Yoga is an ancient tradition of self-realization through exercise and meditation. The word Yoga derives its meaning from the Sanskrit word of yuj which is defined as “to unite, control or integrate”.

Yoga’s origin dates back to over 4000 years ago and ancient Yogis, like the Indian sage Patanjali, believed that in order to achieve harmony one must be at peace with oneself and one’s surroundings. The process of Yoga is to help us achieve a harmonious balance between mind, body and spirit.

In order to achieve this balance, Yogis created techniques through breathing, exercise and meditation. These techniques make up the basic structures of Yoga.

According to Patanjali, the widely regarded founder of Yoga, there are 8 disciplines to Yoga that are necessary to find true self-enlightenment.

The 8 disciplines, also known as Ashtanga Yoga (Eight-Limbed Yoga) are:

1. Yama (5 abstentations) - Non-violence, being truthful, not being possessive, not envying others, and lack of sensuality.
2. Niyama (5 observances) - Purity, contentment, lack of comfort, study of self and surrendering to god.
3. Asana (Literal meaning is “seat”) - refers to a seated position during meditation
4. Pranayama – (Control of “Prana”) - Prana is interpreted as life force, particularly the breath, and “Ayama” is to extend, therefore Pranayama is breath control.
5. Pratyahara (To abstract) - separating your sensory organs from objects.
6. Dharana (To concentrate) - Focusing on one single object
7. Dhyana (To meditate) - Intense concentration on meditation
8. Samadhi (To Liberate) - This is where your consciousness merges with the focus of meditation

Influenced by the Eight Limbs of Yoga come 6 main branches of Yoga that have developed based upon these teachings.

Below you’ll discover the 6 main branches of Yoga:

1. Hatha Yoga - Known as the Yoga of postures, this is perhaps the branch of Yoga most people think of when you mention Yoga. It incorporates poses (Asana) with breathing techniques (Pranayama) as well as meditation to achieve better physical and spiritual well-being.
2. Karma Yoga – Because it is believed that your current situation in life is a result of your past actions, Yogis who follow Karma Yoga set to change their perspectives and actions toward the positive in life. Karma Yoga leads the practioner on a path of selfless service which helps change their soul and therefore their destiny.
3. Bhakti Yoga - This branch of Yoga is most commonly followed in India and is the path of devotion and the heart. Those who intensely study Yoga, also known as “Yogis”, see the Divine in all things that surround them.
4. Raja Yoga – Also known as the King of Yoga, this branch of Yoga is about self-control. It is most commonly followed by religious and spiritual members and is based on the teachings of the Eight Limbs of Yoga (see above).
5. Tantra Yoga – The path to find the sacred of everything we do is Tantra Yoga. This branch is typically misunderstood because of its correlation with sex however, Yogis must possess a number of qualities, including: devotion, humility, truthfulness, and purity.
6. Jnana Yoga – This branch deals with the mind. Jnana Yogis strive to merge wisdom and intellect on the path to knowing the spirit. This includes being open minded toward other people and religion.

The history and evolution of Yoga is a vast and fascinating story and is practiced by millions of people all over the world.

The primary focus of Yoga practitioners is to treat the body with care and respect. Through a process of physical stretching and posing, breathing techniques and meditation, Yoga exercises help to improve your body’s circulation and glandular systems for an overall improvement in health.

You hear a lot about Yoga these days and more and more people are becoming proponents of this type of low impact exercise. It’s not uncommon to find Yoga classes in your local gym these days but don’t be fooled, these ancient Indian health techniques go back over 4000 years.

If you haven’t taken the step of including Yoga exercises and techniques in your daily life then you owe it to yourself to give it a try and discover the true health benefits of yoga.

Below you’ll discover just a few of the many health benefits of Yoga and why this type of exercise can improve your life physically, mentally and spiritually.

Become more flexible: With today’s fast-paced lifestyle most people experience some form of tightness and tension in various muscles. This could be knots in shoulders, aching legs and back, etc. Yoga techniques help rejuvenate your muscles and joints providing more flexibility and range of motion. In a short time you’ll begin to experience greater flexibility in your legs, hips, shoulders, neck and back. You’ll be amazed at how you feel too!

Tone up your muscles: Exercising with Yoga will help you lose weight, gain strength, lessen stress, feel more in control and tighten up those once-flabby muscles. Over time the muscles you used to neglect will begin to mould into lean, tone muscle giving you more confidence along with your sexy new shape.

