Vinyasa yoga:
It is described as more vigorous than other styles of yoga and focuses on stretching and static poses.
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Ashtanga or Power Yoga:
This type of yoga is considered intense and fast. You execute a series of poses designed to challenge your physical and mental health.
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Bikram or Hot Yoga:
This type of yoga usually takes place in a sauna because the heat will help you become flexible and lose fat quickly as you sweat during the practice.
What are the benefits of yoga?
Yoga has many physical and mental benefits. Therefore, yogis want you to know about it and its benefits so that you can start living a healthier life.
Yoga helps to:
- Reduce stress.
- Lose Weight.
- Heal injuries.
- Increase Strength and Flexibility.
- Improve concentration.
- Live fully.
All it takes to practice yoga is 15 to 20 minutes of your time each day. With regular yoga practice, the body’s respiration, circulation, and mental well-being can all be improved. Hence, yogis encourage people to begin practising yoga themselves. You will surely be happy with the health benefits of yoga once you start practising it. Besides, you can also get a friend or two involved in your daily yoga practices, and you may start a new trend in the neighbourhood.