In the ancient Indian language (Sanskrit), the word "yoga" means "connection, connection, unity, harmony."

Philosophers define yoga as the harmony of the physical and mental state, as the harmony physical health and spiritual beauty of man.

Yoga is a set of methods that contribute to the creation of a single whole person.
The first mention of yoga is in the Rig Veda, one of the ancient cultural monuments of Indian sages, created two and a half millennia BC.

The ancient Indian sage Patajali, who lived in the II-I century BC, is considered the founder of the teachings of yogis. BC.

Patajali singled out yoga as an independent system based on the already existing experience of classes. exercise and meditation.
In his 185 aphorisms, called yogasutra, he expounded the philosophy and practice of classical yoga.

Yoga means a way of life that makes it possible to achieve complete physical, spiritual and moral health.

Yogis talk about three golden rules to follow in everyday life:

Sequence with a gradual transition from simple to complex;
systematic and regular;
moderation in everything.

The yoga system shows the way to balance the interaction between mental and physical abilities. human body, to maintain an optimal internal environment of the body, the so-called homeostasis.

The main objective of yoga classes is to combat premature aging of the body.

Currently, there are 22 main areas of yogic practice, sets of exercises and health schools, each of which reveals one or another facet of this unique system.

Some schools emphasize the development of flexibility and body shape, as in Hatha yoga. Other directions use various timbres of sound, as in Mantra Yoga, or visual forms, as in Yantra Yoga, as healing and meditation.
The most common areas are - Iyengar Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Kaula Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga" , Tantra Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Taoist Yoga, Swastha Yoga, Jivamutki Yoga, Jivamukti Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Yoga-23, Yantra Yoga, Hasya Yoga, Kaula Yoga, Yogabit and Yogalates, Power yoga and many others.

Each of these schools has its own characteristics offers its own approach to self-development, physical and spiritual self-improvement.

Iyengar yoga

Today we are witnessing a craze for yoga. And to a large extent, it became so popular thanks to Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar (1918-2014), an Indian guru, teacher and popularizer of yoga, who created his own direction, adapted to the European mentality and lifestyle.

It is not easy for people who are far from Hinduism and Buddhism, who are alien to Eastern philosophy, to accept yoga in its entirety.

So most Europeans, Americans, Russians prefer to take from it only exercises for strength and muscle stretching, in fact turning it into physical education.

But Iyengar was against this approach, he believed that yoga should not be treated as fitness, its physical side is inseparable from the spiritual, moreover, the main purpose of yoga is to serve the goals of spiritual improvement.

According to him, “Just as the essence of a tree lies in its fruits, so the essence of yogic practice lies in freedom, balance, peace and bliss, when the body, mind and soul unite and merge with the Universal Spirit.”

Classes according to the Iyengar method begin with the simplest poses, which gradually become more complicated. Each asana is maintained for a long time and the transition to the next is carried out very slowly and smoothly.

In the process of practicing Iyengar yoga, the body becomes strong and flexible, gradually more and more symmetrical, energy channels are aligned at the same time, and peace of mind is achieved.
This type of yoga is ideal for people with limited mobility, as well as for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.

Hatha yoga

Hatha yoga - ancient system physical exercise, which helps to achieve physical and mental balance and maintain it throughout life.

Hatha yoga in Indian culture and religion is the preparation of the human body for its spiritual perfection.

The Sanskrit word "Hatha" consists of two words "ha" - the sun, and "tha" - the moon, which symbolizes two opposite principles.

Being connected together, they mean the unity of opposites, just as there are a man and a woman, good and evil, etc.

Hatha yoga can be defined as a system that aims to teach a person to manage his body, improve health, prevent certain diseases, promote longevity, active life and performance.

According to the views of yogis, health is a sense of harmony, high performance, endurance in emergency situations and active longevity.

Yoga pays great attention to the flexibility of the spine and other parts of the body. Yogis say: "As long as the spine is flexible, a person is young." The physical exercises of the Hatha Yoga system can restore a person's former flexibility.

This is achieved with the help of time-tested execution techniques. static exercises, special postures (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama) and energy locks (bandhas).

Kundalini yoga

In recent years, one of the most popular and mass trends has become Kundalini yoga, which aims to reveal the energy of Kundalini or the “sleeping snake”.

