It’s associated with Eastern monks living like hermits in caves. Even Christian saints are renowned for their ability in this area. What is it?
Meditation. In its simplest form it is the practice of calming your body and mind to perform inner contemplation. The classic Eastern practice of this has you sitting with your spine straight, legs crossed and forefinger and thumb together as you release the sound of “ohm.” But many people simply assume a comfortable pose and then clear their minds.
The variations are numerous: some people focus on an external object, such as a candle. Others find that they can clear their minds easier by concentrating on their breathing. Some even silently repeat a word or a phrase.
One student of meditation has described it as “inner astronomy.” Through meditation you discover the stars, the moon and the sun . . . …
Yoga: Getting Started
Thinking about starting a yoga routine? You’ll be happy to learn that the hardest part is taking that first step. Your two first steps are to see your family health practitioner to insure that your health conditions allow this. The second is to sign up to attend a class taught by a professional.
After you’ve attended several classes and understand the importance of the postures, you can begin to practice some on your own. Whether you attend a class or you’re practicing yoga at home with a DVD or a book, you want to wear either loose, comfortable clothing or a pair of tights or a unitard. You do not want to wear clothes that will restrict or inhibit your movements in any way.
Just as with any exercise, you shouldn’t eat or drink directly before a yoga session. You should wait an hour …
Yoga: Spiritual benefits
You cannot talk about yoga without mentioning its spiritual benefits. Already touched upon lightly when talking about such rewards as decreased hostility, an improved outlook on life and peace of mind, yoga can be an invaluable tool to help you discover your true self.
Yoga experts say that when performed regularly it can actually diminish or totally eliminate the pride of a person’s ego. To give you an idea of why this might be so, consider the times when you’ve been totally exhausted. Very it is during these trying periods that we are the hardest on ourselves. We criticize our actions and relive all the mistakes we’ve made. We find it difficult if not impossible — to forgive ourselves for mistakes or for poor performance.
However, the increased energy and general enlightenment that yoga produces helps us to surpass these feelings. We …
Yoga: Its psychological benefits
Perhaps more than any other exercise, yoga highlights the mind-body connection. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to talk about the physical benefits of this unique exercise without mentioning its many positive psychological effects on the body as well.
The most well-known of these steadying the heart rate, increasing flexibility, supporting the nervous system help individuals to move toward a mental transformation as well as a physical one.
Studies reveal that when a person practices yoga regularly, he displays a more optimistic outlook on life. He also becomes more aware of the world around him and just seems to be more in touch with the small details of life. In other words, a student of yoga seems to have a better appreciation and sensitivity of her surroundings.
And this is the first step in de-stressing your life. Perhaps more than any …
Yoga An Overview
Many women now turn to yoga to help alleviate the back pain and other symptoms due to premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Others find that practicing yoga help alleviate back problems, arthritis symptoms or other chronic health problems.
Many health care practitioners are taking a second look at this ancient form of exercise, as its abilities to seem to heal are beginning to be verified by scientific research. According to Emmanuel Brandeis, M.D., the founder of Yoga Nemo of West Hollywood, CA as well as a board-certified gynecologist, “There’s a lot of research being done [regarding yoga] but not in the United States. The research is mostly being done in India, and the studies are being published in noted journals with a lot of credibility.
Funding for research in the United State, by contrast, Brandeis says, usually get funneled into projects that will eventually yield profits for …
