The origin of Yoga has been closely debated by various scholars but what they unanimously agree onto is the purpose for which it much has come onto practice -- to attain moksha or liberation of the human soul from the confines of materialistic bonds.
It has been found that practicing Yoga has various benefits, the least of which is releasing stress and leading a healthy life. Practicing yoga regularly keeps your body fit and it has also helped in curing various kinds of illness in people who have been earlier turned away from western medicine for want of a cure.
Finding out which form of Yoga might suit you is not so much of a challenge as is the regular and disciplined practice that it demands.
Even after its inception into daily life of the people of Indus valley, some 300 years prior, it is still very much in demand and growing because slowly and steadily, people are realizing its true value and nature all over the world.
1. History Of Yoga
Shiva is also referred to as the adiyogi and is considered to be the first yogi to have taught humans the way to enlightenment almost 1500 years ago. He taught seven men the secrets of yogic science who later on began to be known as the Saptarishis.
Source
2. Transforming Your Body Through Yoga
Yogic practices not only have the ability to reduce stress and boost metabolism, it also brings a certain kind of serenity to the inner spirit of any person. It has been found that practicing hatha yoga can improve cognitive functions boosting the memory power of a person.
Source
3. Yoga For Kids
Practicing yoga is very beneficial for kids especially for those who are obese since it helps in reducing the fat without having any adverse effect on their energy levels or their memory power as some weight-loss supplements might do. Yoga is also beneficial for autistic children as it helps them in accepting and expressing their feelings properly.
Source
4. Popularity of Yoga Among The Americans
No matter which corner of the earth you go, yoga will find it right place everywhere for it healing abilities. There are over 300 Million yoga practitioners all around the world with over 21 Million practitioners in the US alone.
Source
5. Yoga Poses For The Hot Tub
Hot Tub Yoga is very beneficial in providing hydrotherapy benefits that may be beneficial for curing migraines, restless leg syndrome, muscle tension as well as insomnia. By increasing the internal body temperature, the circulation of blood and lymph fluid increase thereby helping in detoxifying the body.
Source
6. Relieving Back Pain Through Yoga
Back pain can be quite frustrating when you have a day full of work to complete. Yoga helps in alleviating back pain thus helping you stay active and pain-free throughout your daily schedule. It has been proved through research that practicing yoga for only 90 Minutes a day can strengthen your back muscles thus stopping it from coming back.
Source
7. Beginners Yoga
Quite a lot of people are fast catching up with the practicing of yoga in current times. In US alone there are 21 million regular practitioners. It has been found that practicing yoga twice weekly improved depression as well as lowered the levels of anxiety.
Source
8. Myths and Benefits of Yoga
A lot of people think that when it comes to weight loss, yoga might not be as beneficial as putting time in the gym since all that intense stretching is effective only in toning the body rather than burning fat. But most would be surprised to know that the benefits of yoga doesn't limit itself to just increasing one’s flexibility but also helps in weight reduction.
Source
9. Breathing Into Yoga
Yoga not only focuses on stretching but also helps regulate our breathing abilities. Focusing on our breathing not only helps the general well being of our body but also helps reduce the stress levels, sharpening our mind and helping brain growth. It also helps in keeping our heart healthy relaxing the body into lowering the blood pressure levels.
Source
10. Choosing The Right Yoga Style
People all around the world have been reaping the benefits of the various styles of Yoga. In the US, the common styles that are in vogue are the Hatha yoga, the Ashtanga, the Bikram, the Svaroopa , the Kundalini and the Integrated yoga therapy.
Source
11. What Is Yoga
Yoga is the unification of the mind, body and the spirit that helps in the attainment of liberation from all materialistic bonds that the human soul is bund with and to. There are six basic branches of yoga viz., the hatha yoga, the bhakti yoga, the raja yoga, the jnana yoga, the karma yoga and the tantra yoga.
Source
12. A Few Yoga Statistics
Wherever you go these days, be it during an online shopping deal or during some event deal, yoga classes pop up everywhere with almost everyone offering you some sort of a deal on them. It has been found that 15 million people in the United States practice Yoga, out of which 27.7% are men while 72.2% are female.
Source
13. Setting A Yoga Goal
If you are a regular practitioner of Yoga, it becomes highly imperative for you to set yourself certain goals regarding your practice that is not just attainable but will also give you a sense of fulfilment. Goals like trying to continue regularly for 30 days or practicing one new yoga pose every week for 3 months are certain goals that are not just attainable but will also keep your routine from getting monotonous.
Source
14. Yoga Poses That Can Be Performed Anywhere
Yoga is one such practical form of exercise for which you do not necessarily need to go to a gym or strike out a definite place where you would perform it . It is something that can be practiced anywhere with the minimum amount of inconvenience to yourself as well as to others.
Five poses that can be performed anywhere are the wide-angled seated forward bend, the downward-facing dog pose, the extended triangle pose, the plough pose and the bow pose.
Source
15. Yoga During Pregnancy
Usually during pregnancy it is advised not to exert the body too much since that might bring harm to the baby. But when it comes to Yoga, there are certain poses that might actually be good for the mother as well as her baby.
Source