Kundalini in Sanskrit means "coiled snake", which is located in the lower part of the spine.

During the exercise, the snake wakes up and slowly stretches along the spine. Along with the unfolding snake, new energy enters the body.

In practice, this does not look so romantic: the essence of the method is to make maximum efforts in performing the pose and hold it for as long as possible, for example, sit down as deep as possible and stay in that position.

As we have already noted, the word Kundalini means one of the forms vital energy person. Accordingly, the practice of this school is associated with the awakening, concentration and management of this energy.

The main components of the practice of Kundalini Yoga are:

Kriyas - a sequence of dynamic, static exercises;
meditations and mantras;
breathing techniques and relaxation techniques.

From these elements, in a certain sequence, sets of exercises are formed, aimed at stimulating the main energy centers (chakras).

Each chakra has its own set of exercises. This type of yoga is suitable for anyone.

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga

Ashtanga yoga is a dynamic type of yoga, similar to aerobics, in which the exercises are performed at a very fast pace.

A series of postures is always repeated in the same sequence in a certain breathing rhythm. One posture immediately passes into another, which requires good physical preparation.

Each posture corresponds to a certain direction of gaze, there are nine of them in total.

Ashtanga is great for those who have good physical fitness and are not afraid of high loads.

This energetic form of yoga was originally developed for teenagers to channel their overflowing energy into the right direction.

Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is a kind of psychotechnics developed in the middle of the 20th century. famous Indian guru Swami Satyananda Saraswati and is based on ancient tantric texts.

This practice is called sleep yoga, or yogic sleep. It helps to reduce stress, tension and feelings of anxiety. Eliminates such painful symptoms as headache, heart palpitations, excessive sweating, etc.

During this practice, a person is, as it were, in a borderline state between sleep and wakefulness. Scientists call this state lucid dreaming.

Thanks to this technique, there is complete physical, mental and emotional relaxation, deep immersion in oneself due to the distraction of consciousness from external irritating factors and problems.

Classes begin with a warm-up, consisting of light physical exercises. Then, directly, the practice of yoga nidra begins. Most of the class is done lying on the floor in a relaxation pose (Shavasana).

Yoga Nidra uses the following techniques:

Rotation in parts of the body, helping to slowly and gradually relax them one by one;
conscious special breath leading to complete relaxation;
meditation that evokes various pleasant memories, feelings and sensations;
visualization of aesthetically pleasing and beautiful landscapes and images.

During practice, a certain positive feeling and desire or sankalpa is formed - "the formula of firm determination." By repeating the sankalpa during practice, you can ensure that your desire is fulfilled.

Thus, this technique allows your body to de-stress, relax, rest and recharge. positive energy.

Yoga Nidra is especially useful for emotional imbalances and long-term, constant overwork. One yoga nidra session can replace the usual full sleep.

Kaula yoga

Kaula yoga is a system of integral human development, built on the basis of the ancient knowledge of Eastern schools of yoga and modern achievements in the field of physiology and sociology.

From the Eastern yogic tradition, Kaula Yoga uses a rich, valuable experience of working with the human body and its consciousness.

The lesson includes complexes of various postures (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama), meditation and relaxation practices that allow you to fully use the internal resources of the body and its hidden capabilities.

The practice of Kaula Yoga gives the key to preserving youth, beauty and health, and allows you to use a huge resource of internal energy.

In addition, such a path of physical and spiritual development and self-improvement is the key to the possibility of self-realization in society and the achievement of social goals.

Bikram yoga

Bikram yoga, also named after its founder, is often referred to as "hot yoga". Classes are held in a room where the air is heated to a temperature of 40.5 degrees C, thus, the muscles become more elastic and toxins are removed from the body.

Within 90 minutes there is a sequential change of 26 positions. Classes help relieve stress, improve blood flow to all parts of the body.

Effective in the fight against excess weight and help strengthen muscles. Recommended for those suffering from arthritis and diabetes, it accelerates the healing of sports injuries.

Yogabite and yogalates

Yogabite alternates vigorous and slow movements in a yoga style. Exercises are performed under the rhythms of modern music corresponding to the exercises.

Classes include a slow warm-up followed by an intense workout, paired exercises and a meditation session.

