Yoga for Supporting a Healthy Lifestyle

There is some very interesting psychology behind this that students of western thinkers (e.g. Freud, Jung, Fromm, etc.) will find familiar and, indeed, quite rational.

When an individual decides to be happy, something within that person activates; a kind of will or awareness emerges.  This awareness begins to observe the jungle of negative thoughts that are swimming constantly through the mind. 

Rather than attacking each of these thoughts – because that would be an unending struggle! – yoga simply advises the individual to watch that struggle; and through that watching, the stress will diminish (because it becomes exposed and thus unfed by the unconscious, unobserving mind!).  

At the same time, as an individual begins to reduce their level of internal negativity, subsequent external negative behaviors begin to fall of their own accord; habits such as excessive drinking, emotional overeating, and engaging in behaviors that, ultimately, lead to unhappiness and suffering. 

With this being said, it would be an overstatement to imply that practicing yoga is the easy way to, say, quit smoking, or to start exercising regularly.  If that were the case, yoga would be ideal!  Yoga simply says that, based on rational and scientific cause and effect relationships that have been observed for centuries, that when a person begins to feel good inside, they naturally tend to behave in ways that enhance and promote this feeling of inner wellness. 

As such, while smoking (for example) is an addiction and the body will react to the lessening of addictive ingredients such as tar and tobacco (just to name two of many!), yoga will help the process.  It will help provide the individual with the strength and logic that they need in order to discover that smoking actually doesn’t make them feel good. 

In fact, once they start observing how they feel, they’ll notice without doubt that instead of feeling good, smoking actually makes one feel quite bad inside; it’s harder to breathe, for one.

Now, this blog isn’t an anti-smoking blog, and if you’ve struggled with quitting smoking then please don’t be offended by any of this; there is no attempt here at all to imply that quitting smoking is easy, or just a matter of willpower. 

Scientists have proven that there is a true physical addiction that is in place, alongside an emotional addiction that can be just as strong; perhaps even stronger. 


For more information about this part of Supporting a Healthy Lifestyle, please refer to my Beginner’s Guide to Yoga which is a free ebook  when you download Yoga for Your Health at www.yoga-pose-benefits.com

Nameste
Christina Ross
www.yoga-pose-benefits.com

Yoga for Energy

I've decide to log my experience with my own practice and as I share my experience and learn more, I  hope to inspire some of you who are still uncertain about the practice of yoga.

Yesterday I felt a lot of burnout. It was another rainy evening and I was longing some sunlight on what's been a dismal summer so far (it's only June 24th but still-it's been a dreary spring now summer too!? yikes). So even though I felt a downer mood coming on,  I keep my promise to myself that I would go to my class. I arrived early so I'd get the "sunny" side of the class. I call it sunny because I receive direct  light as do my practice and I know it always makes me feel better when I feel the natural light. Sometimes my classmates choose to close the blinds, and I politely allow it; however inside I'm a bit disappointed - but I know yoga is about letting go of daily irritations so I play with that in my mind for a moment then let it go. 

So last night I persevered, the blinds where wide open I had my favorite spot on the floor I was already feeling so happy, it was so wonderful to be there...many of my classmates expressed being tired, but as we chatted, the energy seemed to shift! I started out feeling low energy but by the time I finished my tune-in I was full of energy and raring to go and it was a fantastic class. I went to sleep earlier than usual and had a fantastic sleep and feel totally energized today.

So, try to remeber to practice, even if you body is saying not. The results are lasting even 24 hours later!

Nameste!

For more,  see my site and maybe even pick up Yoga for Your Health at yoga-pose-benefits.com

Balance Poses

Balance

Balance poses are my personal favorite, I find them very challenging but also very rewarding when I reach my goal!

People who do yoga often nget too excited in performing balances. This is good because the fun that the person acquires helps him to liven up his spirit and enlighten his soul. Balance is helpful in improving your posture. In improving your posture, the spinal cord is elongated which helps to keep yourself from some injuries and falling over.

Balance helps in training your ability to focus on your main goal and attention. However, attention should be obtained in the ultimate level because if your concentration is weak, for sure you cannot perform this type of pose.

Balance is one of the yoga poses that people truly appreciate and exert effort for. Along with the balance poses comes the twist which extremely releases tension all over your body. The tension in your spine is made clear. Twisting may seem to be hard to obtain. It is important to execute twists on both sides of the body so that the balance and alignment is obtained.

Taking note of these yoga poses will help you get along with yoga perfectly. Keep in mind that concentration is your main key if you want to be successful in doing these yoga poses.

For more about yoga come to my website and download my ebook You for Your Health.  www.yoga-pose-benefits.com

Yoga for Stress

Are you a hockey fan? Do you know who the Vancouver Canucks are? Well if your like me and you've followed them this season you'll know they are right in the middle of playoffs and our beloved
"Presidants Cup" winning team is going into game 7 against the dreaded Chicago Blackhawks, 2 years prior they eliminated us in game 7 and last year Chicago Blackhawks went on to win the Stanley Cup. So what does this have to do with yoga? Well yoga is life and right now, life is
hockey stress and I need help with all the anxiety and panic that these playoffs have brought me.

So I'd like to point with a great stress reducing poses any Canucks fan can use while they watch Roberto Luongo  and his teammates battle towards victory! You can try this either before the game or between periods!

Lie down on the floor and let go. That is all. And that is Yoga? It is indeed. It is called SAVASANA or the CORPSE POSTURE. Not a very pleasant name I agree but all the same it is one of Yoga’s most valuable and powerful weapons against ill health and playoff stress.