Increase your strength: Among the major benefits of Yoga is the fact that it’s low-impact and requires no gym equipment. You can use items such as exercise balls however, instead of equipment many Yoga techniques rely on supporting your own body to hold postures. For example, the Downward Facing Dog pose requires you to support yourself with your arms. Strength and flexibility in Yoga ultimately help you combat ailments, such as back pain, through greater strength and spinal alignment.

Better breath control: Yoga teaches you how to use our lungs for deeper breaths, which allows for more oxygen to circulate throughout the body. Most people take shallow breaths and aren’t particularly conscious of how breathing better can benefit their lives. Yoga offers a number of breathing exercises, called Pranayama, which helps you focus on your breathing for better physical and mental health.

Calming the mind: Yoga poses can be quite intense, such as balancing on one leg, on your arms or even your head. By focusing intently on your physical posture, Yoga helps to calm the mind. Meditation techniques also help you focus on breathing and clearing your mind of negative thoughts.

Reducing your stress: Let’s face it, most of us have quite a lot of stress to deal with on a daily basis and this ultimately affects our mind and body. Because Yoga techniques require both physical and mental concentration, before you know it your stresses begin to melt away. Between physical exercise, breathing techniques, and meditation, you will experience a multitude of the health benefits of Yoga.

If we all took a few minutes out of our day to practice Yoga we all would be living happier, healthier lives. You do not need to join a gym or be particularly fit to begin exercising with Yoga. However, you’ll be amazed at how beneficial Yoga is to your mental and physical well being and you owe it to yourself to begin today on your journey to a happier, healthier you!

Yoga teaches its students to seek harmony and balance between the mind, body, and spirit. Techniques range from breathing exercises, stretching, chanting and executing the top yoga poses.

The majority of people who don’t know a lot about Yoga think of the different poses and stretches. Poses, or asanas, are essential toward balancing your energy and helping to relieve stress and tension.

Below you’ll find a list of some of the top yoga poses, how to do each, as well as the benefit of each posture to your mental and physical health.

Downward Facing Dog – One of the more popular and well-known poses, Downward Facing Dog begins with you on your hands and knees. Now, curl your toes toward your hands and begin to lift your pelvis by straightening your legs and arms. You should now be in a triangle like pose with your hips at the highest point. Move your weight to the back of your legs pressing down your heels.

The benefits - You should now be feeling a good stretching sensation in your hamstring (back of leg) and calf muscles. This pose helps to strengthen the spine and increase blood flow to the brain.

The Mountain – This pose starts with feet parallel to each other and about the width of your hips. Do not lock your knees and be sure you are standing balanced on your feet. Keep shoulders down and arms straight.

The benefits – As simple as this pose may appear, it’s a great way to make you more aware of your posture. It helps to calm your body and mind making this a great pose to do in the morning.

The Cobra – Lay down on the floor, preferably a mat, and with legs drawn together stretch them from the hip to the toes. Now, with elbows up place each palm face-down on the mat as if you were to push yourself up off the floor. While legs are still stretched toward the toes, begin to lift your chest, then stomach, then eventually your hips off the floor in an upward arching pose looking up toward the sky.

The benefits – By using the upper body to push, you will strengthen and tone your chest, abdominal and shoulder muscles. Your back and gluteus muscles will also benefit from this exercise. This pose will help reduce stress and can ease the pain of certain back ailments.

The Fish – Lie on the floor facing the sky. Have your knees bent and feet flat on the mat. Now, lift your hips while you inhale. Slide your hands, face down, underneath your pelvis while lowering your glutes down onto your hands.

While you inhale, press your forearms down and your shoulder blades up into your back. Release your head slowly until it rests gently onto the mat. By now either the back or the top of your head will be touching the floor gently.

Your legs can either be flat or your knees bent but either way you should press down through your heels. Perform several deep breaths while holding this pose then gently lower your head and torso back to the floor when you exhale. Raise your legs into your stomach and squeeze your stomach muscles.

The benefits – While stretching your legs, hips, abs and neck you are also strengthening your upper back and the back of your neck. This pose also improves your posture.

The Tree – Begin in the Mountain pose mentioned earlier with feet parallel to each other then shift your weight to your left leg while raising your right heel to the upper and inner part of your left thigh. Place your hands together in a prayer-like posture and if you feel like you can manage, lift your hands up above your head.

The benefit – Stretching of the inner thighs, chest, and shoulders while strengthening your leg and back muscles. May relieve small back ailments while improving balance.

The Warrior (One) – This most common of the Warrior poses begins from a standing position then has you “jump” to spread your feet about a meter apart. Still facing forward turn your right foot to point to the right where you will eventually pivot your torso. Now, turn your torso to the right so it’s facing the same direction as your right foot. Meanwhile, your left foot, or back foot now, is turned slightly at a 45-degree angle.

