Interested In History? How About The History Of Yoga?

By Peter Crump

The history of Yoga is an interesting one indeed. It is not entirely clear in many respects, but much is well known about the history of Yoga.

It is thought that the word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word yog meaning union or yoke. This is thought to refer to the ultimate aim of Yoga, which is a union. That union is supposed to be the union of body and mind, reaching a state of higher mental being or spiritual awareness.

Yoga was originally a spiritual undertaking, designed for the improvement of the spiritual being. It is much more commonly practiced today for it’s relaxation and health benefits, and because it is a fun pastime, but it was originally a spiritual quest.

It is known for it’s physical exercises which in turn facilitate with increased flexibility. It can also be extremely useful to facilitate meditation. Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years.

Some Yoga devotees claim that Yoga history starts with a carving of a man sitting cross legged with outstretched arms which as found on a seal which itself is thought to be around 8000 years old.

And some see the beginnings of Yoga to be found in the old Hindu writings known as Vedic Shastras. This would put Yoga at around 4000 years old.

Yoga as a discipline of that name can be found in the Upanishads which gave life to the Bhagavad Gita. This is considered to be the original writings on Yoga and sets out clearly the basis for the self realization which was Yogas goal. It also sets out the 3 main branches of Yoga known as Karma, Jnana and Bhakti.

There are now many streams of Yoga. Most are most closely related to Hatha Yoga which is younger than some other forms, thought to go back around 700 years. The Swami Swatamarama set out the major tenets of Hatha Yoga in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and this form is followed by millions of Hindus as a way of life.

It is clear that the history of Yoga is not clear. That does not though detract from the fact that Yoga, particularly as practiced by more western adherents, is a relaxing and enjoyable pastime that has substantial health benefits. Whatever the history of Yoga, it is now practiced by many people in our society and is constantly growing in popularity.

If you’d like to see what Yoga is all about then give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.

To find out more about Yoga visit Peter's Website The Good Yoga Guide at http://www.goodyogaguide.com/ and find out about Yoga Health Benefits and more including Yoga resources

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Need To Improve Your Health Or Flexibility? Try Yoga

By Peter Crump

There are a range of health benefits from the practice of Yoga. These range from improvements in general levels of health and fitness, to improvements in mental health in some cases, and to, for some, an expansion of what could best be described as spiritual health. Yoga has wide ranging benefits.

Yoga can lessen stress in your life, and help with some problems such as anxiety. And one area where the disciplined practice of Yoga helps greatly is flexibility. The regular practice of Yoga can make a big difference to your flexibility.

Yoga is a low impact, slow and invigorating form of stretching exercise. It is not specifically designed with stretching in mind, but this is certainly one of it’s benefits. As Yoga exercises or movements are done slowly and carefully, over time this will lead to an improvement in your overall flexibility and this will make differences in other areas of your life.

Improvements in flexibility can reduce muscle strain from trying to do things which your current flexibility prohibits without effort. It can improve back movement and muscle pain and will sometimes help with such problems as migraines.

Simple things like sitting at your office desk or reaching to pick something up may be more comfortable. Bending over will become easier. You may well find that other activities, particularly sporting and recreational activities become more enjoyable as your flexibility improves.

And of course this is just a few of the benefits of Yoga. Yoga is easy to learn, although it does take some discipline to do it regularly, as with many forms of exercise. It can be practiced by people with no experience and is easy to take bit by bit. There is no requirement to do a certain amount, you can take it at your own pace and learn as slow or as fast as you like.

And if you learn Yoga at your pace it has limited risk of injury as it is a slow low impact form of exercise.

Yoga is fun and healthy. If you’re thinking of taking up Yoga give it a go. You won’t regret it.

To find out more about Yoga visit Peter's Website The Good Yoga Guide at http://www.goodyogaguide.com/ and find out about Yoga Health Benefits and more including Yoga resources.

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Want To Improve Your Health? Improve Your Circulation With Yoga

By Peter Crump

Yoga has been shown to improve the health of those who practice it, in many ways. These include mental and physical health as well as, for some, spiritual aspects of their lives. Yoga can have dramatic effects on the lives of many people.

And one area where that can be evident is in general blood circulation. Yoga exercises are very good for improving blood circulation and for anyone suffering from a circulatory problem it is well worth considering taking up Yoga, after a suitable consultation with your doctor. And blood circulation is important to so many aspects of our health.