Try it. Lie down on the floor, no pillows, just a rug or the carpet. Leave off your shoes and wear as little clothing as possible. Whatever you wear must be light and loose fitting. Now stretch your arms above your head and stretch out your legs and feet. Go on, have a good stretch like your cat does before it settles down to sleep. Close your eyes and let your head roll to one side. Let your hands flop where they will and imagine that your body has no bones and that you are giving your whole weight to the floor. Imagine you are on a cloud and that your body is slowly sinking through it. Keep your eyes closed and think of something peaceful, a lovely piece of music perhaps or the sound of the sea. Put on a soothing record if you like or open the window and listen to the birds. Tell yourself that you are drowsy and comfortable over and over again.

Now then, what about those knots of tense muscles around your mouth, your eyes, your stomach and your legs? Go over all areas of your body and locate any knots of tension there might be. Be stern with them. Make them loosen up. Very likely they will tighten up again as soon as your back is turned so to speak but keep your mind’s eye open and consciously and repeatedly relax any clenched muscles. The worst offenders by far are the muscles of the face. The Canucks have you clenching your teeth and your jaws right now are you not? You would be surprised at the number of people who do that, even in their sleep.  The counter measure is yawning. Open your mouth as wide as you can, stretch your jaws, tense your facial muscles and then suddenly relax them. Keep practicing that movement and you will soon rid yourself of teeth clenching. That in itself is a good start.

So you are lying on the floor in the Corpse Posture and you are finding that it isn’t as
easy as it looks to relax. It is easy to lie down on the floor but you think I am unreasonable to ask you to relax every muscle, do you not ? But it can be done. I can do it and so can many other people. It takes constant practice but how worthwhile is time spent towards this end for Savasana is one of the greatest vitalizers known to man. Perform it whenever you are tired, angry, upset, or fatigued. Perform it whenever the playoffs get to you. It is not time wasted. It is Yoga’s ‘masterly inactivity’ working for you.



Nameste and Go Canucks Go!!

Why I choose Yoga

I've experienced neck pain as a result of and accident which contributed to many years of pain which was extremely difficult to manage.  I couldn't live the active lifestyle I enjoyed for so many years before the accident; I had a hard time concentrating and had difficulty a work driving and sitting behind a computer. I tried chiropractic adjustments but that was too costly to keep up.  Eventually I turned to pain medication which ended up leading to other health issues. Finally,  I gave all that up and tried Yoga. At first I thought I'd try Yoga for  stress management but  quickly realized I could move with greater ease, my joints started to improve and my posture corrected itself. I quickly felt less pain and was less fatigued and best of all....I learned how to manage my stress! and of course the pain is now more manageable! I can tell you right now, I have never felt better mentally and physically and I've found some amazing poses that give me instant relief anywhere!  I encourage you to read my ebook, it will give you some valuable tips for any health issues you may currently be experience and I guarantee if you practice these poses you will experience the results you desire!


For more in-depth study of yoga and how it can help your specific areas of concern download my ebook "Yoga For Your Health", Go here for your instant download now! www.yoga-pose-benefits.com

Why practice yoga?

Why Practice Yoga?


The law of Yoga is the law of Life. What does a statement like that really mean and why do so many of us want to practice yoga these days? I will explore what yoga means to us nowadays as I delve deeper into the sometimes mysterious and mystical side of an art form that has come into it's own in our western culture.What did yoga mean to the ancients?   Where did this passion for a body mind and soul connection originate and how it can benefit us in our busy western culture.

It is said that Yoga embodies the secrets of successful living and combines profound age-old truths with a way of life embraced by the modern mind. Yoga was evolved from the Veda (Sanskrit,"knowledge"), one of the most ancient scriptural books known to mankind in which Indian saints and sages taught that the Universe is one and that all religions are paths ascending the same mountain towards Eternal Truth. The great modern saint, Sri Ramakrishna, is quoted as saying, ‘As many faiths, so many paths.’

But Yoga is not a religion, nor is it a strange mystic cult with chanting and heavy breathing. It is a Hindu system of philosophic meditation and training designed to effect the connection of the student’s soul with God. It is a philosophy which integrates the student’s life and the world surrounding us to achieve a basic harmony and bring balance in the heart and mind of the yoga student.

One of the fundamental belief systems of Yoga is that God is within each one of us but He reveals Himself only in conditions of purity, both spiritually and physically. To function on a higher level, either mentally or physically, the first step must always be to rid the body of the harmful habits that cause disease and which can stifle spiritual development. In other words the yoga student is on a path towards changing behaviours for the better.

This basic principle of yoga aims at establishing a balance in the body so that it functions normally.  When this state of physical balance is achieved the student can gain control of their mind and can realize more lucid thought and reason. It can be very difficult for anyone to gain clarity of mind while battling with indigestion, asthma, a thumping headache or any ills and stress symptoms which we struggle with in the modern world. So the ancients realized that physical ills could drag a person down and the disciplinary science of Yoga was evolved so that the body would be freed from pain and disease.

While the body and the mind cannot be separated and the healthy body affects the mind, not everyone has a goal to achieve union with God or Universal Spirit, which is the primary objective of Yoga, but everyone, would like to know how to improve overall health.

~Namaste

For more in-depth study of yoga and how it can help your specific areas of concern download my ebook "Yoga For Your Health", Go here for your instant download now! www.yoga-pose-benefits.com

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