Instructions
Yoga is a teaching that includes a combination of mental and physical exercise, which are aimed at the work of cleansing the soul and body. This is a voluntary connection when a person enters into a relationship with himself, working on his body, consciousness and breathing. This is also one of the spiritual ways of liberation from attachment to the worldly vanity of our world, carnal life and reunification with the One. The primary goal of yoga is to improve your body. Asana is a stationary pose, being in which a person achieves detachment, independence from own body, but this detachment is based on mental balance and stability.
By performing asanas, a person gains physical, mental and spiritual health and strength. He strives to learn to manage emotions, control thoughts, and also a person learns self-control and the ability to keep himself in balance. This is necessary to overcome life's difficulties, leads to calmness and satisfaction with fate, which can improve and enhance the quality of life. And after controlling the mind, a person moves on to working on consciousness. He tries to achieve a state of peace, to feel whole with nature.
IN modern fitness clubs offer a choice various types yoga for every taste.
Hatha yoga. Majority modern species yoga is one of the varieties of hatha yoga. Here, all poses and asanas are aimed at relaxation; a person learns to control breathing and meditate. During meditation it is customary to say (prayers). The goal of hatha yoga is to achieve overall peace of mind and balance between the spirit, body and the outside world.
Ashtanga yoga is a dynamic, fast version of yoga, reminiscent of aerobic exercises. A series of yoga poses are always repeated in the same order and with a certain breathing rhythm. This type of yoga requires good physical training.
Yogalates is a combination of meditation elements, asanas that develop flexibility, Pilates stretching with a system strength exercises. This type of yoga is suitable for people with any level of physical fitness and helps to bring the body into good shape. muscle tone.
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Yoga helps pregnant women prepare mentally and physically for childbirth. There are exercises that strengthen the nervous system, which is unhinged by hormonal imbalance, relieve stress on the spine, improve blood circulation and elevate mood and overall well-being. expectant mother.
Instructions
Yoga for pregnant women is a set of exercises that are aimed not only at stretching the body, but also at cleansing the body, correct breathing and relaxation of the whole body. Pregnant women who practice yoga regularly have excellent physical health and radiate joy and optimism. The meaning of asanas, special yoga poses, is not to tie yourself in three knots and sit listening to calm music, but to find comfort and convenience in any unusual situation, strengthening spirituality and health. Yoga provides expectant mothers with relief from various types of pain and reduces the pain threshold during pregnancy. Also, expectant mothers avoid postpartum depression.
During yoga classes, all asanas are performed smoothly and slowly. The exercises are aimed at gentle work on the joints and spine. Special poses strengthen muscles and improve blood circulation of those tissues and organs that will participate in the birth act. Particular attention is paid breathing exercises. They supply oxygen to the baby and mother, and during childbirth they relieve pain during contractions. Also, with the help of these exercises, you can avoid weak labor and hypoxia in the newborn. There are cleansing techniques developed for pregnant women that help avoid gaining overweight and reduce or completely eliminate toxicosis.
Special meditations help establish contact with the baby. They teach to “hear,” understand and feel the child’s mood and desire. Relaxation exercises lead to harmony between mother and baby. After yoga, a pregnant woman feels relaxation on the emotional, physical and mental levels. Even inverted poses, with their correct execution, will have a beneficial effect on the body.
Yoga is suitable for all women, with a normal and good pregnancy. Some teachers recommend starting classes in the second trimester of pregnancy. However, even in her first months, yoga can save a woman from toxicosis. Therefore, before starting the course, you should consult with your doctor and trainer, pointing out all the nuances and characteristics of the body. For example, who has had a miscarriage, standing poses, etc. are contraindicated. Also, yoga is not suitable for expectant mothers who have infectious diseases of the musculoskeletal system, spinal and traumatic brain injuries, or chronic diseases cardiovascular system.
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Sources:
- Yoga and pregnancy in 2019
- Yoga for pregnant women in 2019
- Yoga for pregnant women in 2019
Kundalini yoga has gained great popularity in the West. This type of yoga contains meditation, chanting, and visualization. Kundalini yoga is formed on kriyas, that is, on exercises that must be performed in a strict sequence created by the Guru.
The main goal of Kundalini yoga is to awaken the Kundalini forces that are located in the human body. This energy is associated with the idea of a snake dormant in the Svadhisthana chakra. As a result, the energy of this snake should awaken, and its power should gradually reach the crown chakra.
Translated from the Sikh language, “kundalini” does not mean “snake”, but “the curl of the beloved.” This is where the confusion comes from. It is said that those who reach the kundalini flow will be able to awaken. It is important to understand what opportunities kundalini yoga offers. During the exercise, a person can feel feelings of relaxation, harmony, happiness, energy slowly awakens, the body seems to wake up and come to life. Of course, it is impossible to achieve this right away, you need to practice regularly, then the result will come.
