Tag Archives: Popular

Why Is Yoga So Popular In The West?

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In the west, over the last few decades Yoga has gone from a topic, which seemed like taboo, to a topic which is regarded as an important topic for many reasons. The health benefits seem to be the biggest reason for the uptake of yoga in the west.
Yoga is a very old form of meditation. It does not just stop at meditation, however it encompasses visioning, and some other aspects which could be termed as paranormal. So, why would anyone want to meditate, and why are so many people doing yoga meditation?
In the west we have seen many changes happen in society. These changes which have gone from manual labor to what we have today, the service industry. This information age that we find ourselves in, is an age which puts in front computers. Computers operate at fast speeds. Computers, of course are technology creations. These are technologies, and by our use of time saving, we have done the opposite, and that is to go ever faster.
Life is fast paced today. In France several hundred years ago, if a king passed away, it could have taken a century before everyone heard the news! Today, this kind of information can get anywhere in the world. Think of this article, it is worldwide. You could read it, speak to your friends, and before long, everyone has read this article!
So, what does this have to do with the popularity of Yoga meditation in the west? It is simply, this fast paced society we find ourselves in. People can’t seem to have time to think. Ask someone to take a time out and breath deeply for a few seconds, and it seems like if they do, the world would run ahead, leaving them behind. But, this doesn’t provide answers.
The monarchic, monotheistic religions have not answered many questions. How do you get peace of mind in a fast paced world? The key is meditation, and yoga meditation is helping more and more people find that peace of mind. The world is not going to run off, and you will actually have much more energy and the ability to make the smart choices in life.
Yoga meditations main benefit is the spiritual aspect. In fact in the east that is the whole point of yoga meditation, to seek connection with the spiritual. Though this view of doing yoga meditation is more foreign in the west, more and more people understand that for them it may be the best way to get that spiritual connection which is essential in life.
The spiritual connection is not the main reason why people practice yoga in the west. For many the health benefits are the main reason of doing yoga mediation. The benefits are numerous, however, to touch on some, we have peace of mind, lower heart beat rate, and more flexibility in joints.
As we continue into the future, people need answers. Long gone is the view that we have to rush ahead. Technology is here to make life easier. Think of a room with Ikea furniture, and computers, even perhaps a setting such as Earth on Star Track, and you will find that the spiritual dimension is an important part of life. Yoga meditation will continue to be popular for the future in the west, as it has been for the ancients of India and Tibet.

Biofeedback technology and yoga meditation is such a facinating topic. A promising biofeedback technology called wild divine is currently amazing the scientific community.

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From: www.swamij.com http The goal of Yoga is Yoga itself, union itself, of the little self and the True Self, a process of awakening to the preexisting union that is called Yoga. Yoga, Sankhya, Vedanta, and Tantra view the human as manifesting outward step-by-step, whereby the subtler consciousness projects evermore outward, and then gradually forgets those subtler levels. Yoga or “Union” is attained by first training, balancing, and purifying each of the aspects of our being individually, and then systematically receding attention inward through those levels, expanding so as to experience the state of Union, Yoga, Samadhi, or Turiya. ( more )

Learning the Popular Styles of Yoga

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Learning the Popular Styles of Yoga

There are many styles of yoga, but teachers should be familiar with the nine main forms of yoga, from India, and their relationships to contemporary styles. The nine main styles are: Bhakti, Hatha, Jnana, Karma, Kundalini, Mantra, Raja, Tantric, and Yantra Yoga. Bhakti yoga is widely practiced in India, yet barely known by the masses outside of India.


If you’re looking to become a yoga instructor, you must be thoroughly trained and ready to cater to a variety of student needs. A competent yoga instructor should be well-versed in many aspects of yoga. Different styles emphasize varying aspects of yoga. Some may focus on the coordination of breath and movement, while others focus on the proper alignment of the body. Others use atmospheric conditions as the basis of the style.


Globally, one of the most popular styles is Hatha yoga. This is a style that focuses on slow, meditative breathing and relaxed postures. A yoga instructor will slowly guide students through poses one at a time. Many people, who attend Hatha classes, appreciate the relaxed feeling they get from the exercise aspects. Some people, who try Hatha classes, do not like the slow-pace and are searching for a higher-intensity exercise.


Vinyasa yoga, sometimes called Flow or Power yoga, contains a completely different focus, in comparison to the meditative Hatha. Vinyasa is called, Flow or Power, because of its emphasis on smooth and powerful movements. The teacher will guide students through a series of poses, changing them in rhythm with the breath.


The poses run together like a dance. Vinyasa classes can be either, high or low intensity, depending upon the yoga instructor’s emphasis. Vinyasa can be very diverse because it allows the yoga instructor to interject their personality into the routines.


Vinyasa, Flow, or Power yoga, draws sequences from Hatha or Raja yoga, depending upon the instructor’s lineage. Raja is the form of yoga, which Maharishi Pantanjali describes in the Yoga Sutras. It should be noted that Raja is sometimes called, Ashtanga, which means “eight limbs.”


Ashtanga yoga can also be an athletic style of yoga. It is based on a demanding series of pose changes, sometimes connected by jumps. Designed for flexible, and usually young, bodies, Ashtanga has gained popularity in the Western world because of its intensity. Some popular students of this style are Madonna and Sting. An advantage of this style is that it can be self-led.


