Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Yoga Tips for Good Health and Weight Reduction

Yoga benefits all three main aspects of life, the spirit, mind, and body. Whatever is your age, yoga can enhance your lifestyle. It can help teenagers to keep their youthful flexibility and give them the inner strength. For older people gentle yoga exercises aids them to retain mobility and may relieve problems such as arthritis and poor circulation. Everyone can benefit from following a regular yoga routine.
Yoga can enable one to relax fully, and promotes sound sleep; it also improves digestion and stimulates circulation. Yoga improves posture, increases the intake of oxygen, and enhances the functioning of the respiratory, digestive, endocrine, reproductive, and elimination systems. Yoga is a holistic form of exercise and its benefits go way beyond the physical, and into the mental and emotional fields.

One of the core components of most yoga systems is the practice of meditation that can help to eliminate symptoms of illness by quieting the mind and by focusing the mind on positive thoughts and images.

Psychological Benefits of YOGA
It frees the practitioner both physically and mentally, often heightening intuition and creativity. Regular yoga practice creates mental clarity and calmness, increases body awareness, relieves stress, relaxes the mind and sharpens concentration.

Weight Reduction
Yoga also aids in weight management. Yogic exercises induce more continuous and deeper breathing which gradually, sometimes forcefully, burns many of the calories. This wonderful practice also increases flexibility in the body and increases lubrication of the joints, ligaments and tendons.

High Blood Pressure
The relaxation and exercise hypertension. The yogic breathing and relaxation techniques has been found to lower blood pressure and reduce the need for medication.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, yoga promotes good health in both mother and unborn child. Most women who practice yoga find that it can make labor easier and shorter. Although some asanas have to be modified during pregnancy, their essence is perfectly suited to this time of expanded self-awareness. Pregnancy is also a very good time for meditation.

Respiratory problems
Patients who practice yoga have a better chance of gaining the ability to control their breathing problems. With the help of yogic breathing exercises, it is possible to control an attack of severe shortness of breath without having to seek medical help. Various studies have confirmed the beneficial effects of yoga for patients with respiratory problems. Deep breathing gives vitality by increasing the supply of oxygen to the brain and meditation enhances the powers of concentration. Part of yoga practice is deep breathing, which helps make the body more alkaline.
The Acid: Alkaline ratio
Acid:Alkaline ratio is crucial to good health. It should be 80 per cent alkaline, 20 per cent acid. This ratio has to be maintained.
How to Begin???
When you're starting up, you shouldn't do anything your body isn't ready for. No head stands, backward bending or forcing yourself into a cross-legged position. Start slowly and build your way up to a healthy flexible body. Yoga also works to unite the split between the mind and the body. The regular practice of yoga helps us to accept whatever physical or mental conditions we might be suffering from by increasing our immediate sense of well being, concentration, and calm.

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