Before starting classes, you must make sure that your health allows you to practice. this type yoga For those who use alcohol or drugs, practicing Kundalini yoga is undesirable and even dangerous. It should be remembered that all yoga techniques were taught only by highly qualified teachers, and their knowledge was known only to the elite. The general public did not know about Kundalini Yoga until Yogi Bhajan brought it to the West and revealed its secret there. Nowadays, when almost any information can be found on the Internet, a person takes full responsibility to practice this type of yoga. The main rule that applies to kundalina yoga is respect for these activities and a serious attitude. If classes will be held for the first time, it is advisable to find a good teacher who can show the right way to chakras and energy. In this case, you can expect a feeling of happiness, well-being and comfort from the first lessons.
Another important aspect is that most human needs, such as health, happiness, love, cannot always be corrected with the help of various kriyas. Each kriya in kundalini yoga affects a specific parameter in a person’s life. You can find good online kundalini yoga lessons on the Internet and practice at home yourself. However, it is a good teacher who will be able to help not only gain and strengthen health, learn to meditate, immerse himself in a relaxed state, but also understand the balance of harmony between body and soul for many years to come, which is very important for a person who is immersed in the bustle of the city and is not constantly spinning around like a squirrel in .
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Yoga is gaining popularity among people in Western society. But does everyone interested in it know what “yoga” is? There are many myths and misconceptions on this issue. Often, ordinary gymnastics is called yoga, and a yogi is a person who bends in some unimaginable way, sits in a motionless position for a long time, or hums something unintelligible to himself. What do all these ideas have to do with the true description of the ancient teaching?
The first thing to start with in yoga is that yoga is a system of self-knowledge. And this self-knowledge occurs, among other things, through working with the physical body (we see people in various asanas), also through working with breathing (pranayama), voice (mantra) and absolutely through all manifestations of a person. Yoga is universal. Yoga is for everyone!
We all develop throughout our lives, throughout our many lives. Not everyone realizes this, however. But everything has its time, sooner or later the desire for self-knowledge and development in a person becomes more and more conscious. And this is where yoga comes to the rescue! And some of its types, such as working with our manifestations (physical body, thoughts, feelings), are just options for what we can choose for ourselves in search of the path of spiritual development.
We decided that yoga, first of all, is a system of self-knowledge. What other important criteria exist? Whatever system people call yoga, only that teaching that adheres to the first and second principles of yoga can rightfully be considered it.
What are we talking about, those who have just begun their acquaintance with yoga will ask. In short, the first principle is the principle of kindness and not harming any living being, and the second is the principle of logic and common sense. If there is no mention of these principles in the system or they are known, but they are not followed, then such a system, a priori, cannot be considered yoga. These are the main criteria by which we can determine whether a particular teaching belongs to ancient knowledge.
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Tip 5: What is Raja Yoga and what place does it occupy in the system?
Raja yoga is called the yoga of Management, the yoga of the President. Raja Yoga is a practical system of using the will. The entire system of yoga is one, but in this teaching there is different techniques, working with various manifestations of man. This ability to manage oneself, to manage the world around us, is also our manifestation.
Raja yoga helps to coexist with the outside world, this yoga is managerial. By practicing Raja Yoga, we discover the hidden potential in ourselves that we didn’t even know about.
Among many other types of yoga, Raja Yoga occupies a high position. There is an opinion that one should practice this yoga no earlier than a person becomes familiar with other yogas, such as pranayama yoga, kriya yoga, hatha yoga.
These yogas seem to create the foundation for Raja Yoga. This is explained by the fact that Raja yoga studies manifestations that are more difficult to perceive. These are subtle mental processes that take place inside a person, in his head, in his consciousness. All these processes have Will as their basis.
IN different systems Yoga gives different classifications of the disciplines included in it. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali describe the eightfold system of stages of yoga, Ashtanga, “eight”. Raja yoga in this system occupies the last four steps, which come after pranayamas.
There are other yoga systems that describe other tools that Raja Yoga uses. But, nevertheless, this direction occupies a high position everywhere.
The teachings of Raja Yoga are based on certain basic principles and is based on the axiomatics of Raja Yoga. Raja yoga tells us some super logical things. But since we approach these things through logic, with the help of exercises that are understandable to our minds, no violation of logic is observed.
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What does yoga really give us? A very interesting answer is given to this question. Yoga gives us absolutely nothing! Yoga in ourselves reveals what is already inherent within. It remains to figure out what exactly yoga can reveal in us.
The ancient teachings of yoga tell us that enormous forces are hidden within ourselves. It turns out that the practice of many types of yoga “only” reveals our potential. And the potential is truly enormous! And, from this point of view, one can list for a long time how yoga helps us.
Physical health
The first place to start listing the list of benefits is physical health. Hatha yoga is even called a panacea for many diseases. Yoga can truly be our medicine.
Hatha yoga can relieve many problems related to human health. The human body becomes stronger with regular practice, weakness goes away, diseases recede or their course becomes much milder.
