Yoga postures E-Book

Friederike Baum

• Herausgeber: Vyiha Publishing
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

The Yoga poses outlined in this book will help the students at a beginner level to start practicing Yoga while will direct the more advanced ones to fine-tune their technique. By presenting each pose in the form of an easy-to-use card, the author has made a great effort to communicate her experience so that it can be easily understood. The book is filled with over thirty photos as well as instructions and suggestions on how to get the poses properly done. Some of the postures are basic, others are more advanced so that the book can accompany the students in different stages of practicing Yoga. As the author has done extensive researches on the importance of breathing while holding poses, a chapter is dedicated to breathing techniques with the intent of applying this knowledge not only during the Yoga practice but also in the life of every day.

Leseprobe

Contents

The power of Yoga

The importance of breathing

30 Postures for your daily practice

The journey of practicing Yoga

References

The power of Yoga

YOGA is known to be an ancient physical and spiritual discipline as well as a branch of philosophy originated in India most probably 5,000 years ago. The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit "yuj", which means to yoke, join, or unite. The Iyengar school of Yoga also defines "yuj" as the "joining or integrating of all aspects of the individual (i.e. body with mind and mind with soul) with the intent to achieve a happier and a more balanced life." The ultimate aim of Yoga is, in fact, known to be reaching kaivalya, the emancipation or ultimate freedom.

Origins and development of Yoga

UNFORTUNATELY, there is no written record about who invented Yoga since the discipline was practiced by yogis (i.e. Yoga practitioners) much before humans knew how to write. Over the millennia, Yogis passed down their knowledge to their students with many different Yoga schools developing and branching apart.

The earliest written record of Yoga is one of the oldest texts in existence. It is generally believed to be written by Patanjali, an Indian yogic sage who lived around 2,000 years ago. Patanjali is believed to have written the Yoga Sutras (i.e. thread, in Sanskrit). Those are the principles, philosophies and practices of Yoga that still followed today. Although many schools of Yoga have evolved over the centuries, they all follow such fundamental principles described by Patanjali. Buddhism and other Eastern spiritual traditions use a number of the Yoga techniques as well as derivations of those techniques.

The exact location where Yoga originated has long been object of debates and discussions among historians and scholars. Some believe to be the foothills of India, others the valleys of Southeast Asia, and others the mountains of China. Whichever the right location was, Yoga did not remain a secret forever. Eventually, one of the oldest form of personal development found its way out of the Asian continent and developed into what is known today for. With millions of practitioners around the globe, Yoga ended up in revolutionizing the meditative lifestyle.

Swami Vivekananda is known to have been the first Hindu teacher to share and promote the aspects of Yoga to the West around 1890. In addition to Yoga, many other aspects of Hindu philosophy were introduced to the Western public during the same time.

In the 1960s, Western interest in Hindu spirituality and Yoga (at that time considered a synonym of Hatha Yoga) reached its peak. Several Neo-Hindu schools or schools meant to spread the Hindu philosophy and Yoga to Western audiences emerged across the US and Western Europe. The practitioners of Yoga devoted their time to learning about Samsara (i.e. the Hindu cycle of rebirth) and Moksha (i.e. the release from the cycle of rebirth and sufferings). In these early studies Yoga was more than simple and basic Asana (poses) and Pranayama (breathing exercises) as most of the people may consider it today. Yoga was instead perceived by the masses for only a limited number of people who eventually spent years in studying under a yogi (Yoga masters) as if it was a religion to which devote the own life.

It was not until the 1980s then, that Yoga witnessed a sudden revival in its popularity when several researches and doctors in the West found a way to connect it to heart health. This connection changed the connotation of Yoga into a physical system of exercise, removing the heavy religious connotation that it had since the 1960s. The average person at this stage felt to be able to practice Yoga without the need of learning Sanskrit or Hindu philosophy. A heavy burden was left behind and many Western fitness centers began to present Yoga in their programs. Soon Yoga studios were opening across Western Europe and the United States.

In the last ten years Yoga has appeared in the medical field as a new, modern treatment to complement medications. Nowadays, Yoga has even been the subject of studies investigating cancer treatments and it has been proven to decrease depression, pain, insomnia, fatigue, as well as control of anxiety in cancer patients [1].

Studies on the treatment of schizophrenia have also pointed out how Yoga is actually able to improve cognitive functions and reduces stress. When paired with existing drugs and therapy, the introduction of Yoga into the daily routine of schizophrenic adults has been proven to have profound effects. Patients with schizophrenia saw an improvement also in social and occupation functions in only four months of Yoga practice [2].

Since heart diseases is among the top killers of developed countries citizens, Yoga’s positive effects on their treatment have earned attention in the mainstream media. Also in this case, Yoga has been proven to reduce high blood pressure, to improve the symptoms of heart failure, to speeds up rehabilitation, as well as to lower the risk for future heart problems [3].