All the tissues in our bodies need to move regularly to function properly. Witness what happens to those who are bedridden and suffer all sorts of problems related to their inability to move around enough.

The practice of Yoga ensures a good flow of blood to the tissues of our body. This in turn ensures a supply of oxygen because blood carries oxygen. And this helps improve the functioning of our organs and our general health. It will help in many areas of our general physical and mental health.

And those who suffer from some mental problems such as reduced memory may well also find that the regular practice of Yoga and the resultant improvement in oxygen supply to the brain from improved blood circulation results in some improvement to their specific mental problems.

This can be true in so many areas of our lives. Yoga can be beneficial during pregnancy for example, and there are many women who suffer from circulatory problems during pregnancy. The practice of Yoga can help maintain the woman’s overall health and mental well being and this may well in turn give her better physical ability and confidence to help her with the delivery.

And there are all sorts of other physical conditions which can be improved with improved blood circulation which results from the practice of Yoga. Perhaps you will find that blood pressure problems improve, or back pain may improve or even just that you get a better nights sleep.

There are many benefits to be found from a disciplined practice of Yoga, many stemming from improvements in the overall circulatory function. There are even some particular Yoga exercises called Inversions which are especially developed to improve stamina and the strength of the upper body, and these also help improve blood circulation.

Inversions keep your legs above the level of your heart which in turn affects the flow of blood. They should be done after long periods of standing. There are some who should avoid inversions, such as pregnant women, and anyone suffering from a specific medical problem should of course consult their doctor first.

Yoga is a discipline like any other, and so the benefits you get from it will depend on the degree to which you practice Yoga, however if you do so regularly, don’t be surprised to find your overall health increasing.

And there are many Yoga exercised that can improve overall health by improving the circulation. Consult your instructor if you’d like to learn more about the effects of Yoga on circulation, and find out more about the specific Yoga exercises to help you improve your circulation.

To find out more about Yoga visit Peter's Website The Good Yoga Guide at http://www.goodyogaguide.com/ and find out about Yoga Health Benefits and more including Yoga resources

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Feeling Run Down? Need To Have Some Fun? Try Yoga, Of Any Type

By Peter Crump

Although Yoga is extremely well known as a health and relaxation and entertaining discipline, it is not so well known that there are quite a number of different types of Yoga. And for anyone considering taking up Yoga it is important to understand these different Yoga types. All Yoga styles will work well as a general health and fitness discipline, but you may want to investigate the different disciplines of Yoga if you are intending to be more involved in your Yoga.

So before taking your first Yoga class find out a bit about what style of Yoga it teaches. There are in fact many different styles, some similar to others, but there are not so many well known and fashionable styles of Yoga.

Bikram Yoga, or what is known as Hot Yoga, in certainly a well known and modern style of Yoga, and popular now. It is a style of Yoga developed by Bikram Choudhury and has some detractors. As Yoga involves various routines and body postures, and this style is no different in that respect. There are a series of 26 poses in the normal Bikram Yoga routine. They are performed in an extremely hot room and this is thought to improve the relaxation effect of the routines and to help cleanse the body.

Another very popular style of Yoga is Hatha Yoga. This is one of the most likely forms of Yoga that you will come across if you are looking for Yoga classes. It includes many of the basic Yoga poses which are used in many of the Yoga styles. These are performed in an extremely slow way, and this style is therefore not extremely strenuous. Hatha is therefore a good Yoga style for those who are new to Yoga, or for those who are less flexible.

Another extremely well known form of Yoga is Vinyasa Yoga. This is also one of the most likely forms of Yoga that would be offered by the more common Yoga classes. It is a style founded on a series of stretches known as the Sun Salutations. As with many Yoga styles it incorporates and emphasis the importance of controlled breathing and adherents attempt to synchronise their breathing with each of the movements. It can be faster than Hatha Yoga and often requires a more advanced degree of fitness and flexibility than Hatha Yoga.

There are many other forms of Yoga, however if you are a Yoga beginner then these are some of the most common forms that you will encounter if you are looking for Yoga classes.

Whatever style you ultimately choose, Yoga is a discipline that has many advantages to your physical and mental health. It is fun and satisfying, and if you are considering taking up Yoga you will not be disappointed. Give it a go.

To find out more about Yoga visit Peter's Website The Good Yoga Guide at http://www.goodyogaguide.com/ and find out about Yoga Health Benefits and more including Yoga resources

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