The positive effect of the classes is obvious. But, with all this, we remember that yoga never strives to replace medicine. Therefore, if we have any disease, the first person we should contact should be a doctor. One should not be mistaken that yoga can replace medicine. Yoga has completely different goals.
Of course, there are many cases where medicine was powerless, while the effect of yoga was very strong and saved a person from his disease. But there should be no misunderstanding. Yoga aims at self-knowledge, and medicine cures.
Of course, the physical body strengthens during yoga, but only in the required amount so that the body does not interfere with the process of self-knowledge. In general, one way or another, yoga helps improve physical health.
Mental health
The next thing that yoga provides is mental health. The psyche is strengthened through its impact on the physical body. The process goes from coarse to subtle. But the psyche of modern man is often shaken.
If we observe ourselves, then, as a rule, we will be able to see that often we behave simply inappropriately. In fact, the mere fact that you are closer to understanding your condition is already a good result.
To change something in better side, you need to understand what you need to work with. The rhythm of life, stress, and environmental conditions lead our psyche to a painful state. When we practice yoga, we influence the psyche through the body. As the famous saying tells us, “a healthy mind in a healthy body.”
Intellectual abilities
What else does yoga give us? By doing hatha yoga, strange as it may sound, we develop our intellectual abilities. Also an interesting situation. You and I do exercises at the level of the physical body, but we get the effect at the level of the intellect.
In our understanding, the image of an athlete and the image of an intellectual rarely converge in one person. Either "" or a professor of philosophy. In the public consciousness these are different things. And yoga doesn’t agree with this.
In yoga, it is believed that if a person devotes a lot of time to physical training, while forgetting about the need to develop intellectually or, conversely, is completely immersed in the development of mental skills, and the body suffers from illness due to a sedentary lifestyle, then there is a clear imbalance.
These are such painful deviations from the “golden mean”, from harmony, which should be gotten rid of. The ideal of yoga can be considered a physically strong person whose intellect is quite well developed.
It is interesting that a person who practices Hatha yoga gradually achieves strengthening of his intellectual abilities. How this happens is absolutely not obvious; this mechanism is hidden. But, as surprising as it may be, it is a fact. We can learn about this from ancient sources, and also witness this by observing modern yoga practitioners.
Creativity
What else does yoga reveal in us? Here we can talk about the “development,” so to speak, of creative abilities.
From the point of view of yoga, everything here is prosaic and banal. It’s just that when we are “out of shape”, we have a lack of vitality, we cannot maintain the work of our nervous system at such a level that she is receptive and, as they now say, creative.
It's about a simple lack of energy. When we do yoga, all our systems are in good condition and we have an excess of prana, the presence of free vital forces. And if there is such an excess, then the person shows creative impulses.
Superpowers
Also, listing everything that yoga gives us, one cannot fail to mention the revelation of human superpowers. After all, every person has abilities that are even difficult to imagine.
What kind of abilities could these be? For example, reading minds or being able to cure physical ailments by touch. Such abilities are revealed similarly to creative ones, that is, with an excess of vitality.
In yoga, it is believed that these abilities are already inherent in us, but we do not yet realize this, we do not know how to use them. A person is truly capable of much.
Yoga is good for the soul and body; it cleanses a person both physically and spiritually. Do you want to try yoga, but first want to know more about what it is? Now we will tell you a little about what yoga is.
Definition of Yoga
A teaching that includes a collection of physical and psychological exercises, is called yoga. These exercises are aimed at cleansing the soul and the whole body. Such a connection is called voluntary, since a person comes into contact with himself. He works on his body, breathing and consciousness. It is also a spiritual liberation from routine, from the bustle of this world. Man is reunited with the One.
First you need to get acquainted with the theory, and then move on to the practice itself. As you've probably already heard, yoga came to us from India. If you translate the word “yoga”, its meaning will sound like “unity”, “union”, “to bind”. Scientists have found that the very first mention of yoga was in the Rigveda, a book of hymns. This book is very ancient and is part of the Vedas (Hindu religious texts).
Yoga is not just a series of simple physical exercises. It contains a serious philosophy. This philosophy is perceived as a method of self-development, a way of understanding the world, which is the main link between body and soul. The temple of the soul must be protected and tried to be preserved for as long as possible. This is why yoga exists in our world.
Asanas
One of the main questions that beginner yogis have is: what does yoga give, what are its goals and objectives? The main goal of yoga is to improve a person’s body. There are postures called asanas. These poses are motionless, in them a person becomes detached, he is independent of his body. This detachment is associated with mental stability and balance.
When a person performs asanas, he acquires spiritual, psychological and physical strength and health. He manages his emotions, controls his thoughts, learns self-control and the ability to maintain balance. We need this in order to overcome life's difficulties, we gain peace of mind and satisfaction with fate. This is how a person improves and improves the quality of life. After we have controlled the mind, we smoothly move on to working with consciousness. We reach a state of peace and feel unity with all of nature. This is what yoga is great about.
