Attaining a Healthy Body and Mind Through the Practice of Yoga

The “Five Principles of Yoga” describes the holistic perspective of yoga. Each Principle emphasizes the idea that yoga is a practiced lifestyle, meant to achieve physical and mental health, as well as spiritual growth, and not just an exercise routine.

Our bodies are made to move and need exercise to maintain good health. We have become an unfit and unhealthy population due to inactivity, stress, and our polluted environment. Without movement, discomfort and disease set in.

Yoga asanas, or postures, are designed to systematically work all parts of the body … stretching and toning the muscles and ligaments, improving flexibility of the spine and joints, and regulating the metabolism and improving circulation.

Yoga poses, practiced properly, relax you, give you strength and vitality and rejuvenate all the systems in your body, including your internal organs, glands and hormones. The flow from one pose to another is combined with proper breathing, which regulates physical and phsiological functions of the body.

Most people breathe in a shallow manner, using only a portion of their lungs. Learning to control your breath  through breathing techniques helps you to use your lungs to their fullest capacity. Proper breathing is deep, slow and rhythmical, maximizing oxygen intake by using all the parts of the lungs. Yoga teaches you to regulate and become aware of the length and duration of your inhalations and exhalations and to breathe from your diaphragm. Proper breathing increases your lung capacity, which sends more oxygen throughout your body, increasing energy and mental clarity.

We live in a stress-filled world. Our lifestyle — social life, diet, work, and even entertainment — makes it difficult for us to relax. Even while attempting to rest, our minds and bodies continue to consume energy through tension. Bad moods, depression, anger, irritation and physical pain use up a lot of energy. Attempting to repress negative emotions can become a way of life. This can be devastating for both the mind and the body. Releasing tension in muscles and resting the whole body revitalizes your nervous system, allowing you to feel relaxed, refreshed and at peace. When you’re relaxed, it’s easy to let go of worries and fears. Tension uses up energy and a relaxed body conserves energy.

Principle 4: Proper Diet

The food we eat not only sustains our bodies, but it greatly affects our minds as well. An improper diet results in mental inefficiency and blocks spiritual awareness.  A proper diet should be well balanced and based on natural foods. Simple meals aid digestion and improve the assimilation of food’s nutrients.  Foods from nature that are free from chemicals and pesticides provide superior nutritional value.

A proper diet also means eating in moderation and eating only to satisfy hunger. Many of us have a tendency to use food to treat sadness or depression and usually reach for unhealthy “comfort” foods filled with sugar, fat and additives. These foods tend to make us feel sluggish, dulling our senses and fogging our minds. And they cause us to crave even more unhealthy foods. This type of eating often leads to diet-related diseases like obesity and diabetes. We should eat for sustenance so that we have strong immune systems, light and supple bodies and calm minds.

The way we think greatly affects our lives, because ultimately, we are what we think we are.  Positive and creative thoughts will contribute to vibrant health and a peaceful, joyful mind.

Meditation is the act of concentrating your mind on an object, or turning inwards to your own thoughts or on a mantra. Practicing meditation helps you to become attentive and more observant of the present. It not only relaxes your body, but also sharpens your thinking. With practice, everyone has the ability to meditate  - to shut out thoughts and quiet the mind.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 at 2:49 pm and is filed under Featured, Yoga Fitness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.