The main goal of yogabit is to enjoy physical exercises. Yogabite can be rather attributed to the type of fitness with elements of yoga, the emphasis is also on the spontaneity of movements.

Yogalates - combines the meditative and flexibility-developing elements of yoga with the system strength exercises and Pilates stretches.

Helps to keep the body in good shape, suitable for any level of physical fitness.

power yoga

Power yoga is the most intense type of yoga. Unlike Ashtanga yoga, in strength practice, exercises are performed not in a fixed sequence, but with the same intensity.

Power yoga is great for people with a good physical training those who want to increase flexibility and even out muscle imbalances, which is often found in athletes.

Vigorous change of postures is similar to a dance rhythm and requires a lot of concentration.

It is not necessary to tie yourself to only one type of yoga. You can also try different kinds and stop at the one or two you like best. It doesn't matter which type of yoga you choose, the main thing is the regularity of classes.

Regular yoga classes help maintain the flexibility of the body, and meditation increases psychological stability, peace of mind, enlivens the senses and sharpens the perception of life.

Yoga can bring joy, ignites our body, improves the quality of sex, sharpens the clarity of the mind, leads to balance and gaining wisdom. allows us to better understand ourselves and the world around us.

Indian gurus say: “Yoga is an invaluable gift for an intelligent person, it helps him become wise. She will make a wise man a god. A foolish person, embarking on this practice, inevitably turns into an idiot.

Practical confirmation of the benefits of yoga for the physical and spiritual perfection of the individual are its bright representatives, who became long-livers, having lived to a respectable age of 90, 100 or more years.

First of all, Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (1888-1989), an Indian yogi and philosopher, should be mentioned.

He was one of the largest experts in ancient Vedic and yogic texts, Ayurveda and music.

In parktic terms, he was the founder of his own direction of yoga - yogashala, which he taught at the Jaganmohan Palace in the city of Mysore.
Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya lived for 101 years without leaving the practice of yoga until last days.

The most amazing thing is that almost all of his students and followers became well-known founders of their own areas of yoga and also became long-livers.

One of the first female yogis of Russian origin, Indra Devi (1899-2002), is one of his students. Her real name is Evgenia Vasilievna Peterson, she was born in Riga.

She is known as the wisest yoga teacher, who managed to understand and convey to people the basic rules and mysteries of this teaching, making yoga much closer and more understandable to millions of people.

Indra Devi was an active popularizer of yoga, by her personal example she proved the benefits of this unique system of natural healing of the body, outliving her teacher by 1 year. She died at the age of 103.

Another student of his, Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar (1918-2014), taught and practiced yoga for over 70 years and was considered one of the most prominent contemporary yoga masters in the world.

In 1975, he founded the now popular Iyengar Yoga trend ( static view hatha yoga), which is followed by millions of people around the world. The outstanding yogi also became a long-liver, having lived for 96 years.
Another of his well-known disciples, Sri Krishna Pattabhi Joyce Bellur (1915-2009), the founder of the popular Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga school, also became a long-liver and lived for 93 years.

But the most unique among long-lived yogis was Sri Swami Yogananda Maharaj Babaji (1909-2015), as he was called Yoganada Baba. one of the most revered yoga teachers in the Himalayas.

He practiced yoga for over 80 years and believed that it was this system that helped him live a full life, in a good way. physical form and common sense.

Swamiji lived in Rishikesh, but traveled all over the world during the spring and summer, giving seminars and workshops yoga and healthy lifestyle life. He practiced Himalayan yoga sukshma-vyama, a system that develops endurance, health and longevity.

Swamiji enjoyed well-deserved respect in his native Rishikesh, received a special pension from the Indian government for services to the fatherland.

Swami Yogananda was a vegetarian, a raw foodist. He never cooked food, he loved orange juice and wheat germ, which he considered the elixir of youth.

As a result, he did not lose a single tooth, possessed a unique memory, vision, hearing, and extraordinary flexibility. Until his last days he studied English language and the basics of computer literacy.

Yoganada Baba was going to live up to 150 years, but fate decreed otherwise, giving him 105 years of a happy full life. He died in January 2015 at the age of 106.