Usually the yoga instructor will teach students a series of poses and lead them in the routine. After mastering the poses and changes, the students can go through the routine at their own pace. Since this is done in the company of the yoga instructor, and other students, progress can be monitored and mistakes corrected.


For a completely different experience, there is Bikram yoga. Also known as Hot yoga, Bikram is a modern style, focusing on a set series of poses performed in a heated room. The creator of the style, Bikram Choudhury, designated twenty-six poses that constitute the Bikram style. The temperature of the room is ideally set to 105 degrees.


By keeping the room at a high temperature, the muscles of the body are more flexible. This is a controversial style because of an intellectual property lawsuit by Choudhury. Only those yoga instructors, certified in his method, are permitted to teach Bikram yoga.


On the other end of the timeline is Kundalini yoga. An ancient form, that is relatively new to the West, Kundalini focuses on the spiritual aspects of yoga. The yoga instructor leads students through a series of poses, making sure that movement is linked with breath.


The idea behind this discipline is to cause dormant energy in the lower body to become free and move upwards. For students seeking an athletic workout, Kundalini is not the place to look; but it is still an important style for a yoga instructor to understand.


From the purely physical yoga, to the more spiritual forms, a yoga instructor must be well versed. If you want to be a great yoga instructor, you should understand the basics of each major style, even while you focus on your favorite style. In this way, you’ll be ready to answer any student’s question and guide them to the right style.


Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. He is an author of many books on the subject of Yoga and has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995.

http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org

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Discover the physical and emotional benefits of Yoga

No longer is Yoga a “fad” of the sixties practiced by celebrities. Yoga has become a mainstream practice in the West, as many have discovered the holistic health benefits that have been practiced in the east for centuries. Thousands are joining classes in Yoga each year to learn these ancient teachings. Now you can discover these ancient teachings without parting with your hard earned money for classes.

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Popular Health Trend – Yoga

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When you feel tired or under too much stress, you can try yoga to relax yourself. Yoga has become one of the most popular health trends around.

Yoga has become so popular in recent years, and it’s easy to overlook the fact that it is actually one of humankind’s oldest activities. It is believed that yoga is originated from shamans in Indus Valley over 5000years ago.

Shamans were regarded as the holy men of early human civilization. It is said that they can communicate with the spirit world to find solutions to problems facing their people. Over time, these shamans developed a system of mental and physical exercises to expand their consciousness, and thereby give a new perspective on the problems of daily life. These exercises formed the foundation of modern yoga.

For thousands of years yoga was practiced mainly in India. The exercises of yoga were incorporated into three of the Indian religions: Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. Technically, yoga is not a religion; it is a method that can be used by anyone to pursue their own religious (or non-religious) goals.

Siddhartha, the founder of Buddhism, practiced yogic meditation, and meditation is still a central part of Buddhism today.

Yoga was practically unknown to the West until the 1960s, when popular culture began to show an interest in Eastern religions. People began to look at yoga as a way to find peace of mind in a world that was anything but peaceful.

Since the 1960s yoga’s popularity has grown steadily. Nowadays, Westerners practice all kinds of yoga. There are even yoga classes for people in their 70s!

In fact, there are so many people who want to learn yoga that yoga schools across the United States are having difficulty keeping up with the demand. Judging by its popularity, yoga is as useful for solving the problems of today as it was for solving the problems 5,000 years ago.

Yoga Books: Literature of Health and Wellness, Popular Yoga Books

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Amy Lowell had once remarked, “All books are either dreams or swords, you can cut, or you can drug, with words.” Or in simple words, books are the source of knowledge in every field. When you don’t have a teacher or mentor to show the right path, books are the best friends. Yoga is a scientifically proven method to control the heart, mind and whole body. It’s a complete practical science to not only treat the incumbent ailments of the body but to prepare the body to live a healthy life. It is not always possible to have the supervision of a trained yoga teacher because of various complications. Yoga books are a great help at this juncture because of their all-important content and value.

Be it hath yoga, raja yoga or simple pranayam practice, authors try to give as much relevant and practical information as can be received from an accomplished Yoga guru. Since yoga is a practical science, authors need to make extensive research before compiling all constituents in to a book. The main feature of the yoga book has to be its relevance. The ability of author to convey the essence of the topic is also a pre-requisite.

Aasans are the most important part of yoga. They are essentially different body postures having distinct impact of each on general health of the body. They are essential to be covered in the books. Therefore, a yoga book should have a lot of illustrations, pictures and diagrams supported by simple interpretation. Pranayaam or distinct breathing exercises is also one of the most important parts of yoga. Author needs to put in details the significance and the impact of all respiratory exercises therein.

As we all know that yoga is a part of ancient Indian medical science, the important chronicles of yoga were scripted in Sanskrit language. Sanskrit is known to be very tough and complicated language. In the yoga books of present times also, some theories and concepts are mentioned in Sanskrit. Therefore, it is highly expected from yoga book author that he or she elaborates each such concept in lucid detail for the benefit of the reader.

The success of a yoga book depends on the communicability of the content written therein. The practicability of the theory put in the book is also very fundamental.

Some of the most popular Yoga Books are:

Pranayama – Its philosophy & Practice by Swami Ramdev

Yog: Its Philosophy & Practice by Swami Ramdev

Anatomy of Hatha Yoga by H. David Coulter

Ashtanga Yoga: Practice and Philosophy by Gregor Maehle

Light on Life by BKS Iyengar

For more informational and commercial lead on Yoga Books, please visit Yoga Book Store

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