Hatha yoga
Let's talk in more detail about what yoga is for. Today, in all modern fitness clubs there are many types of yoga, you can choose any one you like best. One such type of yoga is hatha yoga. In general, all types of yoga come from basic hatha yoga. We direct every pose, every asana towards relaxation, we learn to pass all the energy through ourselves during mediation and control our breathing. During meditation, it is customary to say the words of the mantra. Mantras are prayers. The main goal of Hatha Yoga is to achieve peace of mind. You need to acquire balance between body, spirit and the world around you.
Ashtanga yoga
One of the fast and dynamic yoga options is Ashtanga yoga. It resembles aerobic exercises. In yoga, all series of poses are constantly performed in the same order, as well as in the same breathing rhythm. To practice Ashtanga yoga, you will need good physical fitness.
Yogalates
Another set of elements of asanas and meditation is yogalates. Yogalates helps develop flexibility and includes stretching, Pilates and a system of strength exercises. If you want to do this type of yoga, you can easily master it because it does not require a high level of physical training. Yogalates also tones muscles.
When a person practices yoga, his body and soul relax, and spiritual renewal occurs. A person gets rid of depression and stress, finds spiritual harmony.
To find out what Hatha yoga is, it is necessary to translate this definition from Sanskrit. Thus, “hatha” means “effort and necessity,” where the first syllable symbolizes the sun and the second the moon.
This suggests that the main goal of exercise is to establish body balance for recovery.
What is Hatha yoga, how does it differ from yoga?
Everyone determines for themselves why it is needed. Hatha yoga is preparatory stage providing for the achievement high level spiritual development.
Since it can develop in various areas, the appropriateness of performing exercises determines the pursuit of different goals, which forms the main differences. Thus, with the help of Hatha yoga, the desire to grow spiritually is achieved through physical development bodies.
History of the direction
Yoga is originally a concept from Indian culture. This is evidenced by seals dating back to 3300-1700 BC. e., which were found in India near the Indus River. They depict figures of people meditating in different poses.
There are legends describing how this teaching was transmitted to people by Shiva. It is generally accepted that such practices are transmitted from teacher to student in strict accordance with the rules. This allows them to preserve their traditions in their original form. 
Modern scientists associate the emergence of Hatha yoga with Gorakshanath, who founded a new tradition in the 10th-11th centuries. He systematized the work of the body with consciousness and supplemented them with tantric elements.
Did you know? To achieve harmony between a person and his pet, it was developed in 2002 special technique yoga Susie Teitelman began practicing such exercises for the first time. In this way, dogs, for example, could learn new commands.
Several works were published describing his practices, including “Goraksha-shtaka”, “Goraksha-paddhati”, “Jnana-amrita” and others.
Is this an independent direction?
Hata yoga as a system for transforming the physical and spiritual manifestations of a person is considered an independent direction. Like other types, it is universal for working with the body and mind. This yoga involves achieving a balance of lunar and solar energies.
The relationship between Hatha yoga and Raja yoga
To establish the relationship between different types yoga let's look at the concept of "Raja Yoga". It is a generalized name for the study of the psyche and the achievement of self-knowledge. This technique opens up the capabilities of the mind and helps achieve balance between body and mind. 
This allows you to control subjective perceptions, thoughts and feelings, and also gives freedom of thinking.
Did you know? The famous publication in the USA “Yoga Journal” published statistics showing that in this country about 15.8 million people practice yoga; in the UK their number is 460 thousand people.
According to the teachings of Hatha Yoga, in the process of performing exercises a person is endowed with ideal health and increases his life due to new abilities.
The relationship between these types of yoga is that they carry a message of unity healthy body and a free soul. The tool to achieve this effect is proper breathing.
Why do Hatha yoga
Many people practice yoga primarily to improve their health. Along with this, in modern conditions of social development, getting rid of nervous disorders is also relevant. 
Some people practice Hatha yoga to preserve youth.
The difference between Hatha yoga and gymnastics and other healthy lifestyle systems
Besides, regular classes Hatha yoga will help relieve pain, and with the help breathing exercises the action of the relevant organs is normalized. In this regard, a uniform amount of oxygen enters the body, which saturates it, giving the body flexibility and improving blood circulation. 
Harm and contraindications
Before you start doing the exercises, it would not be superfluous to consult a doctor, since there are a number of problems, the presence of which causes the cessation of exercise.
Important! For effective weight loss You must drink at least 2 liters of water daily.
It is necessary to perform exercises on an empty stomach, having drunk a glass beforehand. cold water. It would not be superfluous to arrange for yourself, based on the consumption of milk and. 
By doing Hatha yoga, you can quickly lose weight. However, we should not forget that this is not just exercise and proper breathing, but also a way to reboot brain activity.
Is it worth it for children?
