Yoga, the brainchild of the ancient Hindus is a form of mysticism, whose origin is impossible to trace, dating back as it does to thousands of years before recorded history. One of the six schools of Hindu philosophy, Maharishi (or Sage) Patanjali, its founding father lived a full three centuries before Christ. A great philosopher and grammarian, he was also a physician, with a considerable body of medical work attributed to him, though this work has been lost in the pages of time. Though founded by Patanjali, yet Yoga existed as a distinct teaching and system of life long before him.

A traditional Indian system of healing the mind and body, through a series of mental, spiritual and physical exercises, Yoga is designed to yoke or unite or fuse individual consciousness and awareness (atma or the human soul) with super conscious awareness (Paramatma or the Supreme Being), which is, but a natural state of mind for both. Ultimately, this yoking process leads to a realisation of identity, and by integrating mind, body and spirit; it enhances physical and mental health and well-being, even as it helps attain spiritual insight and harmony, a union with the divine.

A blend of spiritual and physical exercises that encourage mental, spiritual and physical fitness, these exercises are also known to be effective against anxiety, arthritis, headache, migraine, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, pregnancy, rheumatoid arthritis, and more. Yoga’s special exercises, breathing and meditation techniques are renowned for cleansing the body of toxins, improving the muscle tone, as well as, blood circulation.

A way of life, the aim of Patanjali Yoga is to set man free from the cage of matter. Mind being the highest form of matter, the mind, body, soul union that is the goal of everyone practicing Yoga, frees them from the dragnet of Chital or Ahankara (mind or ego), making for a pure being. Practising Yoga does that and more!

Article Source: http://www.articleszoom.com

About the Author :
Yogabestseller.com is your one stop place for all Yoga Accessories! Get massive range of Yoga books, Yoga mats, Yoga audiotapes at unbeatable prices! Buy Yoga Books, Yoga blocks, Yoga Straps, yoga meditation mats, foam blocks and many other yoga products at reasonable rates. Visit www.yogabestseller.com

Technorati Tags: Brainchild, Centuries, Conscious Awareness, Consciousness, Founding Father, Fuse, Great Philosopher, Hindu Philosophy, Hindus, Maharishi, Medical Work, Mysticism, Physical Exercises, Sage Patanjali, Six Schools, Spirit, Spiritual Exercises, Yoga, Yoke

Hot Yoga

Hot Yoga is a series of yoga poses done in a heated room. Hot Yoga’s mission is to touch as many lives as possible with the power and wisdom of Yoga. Hot Yoga is not advised for pregnant women, since it can raise the core body temperature. It is essential to have your own yoga mat and towel when doing Hot Yoga since you will be sweating so much. People come to Hot Yoga to look beautiful on the outside, but they stay because they are inspired to be the best version of themselves.

Yoga

Yoga is intimately connected to the religious beliefs and practices of the Indian religions. Yoga philosophy is one of the six systems of Hindu philosophy. Yoga is not a religion, but an aid to the practice of the basic spiritual truths in all religions. Yoga can be practiced by a Christian or a Buddhist, a Parsee, a Muslim, a Sufi or an atheist.

Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga emphasizes spiritual practice to help the individual unify body, mind, and heart through certain practices in one’s daily life and work. Karma Yoga is selfless service unto humanity. There is a hidden power in Karma or action termed ‘Adrishta’ which brings in fruits of Karmas for the individual. The practice of Karma Yoga prepares the aspirant for the reception of knowledge of the Self.

Tantra Yoga

Tantra Yoga is a holistic approach to the study of the universal from the point of view of the individual: the study of the macrocosm through the study of the microcosm. Tantra Yoga believes that as long as the phenomenal world exists, it is the Universal Mother who is the creator, preserver and destroyer. By refining our thoughts and feelings by means of these Tantra Yoga practices, we learn to create peace, harmony, and order within ourselves.

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti Yoga is pure spiritual devotion, of love for God which is Love. Bhakti Yoga is the most direct method, the shortest way to experience the divine. Bhakti Yoga lets one see the absolute manifested in all experience. There is nothing higher than love and Bhakti Yoga is the religion of love.

