Showing posts with label flexibility. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flexibility. Show all posts

Wednesday, 8 July 2015

Rejuvenate with Yoga

(Pic courtesy: www.lotuscentre.com.au)
Living is most comfortable today than any time in human history. High tech age, where you get everything delivered right next at your doorstep; everything seems so simple, click away. But how come does life makes us feel uneasy, unsure and unhealthy. Blue screens and exhausted, drained by the end of the day, and then the vicious cycle starts. We are riding a juggernaut, spend hours on our smart phones, buying to fulfill emotional needs, sharing, chatting, and tweeting, for emotional needs-in order to feel a bit more positive. We can never be happy if we seek to depend on others to make us happy!!

Fountain of Youth
Ayurveda has an interesting definition of human body and life process–“Shiryate iti Shariram”- human body is dying every second.  This is also one of the basic foundations of a whole sub branch in Indian healing science dedicated to rejuvenation. Rejuvenation is not just repair and definitely very different from healing. To put in perspective, rejuvenation can to taken as science of getting young (as you get old).



Yoga for everyday living
Rejuvenation is a process; every process has elements. Key elements of rejuvenation is “correct” disciple; which is-practicing Yoga. Yoga as part of daily routine gives that quintessential “Me time”.  The following yoga asana have fantastic and limitless value when practiced regularly:

Savasana 

(Pic courtesy: yoga.about.com)
Position: Lying on back flat on floor with your head rested and palms touching the floor. Focus on your breaths.
Benefits: As simple as this asana is to perform, it will be wise to not judge it on face value. This can be wonderful for all of us who want to let go of stress in life, to find that emotional balance. It is all about practicing mindfulness and finding that dormant emotional energy and zeal.

Tadasana
(Pic courtesy: yoga.about.com)
Position: Standing upright with legs apart. Take deep breaths. Breathe in and raise your arms to side and over your head, as you lift your heels. Lower your arms gently as you breathe out.
Benefits: It helps in posture correction, relieving stress relieve and also in relieving stress induced back and neck pain. It is also considered great for spine.

Chakravakasana:
(Pic courtesy: www.awaken.com)
Position: Place your hands and knees on the floor, knees should be directly beneath hips and hands directly beneath shoulders. Take deep breath in and breath out. Inhale as stretch your back forward away from the belly, stretching the front of your torso and flattening your back. Lift your chin.  Exhale and curl up your upper body over bent thighs and hips, placing your forehead on the floor.

Benefits: Another amazing asana to relive stress after a long day at work or prepare for long day ahead. Those with lower back or leg pain issues will benefit tremendously from it. Also those with cervical issues draw benefits from it as it a very gentle on neck yet acts by strengthen neck muscles. Can bring out pent-up emotions of hurt and help comfort as we move to foetal position which helps subconscious pain to come out overtly.

There are many more asana that carry benefits; above mentions are the simplest yet most useful few to start with. Practicing these can make you move from healing to improving and that’s what being young is all about- feeling like you can do anything!



Monday, 6 July 2015

How Yoga can be Beneficial For Athletes

(Pic courtesy: www.acidalkalinediet.net)
Everyone knows that Yoga is a practice for maintaining the fitness of the body and keeping it healthy. It suits for any sport person. People who have passion towards sports and those who were really attached to sports can definitely get more benefits from the practice of Yoga as it benefits a person with flexibility in body, mental stability and balancing skills. These are the criteria which are must for a sport person, especially an athlete. While running, it is important for an athlete to maintain the balance in the body and remain stable in the concentration and above all, the physical fitness. Hence the athletes will benefit more from Yoga. 


What are the benefits does an athlete get from Yoga?

1.     Improved strength
(Pic courtesy: www.crossfitignitesydney.com)
Routine practice of Yoga will provide an athlete with immense strength and energy levels. There are various posses or asanas in Yoga which are dedicated to concentrate of every single muscle in our human body. Yoga will benefit the athlete with muscle strengthening which are not covered by general physical fitness practices. This makes sense that practicing Yoga daily is a very good exercise for the athletes to maintain a good physique. 

2.     Maintaining balance in the body
(Pic courtesy: asana.ha-tha.ru)
It is another important aspect for an athlete who wants to be successful. Maintaining a good balance in the body is important while running at a very high speed. Better balance and coordination of the body will let the athlete to have a control over the movement of the body. Thus an athlete while running on his track must have to control all his movements and he must be aware of what he does actually. The practice of Yoga will definitely suit the athlete to maintain a good balance in the body. 

3.     Flexibility of the body
(Pic courtesy: http://www.a2zyoga.com)
When it comes to Yoga, it is purely known for enhancing flexibility of the body. For an athlete, flexibility of his body is very important. While running on the track at a high speed, the joints of the body must be flexible enough to bring the movements what the athlete thinks of. Daily practice of Yoga can bring this possible for an athlete. There are several posses in Yoga which will concentrate in the flexibility of every joint in our body. Right from fingers to the knees, the flexibility will be enhanced and thus the practice of Yoga will definitely work well with an athlete. 

4.     Mental control
(Pic courtesy: www.tracyquantum.com)
Another important aspect that an athlete requires is the mental control. Whatever higher latitude of physical fitness may be the athlete has; if he/she doesn’t have mental control over the body, then he/she cannot be successful. Concentration over what he does is very important. The meditation practice of Yoga will help you to concentrate in your movements and will let you be successful in your competition. 

Hence the practice of Yoga suits well for an athlete in almost all aspects he needs and will benefit him more than any other fitness practices in the world. But be sure that you do practice Yoga asanas right.