With arms in the air, lunge forward by bending your right leg while keeping your left leg fully stretched. Imagine lifting up through the air while holding the pose for several controlled breaths.

Now lower your arms, pivot your body back to center and “jump” your feet back together. Repeat this pose again only facing the opposite direction and alternating the forward leg.

The benefit – This is a great pose to help tone stubborn areas like your thighs, legs, and glutes as well as broadens the chest and lengthens the spine.

Yoga Meditation

When you choose a time and a place for Yoga meditation it must be a time that is comfortable for you and moreover fit in with your normal daily schedule.

According to the most experienced Yoga gurus, the ideal time and place for Yoga meditation should be either early morning or late evening. Sunset and sunrise are also recommended times for a session of meditation. Whatever the time of day you choose for meditation the key is to choose a time that works for you.

When dedicating time for meditation it is also a good idea to decide how many times a day you wish to meditate. Sometimes work or personal events can consume the time we set aside to meditate. Therefore we must decide whether we want to arrange things around the chosen meditation time or that miss a session.

Dedication is fundamental in order to take meditation seriously and moreover reap the benefits. Even after a very long tiring day at work it is better to sit and meditate for 1 minute than skip the session. This can lead to more missed sessions. The best thing to train yourself to do is sit for a single moment as it will affirm your intent to be inward for meditation.

In order to develop a good habit and enjoy meditating, it is important to use the same place every day for meditation. The mind will therefore not be disturbed by thinking of where in the house or room to go. The place you choose will also become a point of reference in your daily life.

Wherever we choose to meditate it must be a quiet place where we will not be disturbed. Even though noises themselves should not distract us from our meditation, the way we react upon hearing them may. Therefore the time and place for meditation must be quiet but not absolutely quiet.

5 Principles of Yoga

The common theme throughout this website is finding fulfillment and harmony of the mind, body and soul through the practice of Yoga. This ancient Indian system encompasses a variety of techniques, postures, and perspectives to guide you toward self-realization and happiness.

Below you’ll find the 5 essential principles of Yoga:

Principle #1 – The Importance of Relaxation

Relaxation is a very important element in Yoga. When you relax you are letting go of built up tension in your muscles and improving the flow of your own bodily systems, such as your nervous system, which help you achieve inner peace. Relaxing your mind and your muscles makes you feel refreshed and energized as you let your daily stresses and worries simply melt away. This “inner peace” through relaxation is carried into your Yoga exercises as well as other aspects of your life.

Principle #2 – Exercising Properly

Another important element in Yoga is understanding that your body is meant to experience movement and needs exercise. Asanas are Yoga poses and postures which combine stretching, strength building, toning, and oxygenating the muscles and tendons of your body while increasing the flexibility and durability of the spine and joints. Blood circulation improves and more oxygen is able to feed muscle tissue and organs by incorporating deep breathing techniques throughout each pose.

The stretching and movement of each pose should be guided by your breathing techniques so that the entire posture, from beginning to end, is one smooth flow. Concentration, relaxation, movement, stretching, and breathing all contribute to a whole body experience.

Principle #3 – Deep and Proper Breathing

You learn to breathe deeper and more fully using all parts of your lungs to help oxygenate your blood, muscle tissue, and organs while exhaling to get rid of wasteful gases like carbon dioxide. Most of us take short breaths and do not breathe properly throughout the day. In Yoga, deep and rhythmical breathing is necessary to be in tune with each asana.

These breathing exercises are called Pranayama, and when correctly performed will help recharge your body and calm your mind.

Principle #4 – Healthy Diet

Whether you have yet to experience the wonderful benefits of Yoga on your body and mind or are already a seasoned practitioner, a healthy diet is essential for everyone to realize full potential. When eating improperly your body, and mind for that matter, experience fatigue, sluggishness, as well as a decrease in spiritual awareness. Eating correctly will help nourish your body and mind and help avoid some illnesses like obesity and diabetes. Focus on natural foods that help keep the body strong and the mind peaceful. Avoid bad habits such as eating to deal with emotional issues. A healthy diet in Yoga also means eating in moderation and only when you are hungry.

Principle #5 – Meditation and Positive Thinking

Yoga also teaches us to free our minds from the fears and worries we carry with us during the course of the day. Thinking positively and seeing the good in people and our surroundings will help to create a peaceful mind. Meditation techniques help you remove negative thoughts giving you complete control of your mind. Positive thoughts ultimately improve your physical well being as tensions and stresses disappear.

