“Health is wealth. Peace of mind is happiness. Yoga shows the way.” - Swami Vilhnu-devanada

Yoga : Mind, Body, and Spirit

Joe is having a really bad day. First, his alarm doesn’t go off, so he’s running late for work. Then, he burns his mouth on the muddy-water-tasting office coffee and knows that he won’t be able to taste anything else for the rest of the day. His boss yells at him all day about things that aren’t really his fault, but he doesn’t actually care because he hates his job anyway. Then, as if that wasn’t bad enough, while he’s caught in the everyday rush hour traffic, his favorite radio station decides to play a nonstop tribute to Michael Bolton. Joe has high cholesterol. Joe wants to die.

If you are like our friend Joe and are suffering from a stressful life, bad health, or really crappy music, maybe what you need is to take a little time to discover the amazing benefits of yoga. Now, I know many of you are probably thinking, “Yoga? That’s for weirdo health freaks,” or “Yoga? Isn’t that just twisting and stuff? It looks painful. And boring.” Well, think again, my doubtful friends. Not only is yoga for everyone, it also provides endless benefits that you can start to see right away. I mean, take Modonna, Sting, and Gwenyth Paltrow for instance. They do yoga, and they look fabulous.(And young!) It’s all about the Yoga. So, I see you are intrigued. You wish to know more about this wondrous Eastern phenomenon. Well, read on, and I shall tell you some important facts and why you should start your yoga practice right away.

So What is Yoga?

Yoga means union. Many people believe that this definition stands for the union of body, mind, and spirit. The traditional belief is that yoga refers to a union of the individual consciousness and the Universal consciousness, or the divine.
The yogi, or yoga practitioner, may achieve this union through the four paths of yoga, which are:
? Jnana Yoga- the yoga of wisdom that develops the will
? Bhakti Yoga- the yoga of devotion which opens the heart
? Karma Yoga- the yoga of actions of selfless service
? Raja Yoga – the “royal” or psychological yoga which involves the mind

Yoga guru Swami Sivananda believes that every human should identify with the elements of each path (Intellect, heart, body, and mind) and encourages people to practice techniques from all four. His practice is called the Yoga of Synthesis, which enables the yogi to fully develop mentally, physically, and spiritually.

There are five main points to every yoga practice: proper diet, proper exercise, proper breathing, meditation, and relaxation.

Diet
The proper yoga diet consists of natural, healthy foods with very little additives. The yoga diet reflects the belief that one should eat to live; not live to eat,” which in turn will result in better health. The true yoga diet is vegan, meaning zero consumption of animal products, which goes along with the belief that no living being should cause harm to another living being. However, one does not necessarily have to be a vegetarian in order to practice yoga. I am a big yoga fan, but I would be pretty hard to live with if I didn’t have the occasional bowl of seafood gumbo. (MMM, gumbo.) Yogis also encourage abstinence from caffeine and tobacco, although drinking green tea for your health is perfectly fine.

Exercise
Many people think that yoga is simply breathing and stretching, and therefore it is not physically challenging enough to be considered as a workout. If that is your mindset, then I invite you to try just one yoga session. You will probably be amazed by how much your muscles are working, and will feel the effects of the session right away. While yoga does focus heavily on relaxation and flexibility, it also builds muscular strength and improves posture.

The physical practice of yoga is based on a series of flowing poses that are designed to build strength, properly align the neck and upper body, and rest and soothe the nervous system. Each pose requires one to pay attention to the placement of every muscle. According to yoga instructor Rodney Yee, yoga “builds strength through mental concentration.” It is also a great way to implement your current workout regiment. By doing yoga after cardio or weight training, you can cool down and let the tension out of your muscles, which reduces your chance of injury. Yoga can also be practiced by anyone, regardless of age, physical prowess, or flexibility.

There are many different styles of yoga, and hundreds of yoga poses. It is up to the individual to determine which yoga techniques he or she prefers. My personal favorite is power yoga, which is fluid, fun, and physically challenging.

Breathing
Proper breathing technique is essential for good health. It allows the right amount of oxygen to enter the bloodstream, and enables the respiratory system to function properly. However, most of us don’t take the time to focus on our breathing, and so we take short, shallow breaths. Through practicing yoga, you will learn deep breathing techniques which teach you to link your breathing to your movements. With proper breathing technique, one can improve athletic performance as well as overall health.

Relaxation
Ah, the best part. Let’s face it; life is tough. We all have stressful moments in our lives when we just want explode or maybe turn into a puddle of despair. During a yoga session, the yogi is able to look inside and deal with the challenges of the day. It is a time to reflect and let go of worry. Yoga also relaxes you physically, since it requires the yogi to release the tension in every muscle. No matter how bad your day is, you can always use yoga as a way to calm the body and clear the mind, so you don’t waste too much time worrying.

Meditation
Meditation allows people to separate themselves from everyday life and look inside to discover new things about themselves. Meditation is the absence of thought. It comes during the relaxation stage, when the body is fully at rest, and the mind can be clear of all thoughts and distractions. Daily meditation allows one a brief respite from all the stresses of everyday life. It allows one to think clearly and maintain a sense of calm through difficult situations. Many yogis like to chant a mantra in order to help clear their mind during meditation. A popular and easy one is “om.” That’s right, like in all the kung-fu monk flicks. Those guys know what’s up.

Excellent. If you’ve read this far, I’m sure you’re interested and want to start practicing yoga. I mean, who wouldn’t? The benefits are endless: Better health, less stress, good posture, improved confidence, greater flexibility,(a benefit you and your partner will enjoy) and the list just keeps going on. Well, if you would like to start, you can either go to a group class, or if you’re a bit self-conscious at first, there are countless instructional videos that you may purchase and enjoy in the privacy of your home. Special clothes and equipment are not necessary, but if you’re going to do something, you may as well do it all the way, right? Here are some groovy items that I recommend, and you can see more and check out some classes and more facts at http://yogajournal.com, www.yogasite.com, and at www.yoga.com.