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Yoga and meditation are very trendy in the world now, as one of the popular and exercises that can nourish the body.
In addition to reducing stress and stretching the muscles, the benefits of yoga can also reduce belly fat, shrink the stomach and create a slim ideal body.
The public interest in Yoga in today’s world is substantial. Many people attend open fitness Yoga classes in studios or gyms to get a healthy and slim body.
On this occasion, we will discuss the meaning of Yoga, a brief history, and the benefits of yoga for health.
What is the meaning of Yoga?
The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word which means to focus all the minds in order to control the senses.
A person who practices Yoga should be able to fully concentrate, organize and control to create harmony and balance between spirit, mind, and body.
In this case, yoga has a powerful meaning. The purpose is to unite the whole mind, body, and soul in unity and one-sided, including the solidarity of a man and the creator.
Yoga exercise can be understood through meditation techniques as formal practices to focus the mind and identify yourself.
The History of Yoga
Yoga originated from Northern India appearing around 3000 BC, though many historians believe that Yoga existed long before that.
The man who was believed for the first time to collect and record the philosophy of Yoga was Patanjali.
The Yoga system collected was known as Raja Yoga system that controls the mind. Patanjali Yoga Sutra book became the basis of Ashtanga Yoga. It focuses on the 8 limbs of yoga eight such as Yama, Asana, Niyama, Dharana, Pranayama, Dhyana, Pratyahara, and Samadhi.
In the process of development of Yoga, it appeared various kinds of Yoga with techniques and bodywork and meditation in different countries.
In the West, modern Yoga practice gained popularity in the late 19th and early 20th century.
It is this time Indian monks began transmitting their knowledge to the Western world.
The benefits derived from Yoga is not only for practicing exercise for physical health. It has become part of the lifestyle to support weight loss and relaxation.
Styles and Genres of Yoga
There are several styles and genres of Yoga and meditation. Depending on your specific goals you can choose a method to your individual requirements.
Bikram Yoga
Introduced by Bikram Choudhury, Bikram Yoga is a method of yoga practice you do in a closed room with the temperature between 32- 42 degrees Celsius with a specific moisture level.
Yoga is performed for approximately 90 minutes. An exercise session consists of 45 minutes standing up and 45 minutes sitting on the floor.
Prenatal Yoga
Prenatal Yoga as the term suggests is practiced specifically by pregnant women with multiple categories and adjusts for gestational age of the woman.
The exercises essentially promote relaxation by doing deep breaths and movements.
You practice breathing exercises through full awareness, to help the process of giving birth.
Vinyasa
Vinyasa Yoga is an exercise with a rhythmic and dynamic movement similar to the movement of people who are dancing.
This type of Yoga exercise keeps you moving and flows with the major components, namely Vinyasa Yoga.
Breathing is performed in a slow and controlled manner while sighing.
The Benefits of Practicing Yoga Everyday
Body Flexibility
Yoga movements can help stretch and increase the flexibility of the body.
As time goes by your body loses the elasticity and suppleness of joints.
You can enhance the flexibility of the back, hamstrings, shoulders, hips, and other muscles by doing yoga regularly.
Body Strength
Many yoga poses need you to resist the weight of our body. Poses can include supporting the body with the hand and legs.
You perform the downward facing dog pose while balancing on one leg mimicking a tree pose.
You should practice some of the exercises by moving from one pose to pose another that will also increase the strength of your body.
It will give you a good rhythm while exercising.
Preventing Pain
By practicing Yoga, you can improve your bodies flexibility and strengthen it to help prevent back pain.
Many people suffer from back pain due to spending much of the day sitting on a chair.
In today’s modern world we spend much of the day sitting either while at school, working, driving or at home.
Yoga can relax the backbones and strengthen muscles that are rigid. Therefore, over time, it is able to prevent and treat back pain.
Streamlining Breathing
We generally breathe by inhaling and exhaling of breath short. Pranayama Yoga is kind of breathing exercises that pay attention to the breath.
It also can teach how we can use the lungs to improve health through deep breathing.
By performing deep breathing exercises, it can also help you to clear your nasal passages and could relieve the central nervous system in the brain.
Reduce Stress
Yoga also meditation techniques that are useful to help calm the body and mind.
Yoga has the benefit of reducing stress. When concentrating, daily’s problems, both big and small, will melt so that you will be relieved from stress pressure.
The concentration and meditation are a means of relaxation of the mind. It is a great way to control stressful situations.
Body Standby
Yoga practice will provide increased awareness and preparedness of the body.
Many soft movements of yoga can help improve the alignment and correct poor posture.
Over time after correcting muscle imbalances, you will be more comfortable with yourself and in turn, will make you a more confident person.
Preventing Diabetes
Decreasing blood sugar and cholesterol in your body will impact directly on the possibility that you can prevent the onset of diabetes.
Diabetes can occur when your body becomes insulin resistant, and blood sugar levels and cholesterol remain high and uncontrolled over a period.
Well, yoga is able to help prevent disease by stimulating metabolism and increasing all-round sense of well-being.
You can rid the toxins within your body and detox naturally with exercise and deep-breathing.
Optimizing Organ Function
In addition to optimizing the function of the heart and lungs, meditative exercise and stretching can also help you to maximize the role of other organs.
For example, the function of the liver, kidney, and even brain function will increase and become optimal when you do yoga.
Conclusion
In summary, Yoga is actually very easy and has been practiced historically for thousands of years.
Since Yoga is easy on the joints and muscles as opposed to HIIT exercise and running, it is one of the lightweight exercises that can be done by anyone regardless of size.
Nonetheless, the meditative practice provides a great benefit to the health of the human body and the human mind. It is why yoga is now becoming part of the lifestyle of most people around the whole world.
Yoga is primarily practicing by women, but there are also some men who perform a meditative exercise for relaxation.
Whoever you are, if you intend to begin a gentle exercise program, then you will soon get the benefits of Yogism.
What is your favorite type of relaxing exercises or Yoga poses?
Hi,
It’s a great article. As you said one important benefit of practicing yoga is that it is a great way to cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness is a concept used in managing stress and anxiety etc. in modern world. Thanks for sharing.
Best regards
Pasindu