While most people may not think of Yoga when it comes to losing weight, doctors and sports therapists admit it’s a great way to trim fat and tone your body. Yoga in fact will help you improve your overall mind, body and spiritual well being making you a happier, healthier person as you drop the pounds.

Depending on the exercise and type of Yoga you practice, you can expect to lose a good 170 to 400 calories per hour. There are some poses, or asanas, in Yoga that not only burn calories and strengthen muscles but can also speed up your metabolic rate thus keeping the pounds off in the future.

One of the more popular methods is Power Yoga, a term generally used in the West to describe a fitness style approach to Vinyasa Yoga. This vigorous style of Yoga is modelled on the Ashtanga style however, Power Yoga doesn’t follow a set series of poses.

Vinyasa style Yoga is a great way to lose weight. It is based on a series of poses called Sun Salutations, among other Yoga techniques. One of these techniques, also known as the Vinyasa Flow, involves smooth inhaling and exhaling from one pose to another, very much emulating a dance-like flow.

Expect movement and physical exertion, not just stretching, when you participate in the Vinyasa method. If you decide to enroll in a Vinyasa course you’ll soon discover that each teacher will interpret the Vinyasa method differently. There are no hard and fast rules to this type of Yoga. Therefore, you should keep trying different teachers if you don’t like any one particular teaching method.

Ashtanga Yoga is based on the Eight Limb path by the sage Patanjali. This style of Yoga is often practiced by athletes who want to increase their strength and stamina. Therefore, you can expect a high level of difficulty in postures compared to other forms of Yoga. You move from one posture to another to focus on strength and endurance which is great for a workout and burning calories but may not be suitable for beginners or those seeking the traditional techniques of calm stretching and meditation.

Remember that there is no miracle activity or style of exercise that will solve all your weight loss problems. A balanced diet combined with aerobic activity will work wonders for your body.

Whatever method of exercise you choose, losing weight the Yoga way will not only help you shed the calories and tone the muscles but also provide you with an inner peace and overall mental and physical well being that many other forms of exercise do not include. Incorporate Yoga into your life if you want to reduce stress, drop weight, and release tension.

Yoga can help women get through their pregnancy with minimal discomfort. It also helps the birth and post-delivery stages.

In general, women who practice Yoga during their pregnancy appear to be much healthier and calmer. With regular Yoga their bodies become much more flexible and this enables them to adapt to a wider variety of positions when in labor. As the ligaments become much more elastic this in turn can reduce the intensity of labor pains.

The benefits of Yoga during pregnancy are plentiful. Yoga helps boost circulation and also helps with fluid retention, especially experienced by pregnant women towards the end of the term. The stretching exercises, when done repeatedly, help relieve aches and pains. Posture is also improved and in turn helps ease lower back pain, a common complaint for many women in pregnancy.

It is said that Yoga helps prepare for the birth as it encourages breath and body awareness. It also reduces worry and stress and teaches women how to adapt and prepare for new situations.

After pregnancy Yoga continues to be beneficial to women. Six weeks after the birth has taken place, postnatal Yoga can begin. This helps to not only shed those extra pounds gained during pregnancy but also help to strengthen the stomach muscles and pelvic floor. With regular Yoga practice women can resume their pre-pregnancy weight much quicker and be healthier and more relaxed for it.

Let’s follow some basic preparations:

1. Blow your nose to clear your nostrils as much as possible.
2. For optimal conditions be sure you practice in room-temperature setting. Also, avoid being near toxic smells such as chemicals or smoke as you will be taking deeper breaths than normal and the air around you needs to be clean.
3. Prepare to breath solely through your nostrils.
4. The goal is to take control of your breathing. You are trying to achieve fluidity of your breath. However, if at any time your breath becomes choppy or uneven then simply stop the exercise and let your breathing pattern return to its normal state.
5. Because you will be experiencing more oxygen to the brain through this breathing technique, be aware that you may become dizzy, faint or light headed. If so, stop the technique and return to your normal breathing pattern before recommencing. You can increase your level of intensity over time.
6. Consult your doctor before undertaking breathing techniques, particularly if you suffer from asthma, a heart condition, or any other ailment that may require prior medical supervision.

Abdominal Breath is also known as Diaphragmatic Breath or Natural Breath.

How to perform Abdominal Breathing –

Lying flat on your back assume the Savasana pose where your arms are by your side with palms facing the sky. Become conscious of your breathing which should be slow and deep. Also, become aware of your abdomen slowly rising as you inhale and falling as you exhale.

