Everywhere I read, it says how good
Yoga
is for you. Well, this is the year that I am going to start! The
benefits are many. Despite the fact that I am so out of shape, I am
going to start little by little, perhaps with "chair yoga."
Chair Yoga
Chair Yoga is a gentle form of yoga that is practiced sitting on a chair, or standing using a chair for support. It is in the process of being recognized formally as a type of yoga distinct from other types, such as Iyengar Yoga or Ashtanga yoga. Often the poses, or Asanas, are often adaptations of Hatha yoga poses.
"In Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism the word yoga means "
spiritual discipline".
People often associate yoga with the postures and stances that make up
the physical activity of the exercise, but after closer inspection it
becomes clear that there are many more aspects of yoga. It is an
activity that has been practiced for thousands of years, and it is
something that has evolved and changed overtime. Different factions of
yoga have developed since its conception."
"The traditional purpose of
Yoga,
however, has always been to bring about a profound transformation in
the person through the transcendence of the ego," (Feuerstein 3)
Modern Yoga
Modern yoga is based on five basic principles that were created by Swami Sivananda.
- Proper relaxation
- Proper exercise
- Proper breathing
- Proper diet
- Positive thinking and meditation
Recently, I read an article in the
Huffington Post about how
Yoga can make you
happier! Here is the article:
By Monique Minahan
When
I first started practicing yoga, I was still digging my way out of a
deep cavern of grief. Something about this unusual method of twists,
turns, and upside downs kept calling me back. I didn't know what it was
initially, but as I began to settle into my body, things began to shift
in my life.
I think of it as going from a paralyzed life to a
walking life. If you are already able to walk and then begin to run,
that's liberating. If you are paralyzed and then begin to walk, that's a
miracle.
This
was my experience with the power and patience of yoga. Learning how to
walk into my life, transition from grief to peace, and eventually to
happiness.
The peace and happiness we access on our mats is no
accident. Although many write it off as just another exercise-induced
dopamine high,
yoga
goes deeper than that. The mind-body connection created in yoga
facilitates change at a cellular level. Cellular memory is the idea that
our bodies hold our histories.
Before you brush this off as far-fetched, consider that
scientists and physicians have found
compelling evidence that the brain and body send messages to each other through neuropeptides and receptors.
Neurocardiology is a discipline that studies the communicative relationship between the
brain and the heart.
Our
nervous systems are what we're tapping into in yoga. Retraining how
psychological or emotional triggers set off our flight-or-fight response
allows us the opportunity to rewire our sympathetic nervous system. The
deep
breathing practiced in yoga activates the
parasympathetic nervous system, producing a calming, relaxed effect.
The relationship between head and heart has been described as a "
dynamic, ongoing, two-way dialogue with each organ continuously influencing the other's function."
When
we weave positive intention into our movements, we are imprinting these
thoughts, not only into our minds, but into our bodies. We are
effecting change
on our mat that will allow for change
off our mat.
Much of our unhappiness as humans comes from our thoughts or feelings. We judge our experiences in terms of
good or
bad. We experience feelings of inadequacy, powerlessness, embarrassment, humiliation, and we often keep track of what we
don't have more than what we
do have.
A full practice of yoga, including
meditation,
gently removes these weights from our minds and our bodies. Not only
does it remove them, but with time it can begin to reshape our
attitudes, views, and thoughts.
The physical postures take us into
our bodies in a non-judgmental way. From this neutral viewpoint, we
can see huge possibility. Without being blocked by preconceived ideas of
what we can or cannot do, we are free to try, to fall, to play, and to
grow.
Physically, yoga asks one simple thing of us: Show up. Show
up in mind, body, and spirit. These are things we can skimp on in other
areas of life. Perhaps we show up in body to work or a conversation, but
our minds are somewhere else. At times we show up mentally to a
project, while our
bodies
slouch for hours, forgotten. The integration in yoga of all these parts
creates the prerequisite unity and connection required for happiness to
bloom.
Once we feel unified and connected, we will access a deep
well of joy that does not diminish when shared. Yoga doesn't just lift
our spirits. It lifts our lives. It opens our eyes to the essence of who
we are, and therein lies peace. Therein lies the happiness.
(ref. Feuerstein, Georg.
The Deeper Dimension of Yoga: Theory and Practice. Boston: Shambhala, 2003 & The Huffington Post 2015)
Looking for a great gift to give someone? Here is a great gift item, especially for upcoming Father's Day or even get one for yourself!