A distinctive feature of this type of yoga is the strengthening of muscles through gradual loads and a balance of twisting. For a growing body, developing flexibility is a pressing issue, so regular moderate load will help stretch the muscles of the back and hips.
In addition, Hatha yoga provides an opportunity for children to relax and practice concentration techniques through breathing procedures. This action will lead the child to feel that he is protected and at peace. A set of exercises will allow you to feel your body and explore its new capabilities.
In some countries, Hatha yoga was introduced into the system of compulsory physical training for military personnel, including submariners and pilots. Many athletes often successfully use yoga methods in their training. 
In general, so that classes bring maximum quantity pleasure, you should acquire special paraphernalia and wear appropriate clothing. Practice has shown that the incidence of diseases decreases when a person begins to practice yoga and lead healthy image life.
Yoga is a holistic and multifaceted teaching about understanding oneself and the world around us, which has a thousand-year history. In ancient times, it was an extremely closed system, since the techniques and practices were very strong and gave real power.
This science is very specific, it contains many specific exercises and techniques that allow you to realize your inner potential, reveal the colossal physical and mental abilities inherent in every person, and maintain yourself in excellent physical shape.
By practicing yoga, a person emerges from the “gray everyday life” into a new, completely fantastic and magical world, becomes more and more open, sincere, kind, and begins to live a brighter, richer, more fulfilling life.
Teaching not only helps to improve physical health, gain a strong, slender, resilient body, but also allows you to fully realize yourself in all areas of life - in work and study, in career and business, in family and interpersonal relationships, in professional and personal development, and many more. other areas of human activity.
This is an extra-karmic gift from the Universe, left to us by teachers and teachers of antiquity, who have already achieved all the goals that one can dream of. They left us the knowledge of yoga to help us change our lives for the better as quickly as possible and rise to a new spiritual level.
Is any system of self-knowledge yoga?
No, it is not. Yoga can be called only that system of self-knowledge that strictly adheres to the first principle of yoga, or the principle of kindness, and the second principle, or the principle of common sense.
The first principle tells us that we “should not harm any living creature unless absolutely necessary; if it is not possible not to cause harm, then we must act as our duty dictates.” This principle is the cornerstone of any system of self-knowledge; without observing it, it is impossible to rise to a new spiritual level.
The second principle, or the principle of logic, tells us that “we should not waste our time and energy on trifles. We must first be very clear about our goals, be those goals in work, study, yoga or any other field of activity, and then direct all our efforts only towards achieving these goals.
Therefore, before getting involved in another activity, we must ask ourselves whether it leads us to the goal, and if not, we must ruthlessly reject it, no matter how tempting it may seem to us.”
By observing the first and second principles, sooner or later we intuitively “grope” for our life path, which is called dharma, or destiny, and by following it, we quickly achieve all our goals and at the same time become more aware of our duty.
What's the main secret? How do you know which exercises are yoga exercises?
The foundation of all yoga, the main secret of any yoga exercise is harmony, the right combination of where you need to force yourself and where you can allow yourself.
If you only allow yourself, progress will be slow, because yoga requires will, determination, and effort; on the contrary, if you force the process too much and constantly “keep yourself in check” without relaxing for a second, this will also slow down your practice. Asceticism in yoga is absolutely necessary, but it must be harmoniously combined with relaxation and enjoyment of the practice.
In yoga, the most important thing is not WHAT you do, but HOW you do this or that exercise. You can twist into three knots and take the most difficult asana, which will look one-on-one like in the picture, but will not be yoga, but you can take the most simple pose and get a colossal effect from it.
In other words, we must avoid extremes, observe the principle of common sense and listen very carefully to our body, to our sensations, emotions, feelings. Any physical or mental exercise may or may not be a yoga exercise; the element of internal harmony and joy from its implementation is important.
How to determine that a person is truly successful in yoga?
There is only one main criterion for success - the habit of doing yoga. Of course, flexibility, harmony, a sense of harmony, and the ability to concentrate are also indicators of progress in yoga, but they are all secondary and secondary.
If you have developed the habit of doing yoga every day - no matter what type of yoga you do - then success is guaranteed to you, now it is only a matter of time before certain results from the practice come. If you don’t have such a habit, you can very quickly get some effect and just as quickly lose it.
In addition, it should be remembered that only that system of self-knowledge that strictly adheres to the first and second principles - the principles of kindness and common sense - can be called yoga.
If a person is angry, cruel, causes harm to others and does not want to change, it is unlikely that he will be able to master yoga practices at a truly serious level.
Who can do yoga and who is it suitable for?
Strictly speaking, anyone can do yoga. Even if for one reason or another you cannot exercise physical yogis(age, health problems, etc.), you can practice other types of yoga - meditation, dream yoga, visualization yoga, raja yoga, etc.
The teaching is very multifaceted; for some, practices associated with volitional efforts and asceticism are more suitable, for others - with energy methods and trust in the Absolute. Anyone can learn something useful from a wide arsenal of practical yoga methods.