Remember to keep your mouth closed and breath through your nostrils the whole time. Can you feel each deep breath circulating throughout your body? A good way to help you visualize air coming in and going out is to imagine your belly rises up as it fills with air and falls down as it releases the air. No air actually enters your stomach, rather this technique helps you to focus on your breathing which is required in Yoga.

While performing these slow, deep breathing movements, relax your facial muscles and your throat. Shoulders should be relieved of tension and at the same time relax your stomach and abdominal muscles. This will help calm your digestive organs.

The goal is to calm your entire body. Breathe deeply into your abdomen toward your pelvis, and focus on smooth, rhythmic, and fluid movements.

Abdominal Breathing helps to reduce stress and tension by calming the mind and relaxing your nervous system. By focusing on your breathing techniques you are “in the moment” giving your mind a rest from the normal stresses and worries of the day. Also, deeper breaths mean more oxygen to your brain and red blood cells while exhaling gets rid of carbon dioxide and other wasteful gases.

When the harmony in our body becomes unbalanced, our own systems such as muscular, vascular, digestive and nervous systems, slow down or “slump” resulting in muscle tightness. These tense muscles press down into the bone preventing proper lubrication to the joints as oxygen and nutrients are blocked from feeding muscular tissue.

Yoga techniques help lower stress levels physically through stretching and postures, but also mentally by calming the mind and reducing stress responses of the sympathetic nervous system.

When it comes to sport, Yoga can be seen as the “secret weapon” by giving you that edge over the competition. You are able to focus on the core physical strengths your body requires to endure the physical impacts during athletic exercise.

Most athletes also understand the benefits of stretching, for example stretching hamstrings before a run or any activity involving intense use of your legs. Stretching is integral in Yoga mixed with breathing techniques to help you focus on improving your body’s overall performance. Yoga can help muscles becomes stronger and more flexible while at the same time prevent injury.

Typical injuries associated with sport involve the feet, ankle and knees. Yoga techniques focus not only on muscular health but joints and tendons as well through the various postures, also known as asanas. Keeping your muscles and joints flexible yet strong is one of the many positive side effects of proper Yoga training.

Through proper breathing exercises the athlete is able to oxygenate blood and tissues more efficiently as she inhales, while releasing toxic gases upon exhaling. Overall stamina is improved helping to avoid early fatigue during intense activity. Yoga helps the process of getting energy to flow through the body more efficiently.

Breathing techniques also reduce stress levels by calming the mind and increasing brain alertness. You are required to focus on your breathing and movement of the diaphragm which is very meditative.

Yoga also helps with both balance and muscle response. Many postures require you to find balance to execute the pose, which in turn strengthens muscles and tendons. The more Yoga you practice the more you stimulate nerve impulses to muscle tissue and improve hand and foot to eye coordination.

Power Yoga is a fast paced, aerobic form of exercise incorporating the Ashtanga Yoga discipline. Many people compare the intense workout to a form of Yoga “bootcamp” which is unlike most peoples’ perception of Yoga being a calming, meditative exercise, which of course it is that as well.

Ashtanga Yoga is often referred to the Eight Limb system credited to the sage Patanjali. However, the high energy, “sweaty” version of Ashtanga Yoga, which uses an intense approach to asanas (poses) and pranayama (breathing exercises), is attributed to K. Pattabhi Jois.

The main practice of Ashtanga involves six increasingly challenging and difficult postures linked to the next involving between 90 minutes and 3 hours to complete. According to practitioners, if you can survive Power Yoga it can change your life.

Ashtanga Yoga requires each participant to perform a spectrum of postures including difficult and unpleasant ones, in a quest to unlock certain aspects of the mind and body.

The goal is to complete each of four series. The first, or primary series known as Yoga Chikitsa, is designed to realign the spine, cleanse the physical body, and build strength and endurance.

The intermediate, or second series, is called Nadi Shadona, which means to purify the nervous system. Its purpose is to cleanse and strengthen the nervous system and energy channels throughout the body. Power Yoga disciples are only invited to this second series after building a strong primary series.

Overall there are four series which are called Sthira Bhaga, or divine stability. The original structure of Ashtanga Yoga by Jois only had two series but he decided to split them into four series so less experienced Yoga practitioners could participate.

A word of caution, this intense program is only for the most advanced of Yoga students. There is a real danger that students may attempt poses or techniques that are too advanced and end up injuring themselves. These exercises are very demanding and must be performed in a series flowing from one into the other.

It is less about the physical challenge than the ability to master the mind. You must accomplish each series with a focused mind and a heart full of joy, even if the pose you are in is incredibly difficult and discomforting.

However, if you are able to rise to the challenge and complete each series properly, it is said to be a blissful experience.