And another inspiring example of a stunning living female yogi, Tao Porchon-Lynch. Her name translates as "energy of nature", she was born in 1918 and has been practicing yoga all her adult life

At the age of 99, she participates in trainings and master classes, travels with lectures all over the world. As Tao herself says: “Yoga is wonderful! But the main thing is still to look at the world with optimism, to be active, mobile, inquisitive, to love life and love yourself with all your dark sides and imperfections!

The longevity of yogis has found its scientific justification by American scientists. In 2008, specialists from the Center for the Study of Mental Activity and the Brain at the University of California conducted an unusual experiment.

The purpose of the experiment was to identify the effect of yoga and meditation on the aging process of the body.

During the experiment, a group of 24 people aged 50 to 80 practiced yoga 6 days a week for one hour for 3 months.

At the end of this period, the participants of the experiment showed a decrease in the level of cholesterol in the blood, normalized blood pressure decreased levels of anxiety and other signs of stress.

But most importantly, after a three-month course of yoga and meditation, almost all participants in the experiment had a marked increase in the level of the telomerase enzyme. This figure has increased by almost 30%.

Telamerase is known to promote telomere elongation. According to modern theories of aging, human age is associated with telomere length. The older the person, the shorter the average telomere length.

According to scientists, with each cell division, its DNA is shortened, which limits the proliferative potential of cells. Shortening of DNA serves as a "counter" of the number of divisions and, accordingly, the life span of the cell.

Thus, it can be concluded that yoga and meditation can help slow down the biological process of aging.

Apparently, in a state of trance, a certain program is launched in the body that promotes an increase in the release of hormones, including those responsible for growth and reproduction, which ultimately contributes to natural rejuvenation and life extension.

Yoga is a very ancient practice. It involves managing the psychological, physical functions of the body in order to achieve an elevated psychological and spiritual state.

Yoga is not only physical exercise, but also the art of immersing yourself in meditation, relaxation and concentration.

How to learn yoga if you do not have any training and experience in this practice?

From the history of yoga

Yoga is believed to have its origins in the Harappan civilization. Yoga was also practiced by representatives of Indian and Islamic religions. There are several types of yoga:

• karma yoga
• jnana yoga
• bhakti yoga
• hatha yoga
• raja yoga.

Different goals were pursued by people involved in yoga: it could be the improvement of physical health or the achievement of moksha.

Moksha is the realization of oneness with the Supreme Brahman for liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Yoga in the modern world

Now everything more people become adherents of yoga, because they realize what a beneficial effect these activities have on the body. Of course, no one dreams of achieving moksha anymore, since this term is not familiar to modern people.

Many people who have health problems, in particular, with the spine, turn to yoga.

Yoga for the spine

Wrong way of life sedentary work lead to problems with the spine. And then yoga for the spine will be very useful. It will increase the tone, relieve fatigue.

Before starting classes, it is best to consult a doctor, but it is quite acceptable to comprehend the basics of yoga at home. Yoga for the spine strengthens the muscles of the back, acts on the cause of the pain.

If there are no problems with the spine yet, it will not be superfluous to do yoga in order to eliminate the risk in the future. In addition, you can always combine yoga and.

Yoga for beginners

In order to start practicing yoga, you need to choose a school where yoga will be taught. Some schools emphasize the physical side of yoga, others the psychological side.

The next step is to define the section of yoga, because not everyone is suitable for beginners. Of course, many want to immediately start the most difficult exercises and meditation, but without the basics nothing will come of it. The best option - physical yoga for beginners.

It should be practiced until there is a feeling of readiness to move to the next level, and self-deception is not appropriate here. You need to feel comfortable in any position.
In addition to the classes themselves, it would be nice to attend various yoga seminars that allow you to delve into it. Of great importance is the mood of the person who came to class. Thus, yoga for beginners will provide a lot of new, insanely interesting information.

Yoga: breathing

Breathing plays an important role in practicing such a system of self-knowledge as yoga. Yoga training involves paying great attention to it.

It is necessary to regulate the frequency and depth of breathing. In yoga, breathing should not be held, because due to its delay, unnecessary tension arises.

All these subtleties are very difficult to comprehend without the help of an experienced instructor, which means that practicing at home is unlikely to bring so much benefit.