Hatha Yoga

Hatha Yoga is a particular system of Yoga described by Yogi Swatmarama, a yogic sage of the 15th century in India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Hot Hatha Yoga is the physical form of yoga designed to bring balance and well-being into your life. Iyengar’s method, a form of hatha yoga, is based on giving primacy to the physical alignment of the body in the poses. Later, with the rise of Hatha yoga, asana came to refer to all the “postures” Pranayama (“Lengthening Prāna”): Prāna, life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath, “āyāma”, to lengthen or extend Pratyahara (“Abstraction”): Withdrawal of the sense organs from external objects.

Article Source: http://www.a1-articledirectory.com

yogainhealth.com is a website for Yoga and Yoga Courses. Hot Yoga, is one type of yoga taught by a Hot Yoga Yoga Teacher

Technorati Tags: Atheist, Buddhist, Core Body Temperature, Hindu Philosophy, Hot 97, Hot Yoga, Indian Philosophy, Indian Religions, Karma Yoga, Muslim, Pregnant Women, Religious Beliefs, Spiritual Practice, Spiritual Truths, Wisdom, Yoga Mat, Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Poses, Yoga Practice, Yoga Yoga

Yoga is a family of ancient spiritual practices dating back more than 5000 years from India. It is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy. In India, Yoga is seen as a means to both physiological and spiritual mastery. Outside India, Yoga has become primarily associated with the practice of asanas (postures).

Yoga as a means of spiritual attainment is central to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism and has influenced other religious and spiritual practices throughout the world. Hindu texts establishing the basis for yoga include the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and many others.

The four main paths of Yoga are
• Karma yoga: The yoga of action in the world
• Jnana yoga: The yoga of knowledge and intellectual endeavor
• Bhakti yoga: The yoga of devotion to a deity
• Raja yoga: The yoga of meditation
A committed practitioner of yoga is referred to as a yogi, yogin (masculine), or yogini (feminine).
The aims of the yoga practitioners are extremely varied.
1. Inspiration of Spiritual Element
2. Increased Flexibility and Fitness
3. Solutions to varied Health Disorders
4. All – round development : Mind, Body, Soul
Yoga entails mastery over the body, mind, and emotional self, and transcendence of desire. According to the followers, the Yogi eventually reaches the enlightened state (Moksha) where there is a cessation of thought and an experience of blissful union. This union may be of the individual soul (Atman) with the supreme Reality (Brahman), as in Advaita Vedanta; with a specific god or goddess, as in Dvaita, or dualistic forms of Hinduism and some forms of Buddhism.

Common to most forms of yoga is the practice of concentration (dharana) and meditation (dhyana). The awareness is concentrated on a fine point of sensation (such as that of the breath entering and leaving the nostrils). Sustained single-pointed concentration gradually leads to meditation (dhyana), in which the inner faculties are able to expand and merge with something vast. Meditators sometimes report feelings of peace, joy, and oneness.
Advantages of Yoga

Yoga emphasizes treatment of the root cause of an ailment. It works in a slow, subtle and miraculous manner. Modern medicine can claim to save a life at a critical stage, but, for complete recovery and regaining of normal health, one must believe in the efficiency of yoga therapy.

On a physical level Yoga postures stimulate the glands, organs, muscles and nerves in ways that traditional exercise cannot. Muscle tightness and strain is quickly relieved and both circulation and digestion improves. Stress-related symptoms like poor sleep, fatigue, muscle spasms, anxiety, and indigestion are greatly improved.
Through continued practice Yoga postures can have a profound effect on the inner dimensions of life, establishing deep calm, concentration, emotional stability and confidence.

Roderick Corkern is an active fitness and exercise equipment expert with over 16 years of helping people overcome fitness issues and teaching them to integrate exercise into their life.

Article Source: http://www.thecontentcorner.com

Technorati Tags: Bhagavad Gita, Bhakti Yoga, Health Disorders, Hindu Philosophy, Hindu Texts, Hinduism Buddhism, India Yoga, Intellectual Endeavor, Jnana Yoga, Postures Yoga, Raja Yoga, Six Schools, Spiritual Attainment, Spiritual Element, Spiritual Mastery, Spiritual Practices, Yoga Exercise, Yoga Meditation, Yoga Practitioners, Yoga Sutras