But, no matter what type of yoga you do, if you do it honestly, purposefully, regularly, if you develop a habit of doing it, you can get truly wonderful results.
How to understand that the exercise is being performed correctly?
In principle, there are no external devices or diagnostic methods to determine whether a particular yoga exercise is being performed correctly. No external observer can do this; only the practitioner himself can determine this.
At the same time, yoga gives some guidelines on how to do this - when performing each exercise in yoga, you should feel harmony and a state of joy. If you do an exercise and want to keep doing it, then you are doing it correctly. You can feel the joy of overcoming yourself, performing the pose with effort, using will, or, conversely, the joy of experiencing pleasant sensations in the body when the pose becomes comfortable, but in both cases there should be positive emotions.
If you feel pain, discomfort, a desire to get out of the pose, but use violence against your body, then you are doing anything but yoga. In yoga, it is believed that violence against the body is absolutely ineffective and does not lead to any long-term results. As it is said in an ancient treatise on yoga, “pain and yoga are incompatible; if there is pain, there is no yoga; if there is yoga, there is no pain.”
This is the main secret of yoga, this is what distinguishes it from physical education and sports. It is thanks to the harmony method that you begin to feel better about yourself, move from the external world to the internal, and begin to grow spiritually. It is this method that allows you to get all the beneficial effects of yoga - develop and hone your intellectual abilities, learn to plan and achieve your goals, harmoniously build relationships with others, and much, much more.
What exactly does yoga provide?
If we briefly structure the variety of effects obtained from yoga, we can answer this question as follows:
- Physical health, good energy tone, a surge of energy and vitality.
- Beautiful, hardy, slender physical body.
- Mental health, stress relief, calmness, balance, inner harmony and freedom, a feeling of joy and happiness.
- Real positive changes in life - a more interesting and highly paid job, rich, interesting life, building more harmonious relationships with others, freeing up temporary resources, achieving all set goals,
- Spiritual development - a person becomes more open, kind, sincere, begins to better understand himself and the Universe, and becomes a support for other people.
What types of yoga are there?
There are many types of yoga, as many as there are manifestations of human activity. As a rule, the main, classical types of yoga include hatha yoga, kriya yoga, mantra yoga, pranayama, and meditation. These yogas allow you to rebuild your physical body, make it more perfect, resilient, strong, help you gain clarity of consciousness, sharpen your mind and intellectual abilities.
These yogas are the foundation for more complex, exotic yogas such as tantra yoga, yoga of love, nyasa yoga, bhakti yoga, jnana yoga, raja yoga, dream yoga, visualization yoga and many others. In our yoga school within the framework of the Open Yoga University, about twenty types of yogas are studied - more detailed information You can find information about these types on the website openyoga.ru.
How long do you need to practice to get results?
No one in the world can give you clear deadlines, dates and numbers - it all depends on your specific situation, your practice habits, and what goals you set for yourself. It happens that a person is just starting to practice yoga, and progress is very fast, and then suddenly he “hits a wall.”
In this case, everything depends only on you, on your will and determination, on whether you are able to implement the method of harmony for yourself. But in any case, if yoga has become a habit for you, all the positive results will come, now it’s only a matter of time.
Where and when did yoga originate? Where can you find the most ancient primary sources?
The history of yoga goes back thousands of years; now it is not possible to accurately determine where and when this teaching arose. It is believed that in ancient times yoga was widespread among a variety of peoples and countries; we find echoes of this teaching in the myths and legends of Europe, Russia, Scandinavian countries, the Middle East, Egypt, and India.
Then, for reasons unknown to us, this halo narrowed significantly, but still covered a fairly wide geographical space - the territory of countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, the countries of Central Asia, modern India, Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet, and the countries of Southeast Asia. Now this halo has narrowed even further, to the territory of modern India, Nepal, Tibet and other nearby countries.
As for the names of the teachers and founders of yoga, it is not possible to name them, since in ancient times it was not customary to draw attention to one’s personality; it was considered immodest. We only know the names of the lesser followers of yoga, the Taksiks like Patanjali, Vyasa and others.
Since the knowledge of yoga in ancient times was passed on by word of mouth, from teacher to student, written texts and treatises on yoga appeared at a relatively later time. Many texts on yoga have been lost, and of those that have survived, many have not been translated not only into Russian, but even into any European language.
One of the most ancient texts on yoga, which is beyond doubt among orientalists, is considered to be the treatise “Yoga Sutras of Patanjali”. However, in this text, Patanjali rather provides a systematic presentation of different approaches to yoga, generalizing them into a harmonious sequence of eight steps, but does not set out the entire theory and practice of yoga.
Today we can say that true knowledge has been preserved primarily in those yoga schools that have maintained the tradition of passing knowledge from teacher to student for many generations.
Can yoga be dangerous?