Nowadays, Yoga is moving into the competitive field with organizations such as the International Yoga Sports Federation eventually aiming for a position in the Olympic Games. Yoga has certainly come a long way from its pure form entrenched within the Hindu philosophy. Having been adopted by the Western world many times over, Yoga is unpredictable in its modern development.

However the future of Yoga is expected to be, there is no doubt today that millions of practitioners have enriched and balanced their lives as soon as the popularity of such discipline increased around the world.

The eight pillars of Yoga

PRACTICING Yoga focuses not only on physical and spiritual improvement. In the Sutras written by Patanjali, the eight pillars of Yoga are introduced as the theoretical basis of the discipline. These are the special practical guidelines thought to use Yoga for allowing the mind, body and spirit, to be always in balance with the outer world with the idea to ultimately achieving the enlightenment. The eight pillars are known as:

1. Yama, or the way one behaves. There are five Yamas prescribing non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, self-control and non-possessiveness.

2. Niyama, or attitude to oneself. Also in this case, there are five Niyamas: cleanliness, contentment, austerity, study of sacred texts and surrender to God.

3. Asana, or physical pose. Through practicing Asanas one frees the mind and body from tension and stress. Asanas relax, rejuvenate and permit to gain energy for the entire body to prepare for meditation.

4. Pranayama, or breath control. Yogis regulate breath as they recognize the connection between breathing and the state of mind, a direct relationship between the nervous system activity and the level of life energy. Controlling breathing is also meant to improve the concentration skills.

5. Pratyahara, or withdrawal of the senses. It is the process of diverting the awareness towards the inside, away from the outer world. This practice allows to look at ourselves in a detached way and achieve in turn a higher level of spiritual development.

6. Dharana, or concentration. The state of focusing the attention on a single point, without any distractions, serving as a mean of preparation for meditation.

7. Dhyana, or meditation. Meditation is the practice of a constant, uninterrupted observation with the mind without any special focus. It is meant to increase the awareness of oneself.

8. Samadhi, or enlightenment. The ultimate and most coveted – because it is the hardest to achieve – goal of the eight pillars is the state of peace, harmony and awareness resulting from the feeling of unity with everything surrounding us.

Types of Yoga

WITH Yoga growing around the Asian continent, several types (or schools) developed. They evolved over the centuries as different yogis developed their own philosophies and approaches to the discipline and in turn taught them to eager students. These passed the knowledge then on to their own students and disciples. For instance, Hatha Yoga, probably the most popular type of Yoga taught in the West, was developed by Yogi Swatmarama in India around the 15th century and described by Swatmarama as "a stairway to the heights of Raja Yoga (Raja being one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, outlined in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali) as well as "a preparatory stage of physical purification that renders the body fit for the practice of higher meditation." By the same token, Kundalini Yoga - which is reported to be more than 5,000 years old - was introduced to the West only in 1969 by Yogi Bhajan during one of his travels from India.

Although they may differ in their philosophies and even in the related Asanas, all Yoga types aim nevertheless to the same outcome, that is to say a unification of mind and body with the spirit. The most popular Yoga types can be quickly summarized in the following - certainly not all-inclusive - list: Purna, Ashtanga, Jnana, Bhakti, Bikram, Karma, Raja, Hatha, Kundalini, Mantra, Tantra, Iyengar, Astanga, Vini, Ananda, Anusara, Integral, Kali Ray Tri, Kripalu, Kundalini, and Sivananda. Some of the most popular types in the Yoga and fitness centers are without any doubt Hatha, Iyengar, Astanga (or Ashtanga), Bikram, and Kundalini.

Hatha Yoga is by far the most widely practiced type in the world as it is excellent for beginners. It is, in fact, gentle with its slow and smooth movements, with the focus being on holding the poses and integrating the breathing into the movement. It is a great introduction to Yoga as it incorporates many different Asanas as well as Pranayamas and chanting. Hatha Yoga will prepare the practitioner for other Yoga types. Hatha is also a good way to stretch and work the muscles by getting in touch with the body achieving a higher level of relaxation by decreasing the accumulated stress.

Iyengar Yoga is a form of Yoga that uses poses similar to Hatha but with a focus on the body alignment and balance. Such concentration is achieved by holding poses for longer time and by using tools such as straps, blankets, and blocks. It is definitely a great choice for beginners.

Kundalini Yoga emphasizes rapid movement through the poses and the breathing, chanting, and meditation. Indeed, it has a more spiritual feel than what provided by Hatha, for example, and focuses on balancing the energy within the body. People may find Kundalini physically and mentally challenging if they are beginners and unfamiliar with Yoga poses, chanting, and meditation as a whole.