Best yoga courses and a few tips, this seems like a popular topic in 2019. Stress is up, life is complicated, more problems clouds our mind and yoga seems the perfect answer. What is Yoga? Definition – What does Yoga mean? Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in ancient India. It became popular in the West in the 20th century. The word, yoga, comes from the Sanskrit yuj, which means “to yoke” and “samadhi” or “concentration.” Thus, yoga is the practice that aims to join the mind, body and spirit. The ultimate goal of yoga is to achieve liberation. Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years and, over the years, many different interpretations have developed about what yoga means. Each different type of yoga has its own emphasis and practices. In the West, yoga is most often associated with the physical practice of asanas, particularly stretching exercises to build flexibility and relax the body. Yoga asanas can also build strength, coordination, balance and stamina. However, this is only one aspect of yoga as asana practice is just one of the “eight limbs” of yoga as listed in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, a key sacred text on the philosophy of yoga.

Types of Yoga: What are the four main types of yoga? Answer: karma, bhakti, jnana, and raja. Ashtanga means “eight limbs” and encompasses a yogic lifestyle. Most people identify Ashtanga as traditional Indian yoga. Like Vinyasa yoga, the Ashtanga yoga asanas (postures) synchronize breath with movement as you move through a series of postures. It was brought to the United States by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in the early 20th century. The series of postures are practiced the same way every time and consist of Sun Salutation A, Sun Salutation B, a standing sequence, and a closing sequence. The practice is usually performed without music, and sometimes without verbal instruction (in silence).

Shunya Mudra (Mudra of Emptiness): It is a Mudra of emptiness or heaven, which reduces the space element in the body. One hour of this Mudra, if done regularly, can reduce ear pain and watering of the eyes. It improves hearing, strengthens the bones, reduces heart diseases and throat problems. It heals thyroid diseases and fortifies the gums. It also opens the heart chakra and helps in meditation. All about Yoga Mudras with Their Benefits.

The Downward Dog yoga pose lengthens and decompresses the spine, stretches the hamstrings, strengthens your arms, flushes your brain with fresh oxygen and calms your mind. The Ganesha mudra is widely used and is named after the Hindu Ganesh. Ganesha is said to be a remover of obstacles. Similarly, this mudra is great for relieving yourself of all types of obstructions in your life; it can help you regain positivity and courage when dealing with hard times. By performing this mudra, you bring your attention and energy into the heart center, opening up your lungs and heart to the subject of your meditation. Aside from the mental and spiritual benefits on your heart chakra, the pulling motion is also beneficial to your cardiac muscles and good for tension in this area of the body.

Sukhasana (Easy Pose): Either stack your hands in your lap, palms up, or lay your hands on your knees, palms down. Lengthen your tail bone toward the floor, firm your shoulder blades against your back to you’re your upper torso, but don’t over arch your lower back and poke your lower front ribs forward. Sukhasana is a Sanskrit word where sukh means “pleasure” or “happiness”, and asana means “pose”. This pose helps to unlock your hips, to lengthen up your spine, and strengthen your back muscles. The process helps you get free from the minor sprains and releases tensions from the contractions in these body parts.

Founded by B.K.S. Iyengar, this form of yoga is great for those who want to work on injuries and joint problems. It focuses on correct alignment of the body and very precise moves. These postures are held while holding your breath and the duration of each pose increases with expertise. The perfect pose is achieved with the help of props like traps, blocks, and blankets. This practice great improves stability, mobility , strength and flexibility.

When you contract and stretch muscles, move organs around, and come in and out of yoga postures, you increase the drainage of lymph (a viscous fluid rich in immune cells). This helps the lymphatic system fight infection, destroy cancerous cells, and dispose of the toxic waste products of cellular functioning. When you regularly get your heart rate into the aerobic range, you lower your risk of heart attack and can relieve depression. While not all yoga is aerobic, if you do it vigorously or take flow or Ashtanga classes, it can boost your heart rate into the aerobic range. But even yoga exercises that don’t get your heart rate up that high can improve cardiovascular conditioning. Studies have found that yoga practice lowers the resting heart rate, increases endurance, and can improve your maximum uptake of oxygen during exercise—all reflections of improved aerobic conditioning. One study found that subjects who were taught only pranayama could do more exercise with less oxygen.

How does it help build muscle? Most poses are held for five full breaths versus the usual one to three breaths. Muscles are challenged as the mind and body have to work together simultaneously to hold a position without giving up. Breathing, posing, moving, and increasing flexibility happen together at one time, which unearths a new level of discipline in your mind and body.

In India also many places available where you can learn yoga. Among these Places, Rishikesh is best described by nature to learn in a peaceful and spiritual environment. Rishikesh is also known as the ‘World Yoga Capital‘ because everyone knows that there can’t be any place better than Rishikesh to get this incredible knowledge. Here at Rishikesh, there are so many Yoga Schools to select. We know if someone comes here for the first time get very confused which school to shortlist for Yoga Teacher Training in India. There are many good Yoga Schools in Rishikesh, and YTTI is among one of them. Read more details at www.yogateachertraining-india.com.