Category: Top » Health » Yoga »


Author: Anmol Mehta | Total views: 65 Comments: 0
Word Count: 666 Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2007 12:40 PM

Introduction to the Kundalini Yoga Seven Chakra System

Yoga is currently taking its final exam. Even though this science dates back many thousands of years, it has only recently come to the West. This is where Yoga is being empirically tested. The Western mind demands results and evidence, if none are produced, the system does not survive. This is a valuable approach and Yoga is currently being put though the rigors of this process. So far Yoga is passing with flying colors. Don't get me wrong, its not that the East did not expect that, its just that this approach filters out the fraudulent and frivolous methodologies, which might otherwise survive simply because of superstition and fear, and the East is just as happy that this is being done as the West. This scrutinizing process results in separating the stones from the diamonds and the diamond that is Yoga is starting to shine though bright and clear.

Over the last three to four decades a great deal of research has been done by the medical community and they now, more and more, recognize the health benefits of Yoga. Below, I will highlight the top 10 health benefits that Yoga bestows and I hope it will inspire all of you to take up this wonderful practice is some capacity and reap the rich rewards as well.

The health benefits have been divided into 3 categories. The Physical Health Benefits of Yoga, Emotional Health Benefits of Yoga and the Mental Health Benefits of Yoga. A short explanation is given along with each benefit to help you understand better the mechanisms that Yoga employs to bestow it.

Physical Health Benefits of Yoga:

1. Energy: Yoga exercises, breath control training (pranayama) and use of yoga body locks (bandhas) all work to activate and balance your energy pathways, giving you the vitality and power you need to maximize your potential.

2. Strength: By strength here we don't just mean physical muscular strength, although that will benefit greatly as well due to the steady holding of yoga poses and the exercises that yoga incorporates, but also the strength of your internal physiological systems. Strength of your immune system, nervous system, digestive system, respiratory system, circulatory system, reproductive system, etc.

3. Healing: The power of Yoga to heal ailments and cure diseases is becoming more and more an integral part of mainstream medical practice and treatment methods. This ability of Yoga to heal also promotes longevity.

4. Flexibility: Yoga postures (asanas) are perhaps the best type of exercises you can do to improve flexibility. Flexibility is essential for avoiding injuries as well as for the health of the joints, tendons and muscles.

Emotional Health Benefits of Yoga:

5. Peace: Yoga meditations and practice methodology promotes a greater awareness and appreciation of the present moment, which calms the mind and allows the peace deep within to surface.

6. Joy: With the maturing of a Yoga practice, the beauty and depth of life become more apparent and the spontaneous joy of existence emerges.

7. Compassion: Yoga values and philosophy, along with the practice of yoga meditations, dissolves one's ego-centric reality, thus developing other mindedness, thoughtfulness, generosity and compassion.

Mental Health Benefits of Yoga:

8. Brain Development: Yoga breathing exercises and yoga meditations develop parts of the brain that are normally dormant. Once these parts are activated the power of intuition, as well as other latent powers are unleashed. In addition as the brain develops so does your intelligence and clarity of thoughts.

9. Concentration: The requirement of many Yoga meditations to keep the mind focused on a single object or mantra (sound vibrations), helps to dramatically increase your power of concentration and focused attention.

10. Awareness: Yoga can simply be called the Science of Awareness. This is its primary purpose. To refine and increase awareness so that you can penetrate the veil of the ordinary dualistic mind and encounter your Divine Nature within.

About the Author

Anmol Mehta is a Kundalini Yoga Teacher, Zen Expert and creator of profound meditation and yoga programs. These FREE Online Meditation and Kundalini Yoga Programs are available at Mastery of Meditation, Chakra Yoga and Zen. You will also find a wealth of insightful articles at the Mastery of Meditation, Kundalini Yoga and Zen Blog, all geared to help you achieve your highest potential.




Rate, comment or bookmark this article

Seed Newsvine

Rating: Not yet rated

Bookmark this article in your preferred program
AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Comments RSS

No comments posted.

Add Comment

Your Name:


Your Email:


Comment

Enter the code shown

Visual CAPTCHA



Popular Articles in this cathegory

1: Ecstatic Body Postures
Although I had practiced yoga for a number of years, I did not make much of a connection between the physical asanas as methods for exploring the world of spirit until I began working with indigenous shamans and discovered an ancient and little-known practice where body postures are used to guide what are known as shamanic journeys.

2: Yoga and Shamanism
An exploration of ancient teachings, how discrete bodily postures can generate deep, spiritual, divinatory, and healing experience. This body of knowledge was re-discovered in the 1970’s by Felicitas Goodman.

3: Yoga relaxation, Shavasana or the corpse pose.
Sleep is a great energizer as all the voluntary muscles are then at rest and recuperative processes go on unconsciously. During sleep, the subconscious mind, not being under the control of consciousness, wanders away from the body.

4: The True Nature of Yoga: stretching the boundaries of consciousness By Dr. Barbara Stienmann
The current upswing of yoga around the world testifies to the growing awakening in world consciousness.
Yoga became popular in the West, when Maharishi Mahesh Yogi first began traveling around the world teaching his Transcendental Meditation technique.

5: Lose Weight Via Yoga
The age old Indian fitness regime of Yoga is as useful as most of the present day exercise regimes. These days, yoga is done by famous and common folks who believe that fitness overrides every other consideration.


Creative Commons License
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Spanish taslation