Ten Good Reasons to Practice Yoga

Ten Good Reasons to Practice Yoga

1. Contrary to the popular myth that yoga is necessary for athletes, pop stars and supermodels! The fact is that yoga is for benefit of all of us: we, our children our grandparents, both man and woman, healthy or sick. Irrespective of the age, sex and geographical locations, yoga gives tremendous benefits to each and every one once adapted to individual needs
   
   
2. In a world full of challenges, stress and anxiety everywhere, yoga is answer to all health queries. Start practicing yoga and get benefits immediately, such as stress-relief. Apart from health benefits, one can notice enhanced self esteem, renewed positivity and enthusiasm, once yoga becomes a part of life and practiced regularly.
   
   
3. Unlike other physical exercises that might put a strain on your heart, muscles and joints, Yoga is comparatively safe option. On must be aware of one’s strain bearing capacity and practice yoga following expert guidelines. Yoga does not harm our body in any way.
   
   
4. Generally there is no mandatory requirement of special equipments or accessories for yoga practice. If you have few props you can practice easily, but the only thing that pays is your concentration and will power.
   
   
5. While respiratory system gets better equipped to help you to breathe more fully, deeply and easily (thus increasing your oxygen intake), your physical and mental health also improves due to enhanced energy.
   
   
6. Yoga helps all body systems to work effectively, improving digestion, helping in assimilation of nutrients and the elimination of toxins.
   
   
7. Yoga is a boon to insomnia patients as helps to get better sleep, reducing the sleep breaks so that, when you wake up, you feel refreshed and full of energy and enthusiasm.
   
   
8. Yoga brings synchronization in mind body and soul helps you to utilize your energy effectively, thereby avoiding tension, stress and negativity.
   
   
9. When practiced regular yoga techniques, you get awarded with a genuine sense of outward tranquility, which leads you to the spiritual path of getting deep state of inner peace, too.
   
   
10. Yoga is immense source of positivity if combined with FUN!

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Top Yoga Techniques For A Healthy Life

Yoga!!!!! A buzz word for today’s generation!!!! We all talk about yoga almost everyday but many a times it is difficult for anyone to know which particular yoga is beneficial for one’s health and moreover we get confused most of the times about the difference in various yoga poses and asanas. This article is an answer to all these questions and different yoga styles are discussed here.

Bhakti Yoga
Bhakti yoga, as the name suggests is a passionate form of yoga involving affection towards God. When history is recalled the origin of Bhakti yoga is believed to be before hatha yogi. The exact origin is not depicted in history, but yoga experts believe it’s origin around since before the fifth century BC. There are nine forms of Bhakti yoga:

• Sravana (hearing about God);
• Kirtana (singing of the glory of God);
• Smarana (remembering God's name and presence);
• Padasevana (service of God):
• Archana (worship of God);
• Vandana (prostration);
• Dasya (cultivating the Bhava of a servant);
• Sakhya (cultivation of the friend-Bhava);
• Atmanivedana (surrender of the self).

Karma Yoga
The dictionary meaning of word Karma is action or deed, and the outcome or the resultant. Since childhood we have been taught to do the karma in the manner so that the resultant of the actions is maximum amounts of good and the least amount of evil. Karma yoga is another form of dedication towards God. A combination of our actions with the Divine force is our performance. Karma yoga is incomplete if it does not involve selfless service. The history of karma yoga is believed to be originated before 800 BC, when yoga was inclined towards life disciplines and paths.

Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga yoga started around 5000 years BC, and was began by Vivekanand Needam Yoga Sutra. As the name suggests ashtanga yoga means asht (8) anga or the eight limbs or eight fold path formulated by Vivekanad Needam. While practicing ashtanga yoga one needs to focus and concentrate on each of the eight limbs, which are:

• Yama (principles or moral code);
• Niyama (personal disciplines);
• Asana (ashtanga yoga postures)
• Pranayama (yoga breathing);
• Prayahara (withdrawal of senses);
• Dharana (concentration on objects);
• Dhyan (meditation);
• Samadhi (salvation).

Jnana Yoga
Jnana yoga emphasizes on power of knowledge. While practicing Jnana yoga, one needs to pay attention on the all the seven stages which are study, self-realization, desire, protection of the mind, developing indifference to objects, letting the world appear like a dream, non-attachment to the world, bliss and knowledge of truth.

Hatha Yoga
Quite popular in the western world Hatha yoga is based on the use of different yoga postures or asanas for the benefit of the body physically. Hatha yoga emphasizes on how to prepare the mind for spiritual journey by conditioning the body. As ancient yogis believed that when the body is in good physical condition, then only mind can concentrate better on spiritual matters.

Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini yoga emphasizes on Kundalini awakening means stimulation of the energy which is found at the base of the spine is. Kundalini yoga is popular as the most powerful yoga. For performing Kundalini yoga one needs to focus on practicing classic yoga poses. Chanting and meditation are also indispensable part of it. The concentration in Kundalini yoga is on breathe control.

Swara Yoga
Swara yoga teaches how to control the inhalations and exhalations from the nostrils and how to manipulate the flow of breath for health benefits. The essential part of Swara yoga is to observe the nostril's breath flow at all times of the day and seasons. Evidences show that Swara yoga has been practiced for over ten thousand years. Initially only high society people, like kings and sadhaks were eligible to practice it.

Raja yoga
Raja yoga emphasizes on synchronization of mind and emotions and makes a balance by controlling one's life force. The meditation style used in Raja Yoga focuses on the Lord. It helps the sadhaka to guide the life force to move up and down the spine, until contentment of mind is acheived. Then awareness is directed to a point in the lower forehead.

Kriya Yoga
The main aim of Kriya yoga is the spiritual growth using meditation techniques that help combining one’s soul with the Divine. The spiritual energy accumulated deep in the spines is guided through meditation. In Kriya yoga the awakening of mind helps drawing the vital energy up and down the spine using mind power.

Mantra Yoga
As the name suggests Mantra yoga means repeat chanting of a word or phrase until the mind and emotions are transcended and the one reaches the stage of super consciousness. Repeating a mantra helps to concentrate the mind meditation and avoids sudden wondering of mind. The mind is then focused better on yoga. Two popular mantras are aum mani padme hum (om the jewel is in the Lotus hum) and asato ma sat gamayo (lead me from the unreal to the real).

By now, you should have got answer to all questions about yoga types.. However, now when the differences in yoga styles are known to you, you may decide what types of yoga are beneficial to you more. Many people practice a number of yoga disciplines, which focus on different aims and techniques. Once you know the yoga types you want to practice, you can search for appropriate yoga teachers or yoga centers. Most types of yoga have practitioners all over the world.