Hatha Yoga (the science of Yoga asanas or postures)
is taught from a standpoint of its benefits to the body in many
schools. From this point of view, yoga postures as a system for
achieving longevity and radiant health, stand supreme.
Old age and sickness settle first in the joints and in the spinal
discs. Medical studies have revealed that these spinal discs often
begin to show signs of degeneration as early as thirty years keeping
them youthful even late into old age.
The postures promote the free flow of energy throughout the nervous
system and assist in the elimination of toxins and points from the
joints and other body parts, where these foreign elements tend otherwise
to settle, sometimes permanently. These yoga postures exert a beneficial
pressure on various glands and internal organs, flushing and stimulating
them. Even a small amount of practice can produce amazing improvements
in one’s general health.
For these reasons Hatha Yoga is growing in popularity in the West,
and growing very rapidly. Asanas are well on their way to becoming
a fad.
However, more is involved in asanas than just
the promotion of physical health. Through yoga postures one can
improve his/her mental outlook, achieve more harmonious emotional
life, and develop more vital awareness.
Did you know that originally thousands of years
ago the yoga postures emerged spontaneously from high states of
mind that were achieved through sitting meditation. The mind yoga
is in fact the purpose of the asanas. To get the body in shape so
that you can work with your mind.
"Yoga is the control of thought waves
in the mind. The real Self, the Atman remains forever outside the
power of thought waves, it is eternally pure, enlightened and free-the
only true, unchanging happiness".
Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood
Over many years we developed a modern home study
method of applying mind yoga that you can use in your daily life
now to help you to materialize with your mind power the things that
make you happy. To control your mind in such a way that it brings
you what is your hearts desire, your soul's happiness.
Visit
this link to get the method now.
Certain bodily postures are associated with certain mental attitudes.
When one is discouraged the body tends to stoop forward. When feeling
stubborn a person may jut his chin forward. Even the pattern of breathing
is affected by ones’ mental attitudes. Suppression of natural
feelings can be indicated by holding in the upper part of the chest.
Just as mental attitudes affect the body so also can bodily postures
affect the mind. Tense stomach muscles can induce mental anxiety,
a bent spine slumped shoulders can induce moodiness. Yogis use this
relationship, and by inducing physical relaxation encourage serenity
in a worried mind. Working on oneself physically to influence the
mind is a simple undertaking, eg., change the breathing patterns
and one’s mental state may be changed as well. Yoga postures
not only improve physical health, give stability to the emotional
system, but they create positive mental attitudes.
The yoga postures are very different from ordinary calisthenics.
They emphasize relaxation as well as making on aware of tension.
Unlike most physical exercise they do not excite; rather, they eliminate
excitement from the system. One acts always from a center of poise
and calmness of mental and physical relaxation. One must never strain
or force into the prescribed position.
In summary, the yoga postures are not only a series of physical
positions but exercises in mental awareness. The yogi is deliberate
in every
movement, feeling into every muscle. Only through conscious awareness
of one’s own body can tensions be felt-once felt they can be
eliminated by a systematic yoga program.
-"author unkown"
|
