Yoga As A Natural Health Alternative
Yoga is not the yummy dairy dessert that is often mixed with fruit and it is not just that funny exercise where your body is contorted into funny positions. To best understand the concepts of yoga, one should start with a simple definition. Yoga is a group of Indian spiritual paths that aims at achieving the union with the Supreme Consciousness. There are some yogas that go beyond that and aim at the spiritual transformation of the human nature and obtain immortality even for the physical body. The Western Hemisphere tends to embrace the physical aspects with the practice of asanas, which are postures of Hatha Yoga. This is often used as a form of exercise that is good for the body but easy on its joints.
Why Choose Yoga?
What could yoga do for a person? How could they benefit? At its physical level yoga has been proven extremely beneficial for certain disorders. Further reasons to try this form of alternative health therapy would be:
• Increasing Flexibility – yoga has positions that act upon a variety of joints of the body. These are including those that are not commonly exercised but should be for full mobility possibilities
• Increasing lubrication of the joints, ligaments, and tendons – The positions practiced also work the ligaments and tendons that help release the necessary lubrication to prevent from injury. The results of flexibility are immediate because those that have been worked during regular exercise help those during the practice of yoga, so essentially they work together to achieve the greatest flexibility
• Massaging of all organs of the body – Whoever thought that you could benefit from massaging the organs. Most feel that they are there for their purpose and do not need any outside manipulation. However, yoga does massage all the organs which help fight against disease and help provide a forewarning of disease.
• Awareness – Yoga taps into an awareness that is seen in practitioners. People who practice this alternative health therapy are able to have an understanding of their whole body, therefore become a true advocate if something is sensed as wrong.
• Complete Detoxification – By gently massaging the joints, stretching the muscles, and massaging the organs, the body is given an ample supply of blood that allows for the flushing out of toxins in every nook and cranny of the body. This helps prevent premature aging, gives you more energy, and helps you achieve a zest for life.
• Toning – Yoga is an excellent source of toning for your muscle groups. Muscles that have become slothy are stimulated repeatedly so the excess flab disappears.
Yoga helps you harness the power of fitness, freedom from stress, and happiness.
Who Can Benefit From Yoga?
Everyone can harness this power and strength. This practice is not for just the young and thin. There are a variety of yoga forms that will target anyone and everyone. There are forms of yoga for men (yes, men), women, pregnancy, elders, and even children.
Mental Health Benefits
The benefits of yoga do not end with the body. The mind and body are connected more then we care to realize. The mind is affected by all the choices we make. The physical abuse we put our bodies through affects how we think, just like doing something good for our bodies affects our minds in a positive way. Yoga works the same. Some of the mental benefits include:
• Alertness – Yoga increases the body’s awareness. If we are intun with our body then we will be able to tell if something is not right
• Relief – This practice helps release stress patterns and muscle strain, which will help refresh the body
• Relaxation – Yoga helps relax the mind and body which will in turn sharpen our concentration
Yoga helps connect the mind and body. The determination of the mind allows people to attain power and perform extraordinary feats. There have been cases where yoga has helped patients of arthritis, chronic fatigue, diabetes, AIDS, asthma, and obesity. It also fends off the negative effects of old age.
There are a variety of natural or alternative health therapies available to the public. There are those that act in a radical way and encourage complete change of every aspect and those that will work with your present lifestyle to help you achieve a better understanding of your mind and body. Finding the right path depends upon your need and desires. It is a good idea to research your needs and then find the path that is right for you. After all, when you are motivated to change then it will truly happen and you will reap the benefits of that change.
