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| "When a certain Yogi
develops a specific action,
this resembles the act of writing
on water, it leaves no trace
whatsoever
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| Yogananda |
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Surely more than once you have thought, even you have been determined, to start practicing Yoga. Maybe our proposal will encourage you and this is your time. We give you the opportunity to get started in this wonderful path.
With Hatha Yoga one develops body control -by understanding it- in order to calm the mind and balance energy. What is all this?
Yoga is more than just exercise or simple relaxation.
A yoga class includes postures (âsana) to strengthen us physically, but also to improve energy levels up to obtaining a new transformative attitude; it includes breath control (pranayama), relearning natural breathing and synchronizing it with body movement; it includes meditation to create serenity in the mind; it includes relaxation, that calms and sensitizes us to face the vicissitudes of life; it includes music , that helps to focus and internalize, and includes many other approaches aiming to generate guidelines which help us reconnect with ourselves through the body, breath and mind. |
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Although many people associate the word “Hatha” with a particular style of Yoga, the word actually refers to the physical aspect of Yoga, ie, the use of asanas and pranayama (postures and breathing). There is a huge variety of forms of Hatha Yoga taught and practiced. The most common names of these styles or ways of doing are: Ananda, Ashtanga, Brikam, Iyengar, Integral, Kripalu, Kundalini, Power, Sivananda, Vinyasa, Dynamic, Viniyoga, Jivamukti, etc. Each style has unique characteristics and is intended for such people. All point to the same goal of growing and evolving consciousness. When you decide to practice yoga, you should ask about the type of proposal they have at the school where you go.
In the Escuela Internacional de Yoga, you will find a Hatha Yoga that has integrated what we consider best of each of the styles mentioned, and, at all times, the practice is adapted to the specific features of each practitioner. This makes our classrooms places where a Yoga of great awareness and precision is practiced, while proposing a Yoga level that respects the students’ physical condition and their ability at all times.
Meditation is very important in the practice of Yoga and the different traditions support it. It is often the least understood aspect of yoga. The art and science of the thoughts to transcend and free the mind, may involve exercises as simple as bringing attention to the simple and natural breathing, or focus on the movement. For some, it is the heart of the practice, for others it integrates with the practice of asana, often at the beginning or end of class. For us, meditation must be something very close, to be integrated into every moment of a yoga class.
We all approach yoga for a variety of reasons –the attitude, stress, relief of physical or emotional pain, etc.- Regardless of motivation, Yoga always gives something else and that something else is very important: a more profound understanding of ourselves and our lives. |
IMMEDIATE BENEFITS OF THE PRACTICE OF YOGA (according to Yoga Alliance International):
- Stress relief: It is well demonstrated that with the practice of Yoga the physical effects of stress on the body are reduced. The body responds to stress through a fight of fly response, which is a combination of the sympathetic nervous system and hormonal activation pathways; the release of cortisol –a stress hormone- from the adrenal glands. Cortisol is often used to measure the response to stress. The practice of yoga reduces the levels of cortisol. Most Yoga classes propose at the end of the class savasana, a posture of relaxation and a state of relaxation, resulting even more in the experience of eliminating stress.
- Pain Relief: Yoga practice relieves pain. Studies have shown that the practice of asana (postures), meditation or a combination of both, provide significant relief of pain in people with diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune diseases and hypertension as well as arthritis, back and neck pain and other chronic diseases.
- Better Breathing: Yoga practice includes breathing practices known as pranayama, which can be effective in reducing our stress response, improving lung function and favouring relaxation. Many exercises emphasize slowing and deepening of breathing, which activates the parasympathetic system and increases relaxation response. By changing our breathing patterns, which can significantly affect health, the experience of our body changes. This may be one of the most profound lessons we can learn from our yoga practice.
- Flexibility: Yoga can improve flexibility and mobility and increase the range of motion. Over time, ligaments, tendons and muscles lengthen, increasing elasticity.
- Strength Increase: In yoga postures all muscles of the body are used. A regular practice can increase strength literally from head to toe. A regular practice of yoga can also relieve muscle tension throughout the body.
- Weight control: While most of the effects of yoga on weight loss are anecdotal or experimental, both yoga teachers and students find that yoga helps to maintain weight. Many teachers specialize in yoga programs that help control weight. It would be superfluous to practice yoga for that reason but it is true that Yoga contributes to the development of a positive self-image, since it pays more attention to nutrition and the body as a whole. A study by the Journal of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine found that regular yoga practice is associated with less weight gain related to age.
- Improved circulation: Yoga helps to improve circulation and efficiently helps the oxygenation of body cells.
- Cardiovascular Conditioning: Yoga practice can provide cardiovascular benefits by lowering resting heart rate, increasing endurance and improving oxygen uptake during exercise.
- Awareness: Yoga connects us to the present. The more we practice, the more aware we become of our environment and the world around us, more awareness is generated about ourselves. Yoga opens the way to improved concentration, coordination, reaction time and memory.
- Inner Peace: The most immediate effects of the practice of Yoga and meditation is the cultivation of inner peace and tranquillity.
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