The benefits of yoga

Meditation is full immersion into the Absolute, removal from the world, loss of orientation in time space. During meditation, there is a need to hear yourself, your body through the subconscious.

In a meditative state, a person is focused on his chakras, on breathing, on the pulsation of the body. Meditation is a closed version of life, comprehension of its secrets is available only to the subconscious.

Meditation can serve as the ultimate goal of yoga and its tool. By learning to meditate, a person will improve memory, increase intellectual abilities, and strengthen immunity. In addition, if you want to learn, yoga will help you with this.

In the modern world, overcome by a storm of aggressive passions and stresses, it is actually impossible to find a secluded quiet place where it is permissible to be with oneself in harmony and complete loneliness. Often I would like to close my eyes and forget myself in peace, just be able to a short time taste the pleasure of being in this beautiful world given to us, not allowing anything and no one to unbalance you. The modern individual has been given a great boon of knowledge and access to many methods of healing the physical flesh and calming the mind.

One of the popular methods is yoga. It doesn’t matter which side you view it from, how: as a step towards opening the chakras and self-knowledge, or is it a simple sports club in which you like to spend your weekend hours, leaving all thoughts aside and healing your body. With a different look at such a practice, classes can have a fundamentally positive effect on the body and spirit of any individual in a greater or lesser measure, depending on what you want to learn specifically from visits.

What is yoga in the full sense of the teachings

Yoga is a deep philosophical teaching that helps a person achieve complete happiness. Happiness, according to the opinion of spiritual gurus, should be the natural state of any individual. The training methodology teaches to coexist harmoniously with the external sphere of the environment, inner world, to reunite the human flesh and mind into a single whole through special ones.

Through typical activities, feelings move away from the relationship with the material sphere, the ability to focus in the direction of a specific goal is manifested. Practiced meditations lead to a state of peace and awareness of one's own natural essence.

The goals of spiritual practices and yoga classes are diverse: starting with the improvement of the state of the flesh in physical plane, ending with an internal desire for a complete removal from identification, that is, to achieve awareness of one's own Self in the form of pure spirit. It is clear that with the spiritual and physical development, the system of formation of personal growth is also focused.

Real carriers of culture and spirituality in many cases achieved high degrees of perfection in yoga in its homeland - India. This kind of practice carriers give the basics in collective classes, which are also available for beginners, where they teach special (pranayama), providing the necessary tone and renewal of the body, leaving it calm and the mind fresh. Practitioners pick up individual programs different levels of complexity, yoga asanas are taught.

In reality, we think that many spiritual gurus of those times would have been shocked, contemplating modern methods of yoga practice. This happens for the reason that it makes no sense for an ordinary person to set himself the goal of achieving deep nirvana, but it is enough to calm his own and improve the physical condition of mortal flesh.

The fundamental purpose of yoga and the effect of practice on the body as a whole

The foundation of yoga practice is based on the harmonious interaction of the body, mind with the external sphere of life, as well as their interaction with each other. The benefits that people who practice yoga endure are wide in all directions, which we will divide into the main ones:

• Flexibility increases - posture, plasticity and harmony of movements improve;
• The internal organs are massaged;
• Healthy work is restored due to improved lubrication;
• Muscle tone returns, subcutaneous fats are reduced;
• There is a complex cleaning of the flesh from, protection rises;
• The concentration of attention improves, comes;
• After injuries or surgical interventions, classes help to shorten the period of rehabilitation and recovery, preventing the recurrence of injuries and bone fragility.

The discussed practice is a companion in activities that increase self-discipline, concentration and memory. yoga is able to give inner self-confidence, control learning stress and negative impressions with the assistance of peers. for individuals, the technique gives mobility and maintains flexibility for long years. Yoga is especially useful for individuals, since yoga asanas that are gentle on a fading body help in the fight against age-related blood circulation disorders and arthritis.

An excellent result is shown by exercises for: they relieve pain in the back during gestation, balance emotional health, and later help to facilitate activities. Correctly learned breathing technique allows you to sleep peacefully and completely relax and teaches you to properly fully use the breathing apparatus. The change in the outward appearance of behavior contains in itself both the inner coherence of the spirit and the clarity of the mind.

Exercises focused on stretching the muscles provide stabilization of the internal organs and improve blood flow to them. Given the fact of great attention to the body, the balance of the internal mood is stabilized and overall well-being improves.

