Besides
physical benefits, Yoga helps bring peace with one's self
Explore
The Spiritual Benefits Of Yoga
by Kevin
Pederson
Yoga is an
ancient art of staying fit, both physically and mentally. The yoga
benefits are so enormous that they are still being discovered almost
everyday. The benefits of this ancient art include physical, mental,
emotional health, spiritual benefits and natural healing.
The art of
Yoga has evolved over many centuries in ancient India. The earliest
records of this form of art are found in the ancient Hindu texts and
mythologies. Yoga keeps the mind and body of a person fit by slowing
down the natural aging process. It reduces the amount of toxins
absorbed by our body cell and thus slows down its deterioration.
The physical
well being of a person is an obvious benefit of Yoga. There are
specific yoga poses or asanas that are aimed at increasing height,
losing weight from waist or hips, improving blood circulation,
solving Gastrointestinal problems and respiratory problems,
normalizing blood pressure levels and in keeping it under control,
improving our cardio-vascular efficiency, improving physical
strength and stamina are to name only a few.
Beyond the
more obvious physical benefits, there are many spiritual benefits of
Yoga. At a basic level Yoga helps by improving our level of
concentration and mental clarity. At an advanced level it improves
thought control, mind control and is also known to help in
developing psychic powers. On a higher level Yoga unites ones self
with the environment and the people around us. It helps us realize
and experience how we are One with nature. It is a sort of
enlightenment that makes us feel at par with the universe. We become
more aware of the lives of people around us and how they are
intertwined with our own. This makes us feel at peace with
ourselves. Purifying, healing and rejuvenating exercises can restore
health, force of life, joy and also lengthen life span. Certain
exercises, such as Laya Yoga practices serve liberation, salvation
of the soul and reinvent our relationship with God. Yoga thus
provides mental peace and spiritual harmony. The realization of ones
spiritual self makes us a better person.
The three main
components to the practice of Yoga are: breathing, concentration and
posture also known as asanas. All three components work together for
specific objectives.
One of the
most commonly practiced asanas is the Sirsha asana or the Headstand
Pose. To do this exercise firstly kneel down and place your arms
flat on the floor. Interlock fingers of both hands. Place your head
between your hands, flat on the floor. Raise your back from the
kneeling position so that you are on the tip of your toes, with your
head still on the floor. Slowly raise your legs off the floor so
that it extends upwards, keeping the body aligned and balanced.
Breathing techniques used during the exercise enhance the overall
effect.
Breathing
techniques, also known a pranayama, is aimed at bringing more oxygen
into our blood stream thereby improving the efficiency of our
system. Breathing techniques go hand in hand with the various asanas.
Yoga finds
immense use in our present day lives. From relieving office work
tension to keeping de-stressing ourselves on a long flight to making
us a better person in today's outright competitive and religiously
divided world. It brings out a harmony in our precariously
unbalanced lifestyles and emotional stability to our personal lives.
It is surprising that sparing only a few minutes a day to practice
this art can bring us enormous benefits.
About the
author: Kevin Pederson can guide you on the
working principles
behind Yoga which focuses on the benefits of Yoga
techniques intended to produce a positive state of mind in us. This
article explores the spiritual benefits of yoga.
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