1) What is Yoga?

Yoga is a holistic and ancient practice that originated in ancient India thousands of years ago.
Yoga stimulates a person thinking process by various degrees. It is a spiritual, mental, and physical discipline aimed at achieving harmony and balance within oneself.
Yoga can be carried out by various techniques and methods, but usually it is incorporated through postures, asanas, breathing techniques and meditation.
Yoga is not just a physical exercise but a philosophy and lifestyle that encourages ethical principles and personal growth.
Yoga is guided by the concept of self-discipline, self-awareness, compassion, perseverance, determination etc and practicing it on a regular basis will help people to lead better lives.
Yoga can be practiced by people of all ages and fitness levels, making it a versatile practice.
Yoga has immense popularity worldwide for it's various health benefits like stress reduction, flexibility, mental stability and many more.
According to the needs and preferences of the people, Yoga is bifurcated into different types such Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Bikram, Kundalini, and Iyengar, etc.
Allocating a certain period of time on daily basis for Yoga will enhance your lifestyle and provide you with peace of mind.

2) History of yoga

The word "yoga" comes from the Sanskrit root "yuj," which means to unite or yoke, signifying the integration of body, mind, and spirit.
The first known formal appearance of the word "yoga", with the same meaning as the modern term, is in the Katha Upanishad dating back to 5th Century BCE, Yoga was traditionally practiced as a spiritual and philosophical discipline aimed at achieving self-realization and enlightenment. Yoga was primarily associated with Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Indian philosophies.
In the earlier days, yoga was not widely accepted or recognized by Western medical science as a legitimate form of therapy or treatment. It was often viewed with Skepticism.The understanding and acceptance of yoga in the Western medical community began to change gradually during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some influential figures, like Swami Vivekananda, introduced yoga to the West and generated interest in its potential benefits.
Today, yoga is embraced by many medical practitioners, and it is often recommended as part of holistic approaches to health and wellness.

3) Importance of yoga

Yoga holds immense importance in an individual's life relating to his physical, mental and emotional well being.
Physical benefits : Different postures and asanas help in flexibility improvement, maintaining balance, muscle toning, strengthening of joints and ligaments etc
Mental clarity and focus : Meditation part of Yoga ensures mental stability, improved concentration in work and other activities.
Emotional well being : Yoga encourages self-awareness and introspection, which can lead to a better understanding of one's emotions.
Stronger Immune system : Practicing yoga has a positive impact on the immune system. Reduced stress levels and improved circulation are believed to contribute to a stronger immune response.
Body functioning : Maintaining blood pressure, improved heart health and other such benefits are obtained by practicing Yoga.
Posture correction : Yoga emphasizes proper alignment and body awareness, which can help correct poor posture habits developed from prolonged sitting or other sedentary activities.
Weight loss, Increases Lung capacity, Self confidence, Self discipline and patience, Digestion process, Pain relief, Reduces Anxiety and depression, Improved blood circulation, etc.

4) Types of prayanma

Bhramari:

Bhramari Pranayama, or Bee Breath, is a breathing exercise named after the sound of the buzzing bee. Bhramari Pranayam develops a positive connection between our body and mind.

Avilom Vilom:

Anuloma Pranayama is one of several Pranayama or breath exercises used in the practice of Hatha yoga. Anu roughly translates as with and Loma means hair implying "with the grain" or "natural".

Kapal bhati:

Kapalabhati is an important shatkarma, a purification in hatha yoga. The word kapalabhati is made up of two Sanskrit words: kapāla meaning "skull", and bhāti meaning "shining, illuminating".

5) Types of yoga

Tittibhasana:

Tittibhasana or Firefly pose is an arm-balancing asana with the legs stretched out forwards in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise.

Matsyasana:

Matsyasana, also called the fish pose, is a complete asana for flexibility and muscle strength.

6) Suryanamaskar

The founder of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, K. Pattabhi Jois, stated that "There is no Ashtanga yoga without Surya Namaskara, which is the ultimate salutation to the Sun god."

The surya namaskar, also know as 'Sun Salutation" comprises of '12 yogic asanas'. It is performed mainly by facing the Sun in the east direction, as the sun is considered as a demigod, to whom this "collection of asanas" is offered.

The surya namaskar is an exercise equivalent to most of the physical weight-lifting exercises. The collective performance of the 12 asana's strengthens different muscles at the same time, just like a 'paracetamol tablet acting on all illnesses'.

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The 12 asana's of the 'Surya Namaskar ' are:

Pose 1: Prayer pose (Pranamasana):

This pose relaxes the nervous system and helps improve balance. It also helps relieve stress and anxiety.

Pose 2: Raised arms pose (Hasta Uttanasana)

Stretches and tones the muscles of the abdomen. Expands the whole body from heel to the tip of the fingers.

Pose 3: Hand to Foot Pose (Hasta Padasana)

It stretches the spine and makes it flexible. It also stretches the hamstrings and strengthens the legs, shoulders, and arms muscles.