I overtook the decision to do yoga, so it’s worth considering a few recommendations before starting to practice closely:

The most commendable time for yoga is the morning immediately after waking up. Asanas (poses) can be performed at a different time convenient for you personally, but after two or three hours after eating.

Places ideal for training are quiet, calm, with a good flow of oxygen. It is not recommended to exercise under direct exposure to the sun, after intense sunbathing.

Cat, firming , stomach. Brushes should be one vertical with shoulder joints, under hip joints- knees, stomach are drawn in. With a deep breath, draw in the whole body (from the buttocks to the crown) and slowly bend in the lower back: 15 approaches.

Dog- to strengthen the triceps, muscles of the shoulders, back, back of the thigh. From the Cat Asana, raise your legs on your toes, taking a deep breath, and slowly lower your foot to the heel. At the same time, stretch your neck with your head in a single line with the vertebra: 15 approaches.

planochka- strengthens the abdominal muscles and triceps. From the Dog pose, take the position for the floor press:, the emphasis is on straightened arms. The palms are open under the shoulder joints, the press is strained, and the tension is held for up to 10 seconds. Next, you should return to the starting position. We perform up to 20 times.

Seal- exercise strengthens the back and shoulders. From Plank, sit on your heels and round your back, stretching your arms forward, hold for 5 seconds, return to the previous position: 15 times.

Side plank- tones triceps, biceps, posterior femoral surface, gluteal muscles. You get up from the floor, turn the body to one side, stretch the other hand up, look at it, then starting position(repeat on each side): 15 sets.

As you can see, one exercise goes into the next, which will not only give a general understanding of the implementation of the technique, but will also be perfectly deposited in memory for regular performance.

Yoga is a system of personal development that focuses not only on the body, but also on the soul. The word yoga itself means "gather together" or "combine", so the main goal of yoga practitioners is harmony between soul and body. Breathing exercises, or pranayama, provide the necessary renewal and tone, but leave your mind fresh and body calm. It is the benefits that yoga brings to its practitioners that have made the passion for yoga very popular all over the world.

The fundamental goal of yoga is harmony. Harmony human body and mind with their environment and with each other. The positive impact of yoga is indeed an inexhaustible wealth, but it can be divided into several main directions:

• increased flexibility of the whole body;
• improved lubrication of cartilage and joints;
• massage of ALL internal organs;
• comprehensive detoxification;
• muscle tone;
• concentration and mental balance;
• beautiful posture, improvement of plasticity, harmonization of movements;
• strengthening the immune system;
• destocking subcutaneous fat;
• restoration of damaged muscles of the back and limbs;
• reducing the time required to recover from injury or surgery;
• preventing bone fragility and, as a result, the recurrence of injuries

Yoga can be a good help for those who want to increase their self-discipline, improve concentration and memory. For young people, yoga is a great way to maintain flexibility and mobility for years to come. Yoga can help teenagers find inner strength and cope with stress and the negative influence of their peers. Even the elderly find yoga useful, even necessary at their age: sparing yoga asanas help to cope with problems such as arthritis and poor blood circulation.

Yoga has been shown to help pregnant women cope with common problems such as back pain and emotional instability, as well as ease childbirth itself. Deep and calm breathing promotes complete relaxation and restful, deep sleep. It leads not only to external changes, but to internal harmony and clarity of mind. Stretching exercises ensure the normal functioning of all organs and a stable blood flow to them. Yoga can also be a good addition to the daily training of athletes, both professionals and amateurs. After all, it is the practice of yoga that teaches a person to fully use his respiratory apparatus and thereby increase the volume of the lungs. But, despite the attention to the body, the main focus of yoga is internal balance and well-being.

1. The best time for yoga is early morning, right after waking up. Yoga asanas can be performed at any time convenient for you, except for two to three hours after eating.
2. The perfect place for yoga - quiet, with an influx of fresh air.
3. Do not practice yoga in direct sunlight and after sunburn.
4. Never do yoga while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, even a light one.
5. Those with severe, acute or chronic illnesses should consult their doctor and yoga teacher about the difficulties that yoga practice can entail.
6. It is recommended to start practicing yoga under the supervision of an experienced instructor.
7. Never apply excessive force. Relax a little between sets of exercises.