Yoga is an extremely safe system of self-knowledge. As centuries-old history shows, yoga knows how to protect itself, to make sure that powerful knowledge and techniques do not fall into the hands of an evil, cruel person who can harm himself and others. Our Universe is so cunningly structured that even if the knowledge of yoga falls into the hands of such a person, he will not be able to use it. Yoga has classical methods and so-called quick methods.
Classical methods are almost completely safe, anyone can study them, but it also takes a long time to practice them to get results; it requires determination, courage, and will. Quick methods allow you to achieve your goal very quickly, they are truly capable of working miracles, but they contain many pitfalls and can be dangerous for the practitioner.
However, usually an unprepared person cannot use them and harm himself, because none of the yoga teachers will teach such a person quick methods, and, having encountered them on his own, he simply will not be able to recognize them.
At the same time, yoga again and again calls on the practitioner to be extremely attentive to his body, remember the principle of harmony, and not allow any pain. By following the harmony method and strictly following all the recommendations of your teacher, you will never be able to harm yourself. This applies to both classical hatha yoga and all other types of yoga.
Is yoga an open or closed teaching?
In ancient times, yoga was an extremely closed teaching - the uninitiated were not even allowed close to the secret practices and techniques of yoga. It was believed that an unprepared person would not be able to use them in any case, but would cause negative associative connections in other people who would identify this person with yoga.
However, over the past 150-200 years the situation has changed dramatically. It feels like some yoga teachers made a decision: that’s it, the time has come, humanity is ready to accept this science, now it’s time to fully make the knowledge of yoga known, to convey it to as many people as possible.
The most interesting thing is that historically this coincided with the scientific and technological revolution, as if yoga teachers were waiting for the moment when it would be possible to very quickly spread the knowledge of yoga with the help modern means civilization. At the moment, the blessing of yoga teachers has been received for the open dissemination of yoga knowledge - of course, in those schools that are open, since even in our time there are many closed schools.
In our school of yoga of the Anandaswami tradition, it is believed that the knowledge of yoga belongs to all humanity, moreover, the history of civilization will largely depend on whether people are able to perceive this ancient knowledge and the spiritual values embedded in it.
Is yoga a religion?
No, it is not. Yoga is extremely respectful of all religions, without singling out any of them, but it is not itself a religion - it is a system of self-knowledge. A person who adheres to any religious views, as well as an atheist, can practice yoga.
In yoga, it is believed that religion is a personal matter for everyone. Yoga does not contradict and perfectly complements religion, but it completely distances itself from any religious disputes and disputes.
How do yoga and science relate to each other?
Yoga is extremely respectful of science, but is not itself a science. . The difference between science and yoga is the point of reference: science tries to understand the world by choosing an external point of reference, but in yoga the point of reference is the “I” of each person. In addition, yoga strictly observes the first principle, in yoga it is believed that it is better not to have any knowledge than to have knowledge obtained through the suffering of living beings.
In science, the principles of morality and humanism are not always so strictly observed. However, in yoga, as in science, you are also encouraged to sharpen your mind, wherever possible, observe the principles of logic and common sense, and radically stop any illogicality and obscurantism. Yoga knowledge never contradicts ordinary logic. Yoga perfectly complements science.
What diseases can be cured with yoga?
Yoga does not treat either physical or mental diseases - there is medicine for that. Yoga is not a substitute for medicine; if you have health problems and don’t know whether you can do yoga, contact your doctor first. Yoga is designed for “practically healthy” people; in other cases, one must approach yoga classes with extreme caution.
Of course, there are situations when, with the help of yoga, a person was cured of diseases that official medicine recognized as incurable. Since yoga is a very strong teaching, it happens that it gets out of bed a person whom doctors, as they say, have given up on, but, once again, there are no guarantees.
How does yoga relate to drugs?
Extremely negative! Yoga believes that it is fundamentally impossible to achieve any heights of self-knowledge with the help of chemistry - be it hallucinogens, psychotropic substances or any other drugs. The basis of spiritual self-transformation is only the will of a person and honest, purposeful work on oneself; it is impossible to “accelerate” this process with the help of chemistry.
By taking drugs, a person not only causes terrible harm to his body, but also sharply degrades spiritually, which is why yoga has a sharply negative attitude towards any narcotic substances. In the 20th century, there was a whole boom in the West, a huge surge of interest in drugs and hallucinogens; followers of these movements were convinced that they were opening up “new horizons of consciousness.”
In yoga, this is considered a terrible myth, one of the dangerous traps on the path of spiritual evolution of humanity.
Is there certification? How can you tell if an instructor teaches yoga professionally?
The very mentality of Eastern countries does not imply that anyone will take it upon themselves to certify yoga teachers; there is not and cannot be a single certification center. There are many different schools of yoga in India, and the methods of these schools can sometimes differ dramatically. In addition, in the East there is extreme freedom in a person’s choice of a method of self-knowledge, a method of spiritual development; they respect this freedom even more than our “Declaration of Human Rights”.