Pose 4: Equestrian pose – Ashwa Sanchalanasana

Strengthens the leg muscles and spine. Relieves in indigestion and constipation.

Pose 5: Mountain pose (Parvatasana)

It improves posture and calms the mind.

Pose 6: Ashtanga Namaskara

It improves the flexibility of the back and spine. Strengthens the back muscle and relieves build up tension. Your eight body chin, chest, both feet, both knees and both hands are worked in a single pose.

Pose 7: Cobra pose (Bhujangasana)

It improves flexibility and mood. It stretches the shoulders, chest, back, leg muscles, all at once.

Pose 8: Mountain pose (Parvatasana)

It increases the blood flow to the spinal region. It strengthens the muscles of the arms and legs.

Pose 9: Equestrian pose (Ashwa Sanchalanasana)

Brings flexibility to leg muscles and tones deep core muscles. Strengthens the spine.

Pose 10: Hand to foot pose – Hasta Padasana.

It improves blood circulation, stretches body muscles and makes the spine more flexible.

Pose 11: Raised Arms Pose (Hasta Uttanasana)

It improves respiratory function, lower back pain, and fatigue. It also aids digestion. Expands the chest, which results in a full intake of oxygen.

Pose 12: Standing Mountain pose (Tadasana)

Strengthens thighs, knees, and ankles and improves posture. Tone your hips and abdomen and improve agility and blood circulation.

These 12 poses when practiced make up for one cycle of Surya Namaskar. Ideally, doing 12-15 cycles a day will get you all the benefits required by the body, keeping you fit and healthy for a better tomorrow.

7) Effect on the body, mind and soul

The above narration clarifies that yoga has variety of asana's, practice of which can be beneficial to a person physically, be it increase in flexibility, losing fat, strengthening of muscle's, etc. While shedding light upon the physical benefits of yoga, we can not ignoring it's share in maintaining the mental wellbeing of a person. In the recent times, the world has seen a hike in the cases of depression, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, etc. The topic of metal health is in the limelight from last 3-4 years, i.e post COVID, that it is discussed in everyday institution's that a person has a connection with. The fact that yoga help's a person in improving his mental well-being by various asana's like Bhramari, Anulom Vilom, Bhastrika Pranayam, Kapalbhati, etc. should also be considered as a portion of "yogic concoction". Now let's know more particularly about what are the actual effects the asana's have:

Meditation:

"The powers of the mind are like the rays of the sun when they are concentrated they illumine." ~Swami Vivekananda, "Pearls of Wisdom". The quote describes the power, a person can achieve by meditating. The concentration that a person develops after mastering the control on his breath and clarity of thought by sidelining all other scrupulous idea's is worth to take note of as we have the example of Swami Vivekananda himself.

The essence of yoga lies in its ability to promote the observance of and, ultimately, quieten the mind. If you have an over-active ‘monkey mind’ that makes it hard to sit in peace, yoga can help you create some space from your thoughts and reduce the internal chatter.

Increase in energy:

The more energy you have, the easier it is to get through your day without the need for endless cups of coffee. A person experience's a gradual surge in his energy after a nice session of performing yoga. This is because it makes your mind calm and sorted, so that you are ready to take on any challenge in the day ahead. The scope of a person to get frustrated is so little, that a short tempered person will also swallow all of his anger and give a delicate smile instead of cursing the ciscumstances.You will also sleep better as your body begins to adjust to its natural rhythms.

Effect on 'Physical' Brain:

Studies using MRI scans and other brain imaging technology have shown that people who regularly did yoga had a thicker cerebral cortex (the area of the brain responsible for information processing) and hippocampus (the area of the brain involved in learning and memory) compared with nonpractitioners. These areas of the brain typically shrink as you age, but the older yoga practitioners showed less shrinkage than those who did no yoga. This suggests that yoga may counteract age-related declines in memory and other cognitive skills.

Spirituality:

A good yoga practice is one that allows its practitioners to achieve peace – with themselves and the external world they inhabit. The spiritual aspect of yoga emphasizes the attainment of peace and clarity of mind, while perfecting the posture is of secondary importance. When we practice yoga with a spiritual outlook, we acknowledge that the end purpose is transformation and awakening of our true Inner Self. Awakening of Self means realizing our highest potential. Realizing our hidden potential allows us to express the fullness of our divine essence. The Padmasana, Veerbhadrasana, Balasana, Vrikshasana, Shavasana are the general yogic poses to meditate and drown yourself in spirituality.

CREDITS:

DILIP CHOUDHARY - M.22.33
LIZA KOTHARI - M.22.88
ARYAN VIJAY - M.22.62
HARSH GANGAWANE - M.22.51
KINJAL CHOUDHARY - M.22.34
VARUN JAIN - M.22.68

"Yoga : Fuel to the mind, soul and body"