Stretch Your
Body,Calm Your Mind..!
June 21 International Day of Yoga
June 21
International Yoga Day
The United Nations (UN)
has proclaimed June 21 as International Day of Yoga to raise awareness
worldwide of the ancient YOGA DAY physical, mental & spiritual practice
that originated in India.
Ms. Sridevi KR writes
about the all-round benefits of yoga
If you do not take care
of your body and mind, where are you going to live?
Yoga for every body..!
“So goes an old saying,
implying that well-being has to be of the complete human being and holistic. This
is what a yogic way of life espouses. It is not about turning ascetic, but
incorporating the right habits in everyday life. This keeps both the body and
mind fit and provides therapeutic benefits too.
“Yoga is not meant for
one community or one class of people. It is for every body and beyond caste,
creed, religion and sex,“ said Dr Latha S, a yoga exponent and founder of
Jnananidhi Yoga Kendra in Bengaluru, who has been teaching yogasanas and
encouraging people to lead the yogic way of life for the past 25 years.
“You can lead an
executive life and still be a yogi at heart,“ said Kiran Sawhney , a fitness
and yoga expert based in NewDelhi.
Father of Yoga..!
While sage
Patanjali,considered the Father of Yoga, prescribed an eightfold path of yoga
(Ashtanga Yoga, see box), somehow, only the physical aspect of practising
asanas seems to have caught the fancy of the common man.
But that isn't
all.“Yogaisnotjust physical exercise or postures and asanas. In fact, that is a
very superficial aspect of this deeper and profound knowledge about unfolding
the unlimited potential of the human mind and soul,“said Sawhney .
HOLISTIC LOOK..!
“Every human being is
ensheathed by five bodies -
1. Physical (Annamaya
Kosha)
2. Energy (Pranamaya
Kosha)
3. Mental (Manomaya
Kosha),
4. Intellectual
(Vijnanamaya Kosha) and
5. Blissful (AnandamayaKosha).
Good health is possible
only with the coordination of these five bodies.
Imbalance in any of
these bodies will up set health,“said Latha. “For example, an asthmatic will
have a problem with the Pranamaya Kosha.“
This implies practising
yogic postures, eating the right food, training one's mind to be calm and
acting appropriately even while under pressure, to maintain balance.
“Every action of ours
affects the physical body , mental body and energy body ,“ said Latha.Hence, q holistic look is a must.
HOW TO GO ABOUT IT..!
1. EXERCISE THE BODY...!
Physical fitness is
foremost because a healthy mind can live only in a healthy body .
“Start off with some
loosening exercises (Shithilikarana Vyayama). By practising these exercises for
about 5 to 10 minutes, you will prepare your body for the next step,which is
asanas.
In the beginning, it may
not be possible to perform asanas freely .But as you continue the practice, it
will become easy and you will enjoy the practice when you reach the final
posture,“ said Mr. HR Prakash, editorial committee memberat S-VYASA Yoga
University in Jigani, near Bengaluru.
“Sedentary lifestyle
restricts the movement of joints, which leads to unhealthy conditions.Yoga
sanas help in getting flexibility . For complete well-being, actions involving
joints and muscles are required,“ added Latha.
2. KNOW YOUR BREATH..!
“When we are in
stressful conditions, breathing will be very fast, which leads to anger,
strain, wrong decisions, ill health, etc. Making the breathing slow will not
only culture the body but will also help in calming down the mind,“said Prakash.
This is where pranayama,
or breathing exercises, become important.
“For all the modern
diseases,uncontrolled activity of the mind is the cause. By controlling the
mind, you will be peaceful & can act and not react to the situation.For
this,controlling the breath, that is, slowing down the breath, is important and
this can be achieved through pranayama,“ he said.
Practice of pranayama
helps in reacting effectively in a situation and not getting agitated.
“It helps in overcoming
tension and stress of any type,“ said Latha. “We derive energy from an
inexhaustible source via breathing and that must be do effectively .“
3. MEDITATE..!
“Meditation (dhyana)
means concentrating on a particular object. It may be difficult initially, but
continuous practice will help.
Meditation should always start with a prayer.Any
prayer which will calm down your mind and help you sit in concentration,without
thinking of the outside world and your activities,“said Prakash.
4. MAKE THE RIGHT FOOD
CHOICES..!
`You are what you eat'
is a cliche, but true.Yogic diet does not mean that you have to exclude
everything. You must only change your eating habits.
“Avoid eating fried
food, lot of sweets, salty food, things that are too hot, etc.Eat regularly do
not leave your stomach empty for a long time. The foods recommended are those
which improve vitality and health and can be termed as `satvik' (good) food,“
said Prakash.
“These are foods which
pro mote life, vitality , strength, health, happiness and satisfaction,which
are succulent, juicy ,nourishing and pleasing to the heart. On the other hand,
foods that are very bitter, very salty, very sour, very pungent, very dry and
burning cause unhappiness.
Misery and disease are a result of such foods,
which are called`rajasik'. Food that is stale, tasteless, putrid, decomposed,
foul and impure as well as left overs do no good(tamasik).
“The purpose of food is
to increase the duration of life, purify the mind and give strength to the body
. Satvikfood has all thein gredients necessary forthis,“headded.
5. STATE OF COMPLETE
CONTROL..
“Once your mind, breath
and heart are in control, you can handle your personal and professional lives
better. Nothing agitates you. Yoga teaches you focus,to be grounded,to live in
the present, to accept or to not expect,“ said Sawhney .
“The circumstances and
people around you do not change.You change and deal with them better.“ Being in
this state helps people to be better planned and not act out of impulse.
“Yoga will give a
professional good health and a calm mind to work efficiently and take
appropriate decisions. To keep a work-life balance and to destress the mind,
yoga is the surest way ,“added
From ET
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