However, in some schools in India and in the West, there is a practice of certifying yoga teachers who have completed their training at this school. However, the yoga tradition itself suggests that no certificate can guarantee that you are truly a yoga teacher or a professional teacher.
Of course, from a logical standpoint, if you trust a yoga school, it probably makes sense to trust a teacher who is certified by that school. But there are no guarantees, since in yoga, the personality of the teacher himself is primarily important.
Therefore, the choice is only yours - if, while doing yoga under the guidance of an instructor, you feel trust in him and feel inner harmony from doing the exercises, it makes sense to continue practicing. If the instructor has certificates from all yoga schools, all conceivable and inconceivable initiations, but you personally do not feel trust in him, perhaps you should find another instructor.
What is the main goal of yoga?
The main goal is to achieve the highest and transcendental state of happiness, awareness of one’s higher “I”, gaining complete freedom from any conditioning, any dependence. This state is called samadhi. Tantra
Hello friends!
Every time I tell people that I work as a yoga instructor, they roll their eyes, spread their arms, join the thumb, index and middle fingers on each hand and make the sound “ooooommmm.” According to them, this is what I do in my classes. 🙂
Others are surprised and say: “Cool! Show me some poses.” Many men believe that yoga is only for women. This is not a man's business! Many women think that yoga is just about stretching.
This leads to the conclusion that most people have no idea what yoga is and why it is becoming more and more popular in the Western world.
Moreover, when I started searching for information about yoga for my article and began reading various sources on the Internet, I understood why. Most of the articles are written in a complex language, using terms from Sanskrit, which is not only difficult for the average person, but also for a knowledgeable person to understand.
So, yoga is a collection of various spiritual, mental and physical practices that came to us from India.
MAIN DIRECTIONS OF YOGA
1. Raja Yoga(royal yoga) is known as classical yoga. Its main goal is control of the mind through meditation. Raja Yoga consists of eight steps that touch on all aspects of human existence.
Pit - norms of behavior, consists of five elements (non-violence, truthfulness, abstinence from theft, self-discipline - control over desires and absence of greed).
Niyama- following religious rules and regulations - complete dedication to spiritual practices. It also consists of five elements (internal and external purity, contentment, austerity, study of scriptures and repetition of mantras, surrender to God and worship of Him).
Asana- the ability to take certain body positions for meditation. Another exercise. An asana is any stable, motionless pose.
Pranayama- breathing practice aimed at relaxing the mind, cleansing the body, filling the body with energy. Prana means "life force" and "yama" means to control, to manage.
Pratyahara- a technique for distracting feelings from the objects to which they are directed. Pratyahara gives inner spiritual strength. It allows you to achieve mental focus and increases willpower.
Dharana — concentration. Real yoga begins with concentration, which turns into meditation. Mental concentration is promoted by holding the breath, sexual abstinence, pure food, solitude, silence, being in the company of a guru and limiting contact with people.
Dhyana- meditation. Feeling of happiness and love.
Samadhi – liberation from ego, enlightenment. Obstacles and wanderings of the mind disappear, the yogi becomes independent from the outside world and dissolves in the impersonal absolute.
2. Karma yoga(Yoga of Activity) is based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, the sacred Hindu scripture in Sanskrit, and its main meaning is to perform prescribed duties without attachment to the fruits of work, without selfish motives, with the sole purpose of satisfying God.
3. Jnana yoga(the path of knowledge) is another direction of yoga, which acts as a path of self-awareness, on which the individual learns to distinguish reality from illusion and realizes his identity with the world, with the fundamental principle of all things.
4. Bhakti yoga-the practice of bhakti yoga is aimed at cultivating love for God through bhakti - serving God with love and devotion. The practice of bhakti yoga is recommended in a number of sacred texts of Hinduism as the easiest and effective form yoga
5. Hatha yoga- the most widespread type of yoga in the Western world, systematized by Swami Swatmarama (author of the treatise “Hatha Yoga Pradipika”) in the 15th century. Hatha yoga is presented as a system of preparing the physical body for complex meditations. That is, so that the body does not hurt, does not swell and does not go numb, thereby not distracting from the main thing, while sitting for many hours in one position.
Each hataha yoga exercise (asana) affects a specific part of the body, organ or group of organs, improving their functioning.
Outside of India, the term “yoga” is often associated only with hatha yoga and its asanas, which does not reflect the spiritual and spiritual aspects of yoga.
I believe that everyone takes from yoga what they are ready for. at the moment. If a person is interested in yoga as a means to improve and strengthen health, that’s great. If he is ready for spiritual practices, even better. The most important thing is to listen to yourself and develop at your own pace.
If a person is ready for certain information or experience, he will definitely receive it from a total or other source.
Be open to development, and an amazing life full of discoveries awaits you.
Practice yoga and be happy!
With sincere sympathy, Olesya.
