Yoga has its origin in India, a traditional way of exercising which brings harmony to the physical and etheric body. Since ancient times Yoga practices are being done to seek incredible health benefits such as controlled breathing, rejuvenating the system, relaxing the muscles, the brain as well as reforming the etheric body for well-being. As per ancient Hindu philosophy, Yoga aims to unite the self (Human Body) with the spirit of the universe. As per the legends, Adiyogi (Lord Shiva) also known as the “the first yogi”, as the first yogic master initiated the Yogic culture in India. Around 15,000 years ago he said to have started performing intense dance forms in the Himalayas. He also gave Yogic lessons to seven of his disciples—the Saptarishis, with the aim to spread the Yogic Culture for the well-being of the human civilization. Even in 2021, Yoga holds its importance intact because of how it transformed the lives of millions of people. Not only Guru’s, several neuroscientists and high-level doctors suggest including Yoga in our daily workout regimen. Here we take you through some amazing benefits of doing Yoga, free apps which can assist you, easy asanas to do at home alongside few other interesting details.
How to do Yoga at home?
- Start with baby steps. Know a few basic poses and learn everything about these poses
- Consult professionals or daily practitioners to guide you with corrections in the poses
- Start with a fresh mind and listen to your body. Do it with ease and keep in check if you feel any pain
- Watch online classes or join offline classes for detailed guidance
- Prep your body with nutritional food
- Don’t stress to perform challenging asanas and make sure to breathe deeply while doing it
Benefits of doing Yoga:
- Yoga improves flexibility in the body
- Yoga boosts the immune system
- Yoga improves the etheric body thereby bringing harmony to life
- Yoga improves body postures
- Yoga improves joints health
- Yoga helps to relax and reduces stress
- Yoga lowers blood pressure
- Yoga alongside healthy nutritional support helps vanishes chronic diseases
- Yoga helps to get deep sleep
- Yoga also eases arthritis symptoms
- Yoga improves lungs capacity
- Yoga helps in weight loss
Free Yoga Apps:
If you have been looking for free mobile applications that can assist you in practices. Alongside motivating you with asanas, these apps can also enhance your experience with soothing music, a timer, and daily reminders. Take a look at free yoga apps:
- Daily Yoga
- Yoga Studio
- Down Dog
- Asana Rebel
- Gaia
- Yoga-Track Yoga
- Yoga for beginners
- Yoga poses for beginners
Yoga poses and their benefits:
Tadasana:
This Yoga asana corrects bad posture in the body and gives relief from chronic alignments.
Adho Mukha Svanasana:
This Yoga asana calms the brain and reduces stiffness in the shoulder. It helps tone out the shoulder and legs.
Uttanasana:
This Yoga asana includes stretching of the hamstrings and the spine. It improves the condition of the liver, kidneys and abdominal region.
Trikonasana
This Yoga asana is known for improving the flexibility in the spine region. It also relaxes the backache. Improves gastritis, indigestion and acidity condition in the body.
Dandasana:
This Yoga asana improves the functionality of abdominal organs, the spinal, leg and chest muscles. It is one of the best poses for people suffering from asthma.
Motivation to do Yoga:
Even after knowing about all the incredible physical and mental health benefits of doing Yoga, one needs some sort of motivation daily to be constant at practices. It’s surely not easy to keep up with the consistency. Here are few tips that can motivate you to do Yoga regularly, so you can seek all the benefits.
- During the initial days keep it simple and short i.e from 40 mins to 60 mins with simple poses
- Decide a place and time for the practice; set a timer for the daily practice
- Invite your close friends to do practice Yoga with you
- Buy a new Yoga mat or practice clothes
- Organize your professional as well as self-care schedules
- Curate a playlist to listen to while doing Yoga
- Do a lot of research online about the poses and their benefits
- Challenge yourself to reach the target point daily
- Treat yourself after accomplishing small targets
- Eat healthy food that will keep you energized while practicing
What food to eat after doing Yoga?
- Before Yoga: Keep your stomach light before opting to practice. You can drink water 30 mins before doing the asanas. Practitioners usually avoid eating 3-4 hrs before the practice time in order to be empty stomach. The best time to do the practice is in the morning.
- After Yoga: Treat your body with nutritional food items. Avoid junk food to see the improvement in your body led by Yoga practice. Consume green leafy vegetables, fruits and nuts. This will keep you energized all day long.
- Dinner: Include food items that are protein-rich food such as peanut butter and seeds. This will provide good support for the practice. An ideal yogic diet would consist of 60 percent vegetables & fruits and 40 percent grains-based diet.
Who should avoid doing Yoga?
- People should avoid doing Yoga with a filled stomach condition (never practice immediately after meals)
- People with any type of extreme pain should avoid doing Yoga
- People with serious ailments should consult their doctors before opting for any type of Yoga practice
- Pregnant ladies can’t perform few asanas. Please consult the doctors before opting for any type of asana practice
- People stuck in adverse and extreme weather conditions (too hot, too cold or humid) should avoid doing practice for the time being
- People suffering from bone pains should also avoid themselves forcing with poses
Frequently asked questions about yoga:
Are there any side effects of doing Yoga?
There’s no side effect of doing Yoga if all the asanas are done as per correct guidelines. One should keep a track of the correct ways of doing it and also check how your body responds. Forcing your body to do asanas, stretching and not breathing properly can lead to several issues. Also, good nutritional support is mandatory.
Is Yoga alone is a complete exercise?
Yoga can be a complete exercise when included different types of Asanas that work in different sections of the body. One needs to know the benefits of any particular asana before opting to practice it for a longer time. One also needs to include aerobic exercises to make it the complete form of workout.
What makes Yoga different?
Many types of exercise regimens include stretching the body to acquire a certain body type. Many of these regimens don’t deeply focus on the changes at the cellular, etheric and breathing levels. However, Yoga practitioners suggest avoiding stretching the body to unbearable extremes while practicing the asanas. Yoga is more than just the physical postures, it is known for connecting the mind, body, and breath developing inward attention.
When is International Yoga Day is celebrated globally?
Every year on June 21.
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Also Read: International Yoga Day 2021: Check Out Significance, Date, Theme And Quotes