| 1.Bring you into the present moment. |
| 2.Affect your mood. |
| 3.Increase the flow of oxygen. |
| 4.Quiet your mind. |
| 5.Reduce physical tension. |
| 6.Improve your general physical health. |
SAVASANA(CORPSE POSE)Proper Rest and Relaxation |
|
1. Find a quiet place on the ground or floor, lie on your back. You may benefit by using Yoga aids, such as a
Yogi pillow under your head/neck and under the knees to support the cervical and sacral/lumbar curves in the spine. You may want to put an eye pillow over your eyes. You may find a yoga sticky mat very helpful for your practice, but you don't really need anything except a quiet space. 2. Separate your legs with your feet falling to the sides. 3. Separate your arms from the sides of your body. 4. Pull your shoulders down from your ears and rotate them to allow the palms of the hands to turn upwards. 5. Let your fingers be lightly curled in your hands like empty gloves, nothing in them. You may want to have each hand with two fingers touching, called "Mudra" in sanskrit. 6. Close your eyes and bring awareness to your breathing. |
|
|
1. Gently push your abdomen out as you inhale through your nose. 2. Pull it gently in as you exhale through your nose. Let your inhalation and exhalation be even. You may want to count as you inhale 1- 2- 3- and as you exhale 1- 2- 3. 3. Try to slow down and deepen the rate of breathing, perhaps allowing a pause after you inhale and after you exhale. 4. Practice this with corpse pose for 10-20 minutes daily, ideally after you have exercised. |
|
| Although Yoga begins with the body, it ends by transcending it. Meditation is a process of focusing the mind on one point, stilling the mind by stopping the waves of thought.
By repeatedly bringing your attention back to the object of
concentration, you will discover the wisdom, peace, and joy that actually is within. This begins with concentration, the 6th limb of Yoga, called "Dharana", and leads to "Dhyana" meditation, in which the mind, through steady practice of concentration technique, will stay on one single thought. The eighth and final limb or step is "Samadhi", a state or being which is beyond the physical and mental, in which you experience absolute peace, joy, and bliss, which is the super-concious state and is truly amazing, yet indescribable. Practice this technique for 20 minutes daily and find out for yourself. 1. Sit in a relaxed, comfortable position on a firm base, either in a chair or on the floor, if possible in a cross-legged posture, as a triangular path helps to contain the flow of energy, called "Prana". 2. Join two fingers on each hand or clasp them in your lap, called "Mudra". 3. Sit up straight, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. Use the technique you learned of inhale 1-2-3 and exhale 1-2-3. You may want to deepen the breathing to inhale 1-2-3-4-5 and exhale 1-2-3-4-5. 4. If your mind wanders, gently keep bringing it back to your breathing count. |
|
|
In yoga exercise, called "Asana", which means posture or position, you regularly put your body in one place and stay there
with relaxed, rythmic breathing, for as long as you comfortably can. These postures have evolved over centuries so as to exercise every muscle, nerve, and gland in the body. From the original 84,000 Asanas about 84 are well-known today. They secure a strong and supple body, reducing risks of disease and bring discipline. 1. Lie down in a corpse pose after you stretch. 2. Now sit up straight and begin by gently allowing your head to roll toward the left shoulder, then backwards, then to the right shoulder, then down to the chest and repeat three times. 3. Keep the shoulders motionless. 4. Reverse directions three times. 5. Next, roll your shoulder gently in circles counterclockwise, then clockwise. 6. Bend forward and let your arms hang down while you stretch your lower back. |
|
| Yoga advocates vegetarianism. This is based upon the first limb of yoga, called "Yama" which means moral commandement or control, of which there are 5, the first one being "Ahimsa" which is non-violence, meaning not to cause pain to any living being. Therefore, don't eat each other or animals as that would cause pain. |