Yoga has been declared as an excellent method to combine meditation and exercise in order to attain the maximum benefits for physical as well as mental health. The art helps you to bring your body and mind in good harmony.

Joining a Yoga class is extremely beneficial. These classes are beneficial when it comes to learning certain challenging poses.

If the yoga teacher plays an important role in learning the postures in the best and most beneficial way, you need to be really careful when it comes to choosing one for yourself. There are bad instructors as well as good instructors. You need to take certain points in to consideration when choosing the best for yourself.

Remember that a yoga instructor will always show you certain signs and hints. These signs will let you know about the abilities and experience of the coach. Here are some signs to watch out for:

– Signs to watch out for

a) A good teacher will observe and then welcome the students prior to starting the class. The instructor would appreciate the student for who they are, their unique skill and abilities. In general, you would find a positive attitude toward the yoga class.

b) There are several challenges one needs to face while learning yoga. Some of the postures of the yoga class would be quite challenging. Hence, people suffering from injuries, including minor ones should be extremely careful. These questions are usually put forward by a yoga instructor at the beginning of the class. The instructor would also check for the injuries of other problems prior to beginning the class.

c) Once, the physical examination is over, the teacher will keep in mind, the poses that are opt for the students who are well, for those who have certain injuries or health related problems.

d) A skilled instructor will definitely explain and demonstrate a particular pose. He or she would specially emphasis on the challenging ones in order to make the students understand about these poses from the starting till the end.

e) If your coach is skilled and veteran, then he will make it a point to explain you the poses clearly and in a variety of ways. Sometimes, students are unable to perceive a pose correctly in a particular way.

f) A good instructor will know exactly how to teach. He or she will notice even subtle weaknesses and errors and know how to correct them gracefully. If the teacher is skilled enough, he or she will definitely understand that you are putting in your 100% to the class and will encourage you gently to perform in a better way.

g) Once the class ends, a yoga instructor will definitely ask the students about how they are feeling.

h) Make sure that your yoga instructor ends the class with Savasana or Dead Man’s pose. Good meditation poses will enhance yoga.

i) At last, the instructor will thank the students for attending the class just as he welcomes you in the beginning.

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Neuroscientist Dr Shanida Nataraja has just published The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation, a thought-provoking science book that proves meditation can improve your concentration, memory and decision-making skills.

Dr Nataraja was first exposed to meditation by her parents, who meditated regularly. She explains: “I was raised in a family where meditation was a central part of life. My father is Indian, from a Hindu background, and my mother is Dutch and Catholic.” However, it wasn’t until she became a research scientist that she decided to investigate whether her parent’s activity actually worked.

Dr Nataraja was surprised at the findings of her studies, she said: “I really didn’t expect to find that meditation plays such a role in optimising brain function and health, from cognitive abilities to cardiovascular wellbeing.” She found that meditation was beneficial to the brain because it boosted brain integration.

Dr Nataraja believes brain integration is important, as she thinks that westerners use the left halves of their brains too much. She explains, “Generally speaking, the left hemisphere is associated with analytical, rational and logical processing, whereas the right hemisphere is associated with abstract thought, non-verbal awareness, visual-spatial perception and the expression and modulation of emotions. In the western world, most individuals navigate through their everyday life in a fashion dominated by left-brained thinking.” Relying too heavily on the left hand side of the brain can cause people to think too much, while not feeling enough. This can cause stress and anxiety, as well as making people feel overwhelmed.

Dr Nataraja’s research used galvanic skin response meters to monitor emotional changes through the skin and electroencephalograms (EEGs), which measured the amount of electrical activity that was being produced by the brain. Her work demonstrated that entering a meditative state could bring a feeling of calmness, prompted by a much-needed increase in use of the right side of the brain. Her studies also showed an increased level of alpha brain wave activity, which indicated that meditation also activates the parasympathetic nervous system. This activation of this nervous system is important as it lowers stress levels, which decreases pressure on your heart.

Although she proves that there are numerous health benefits offered by meditation, Dr Nataraja also realises that it can be difficult to reach the meditative state in today’s busy world. However, she advises people to take a 15-minute break at the start and finish of every day for quiet reflection, which has a calming effect and can help to relieve some of the pressure of modern life.

Dr Nataraja champions a number of alternative therapy methods to reach the meditative state. She said: “I also do yoga two or three times a week; it took me a long time to find a type of meditation that suited me. I’ve tried tai chi, chi gung and other approaches, but yoga really works for me with its very specific point of mindful focus on the postures.”

Source:

Guardian

Samantha Srillian is a freelance writer, as well as a naturally gifted psychic medium and tarot card reader. She is interested in alternative therapies, angels and spiritual healing.

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