8 foundations of yoga

Yoga is not a religion, and does not imply a religious style of behavior. According to the Indian treatise Patanyali, yoga can be loosely divided into several main aspects or "sutras of yoga". It was in this book that the basic values ​​and techniques in the arsenal of yoga practice were first formulated:

• Pit- moral concentration and spiritual growth;
• Nyama- observations;
• Asana- poses;
• Pranayama- breath control;
• Pratyahara- perception of feelings from external objects;
• Dharana- concentration;
• Diana- meditation;
• Samadhi- practice of superconsciousness

Varieties of yoga

hat yoga

Hata yoga is a popular form of yoga, popular in Western countries, especially in the USA. Speaking of hat yoga, we primarily mean its physical side or asanas. Hata yoga focuses on breath control and exercise and is ideal for those who ponder the spiritual essence of the practice. It strengthens the body and makes it a powerful tool for allowing the mind to meditate, freeing itself from obstacles in varying degrees. Pranayama allows you to control breathing and says that if a person completely controls his breathing, a high state of mind for him is an easily achievable goal. Plunging into the teachings of pranayama, practitioners control the flow of air into the lungs, while alternating both nostrils. It is this breathing that allows you to achieve harmony between the right and left hemispheres of the brain.

Practicing hat yoga opens the energy channels, allowing the spiritual energy to flow freely in and out of you. Some asanas massage and tone internal organs, helping to prevent and treat formidable diseases such as diabetes, arthritis and hypertension. Breathing exercises from the hut are recommended for patients with asthma and bronchitis. Modern hat yoga is more practical than classical yoga and pays more attention to the development of the body than the spiritual side. This is manifested in the choice of asanas that tone the body and strengthen the muscles.

Kundalini yoga

Kundalini energy is the dominant spiritual energy present in every human being. The Kundalini energy, as the strongest, is represented in the form of a snake enclosed in the first chakra or Muladhara, located at the base of the spine. When a practitioner of Kundalini Yoga activates the kundalini energy through various types of paranyama, his entire body becomes alive and becomes stronger. The basic principle of Kundalini Yoga is the stimulation of spiritual life through the lower chakra, from where energy enters the head, where it is perceived and accumulated by the superconscious. Kundalini yoga is practiced both through a combination of Paranayama and asanas, as well as through concentration and mind training, making your practice exquisite, like real gurus. For some, Hata yoga will be enough to achieve the desired effect, but in most cases it is recommended to combine different techniques.

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Modern yoga is yoga for the body, it is classified as fitness, gymnastics. Having been developed all over the world, it began to differ from the classical Indian yoga without the religious overtones. Nevertheless, it continues to help to relax the body and soul, in the development of muscles, improving flexibility, grace, and in general achieving harmony. Today we will discuss in more detail what else yoga “treats”.

Yoga for the soul for the body

In fitness yoga, there are directions that have absorbed the ancient knowledge of the sages from the youngest of the practices - hatha yoga.

Consider the benefits of classes on her example:

• It has a healing effect on the body;
• Allows you to develop physical strength;
• Gives you the opportunity to correct the figure;
• Cure diseases, recover from injuries;
• Develop the flexibility of the body;
• Increase endurance and achieve muscle tone;
• Strengthen the spirit and mental health.

For many, yoga becomes not only a way to achieve muscle relaxation and perfection in body and self control, but also a way of life.

A group of neuroscientists at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), led by Eileen Lueders, interested in researching the benefits of yoga, examined 44 people to understand how meditation affects their brains.

The first half of the subjects practiced meditation for 5-6 years, devoting it from 10 minutes to an hour and a half a day. The second half was without relaxation at all.

As a result of studies of the state of the brain using MRI, the researchers found that some brain structures in meditation practitioners were very different from those who did not practice it at all.

It turned out that in a meditating person, the hippocampus, areas of the temporal inferior gyrus, orbital-frontal cortex and thalamus, that is, areas that allow you to control your emotional state and responses, are increased in volume.

In the future, scientists will determine the degree of influence of meditative relaxation at the cellular level. In particular, do meditators experience changes in the number of neuronal cells or whether connections between them increase.

Another group of scientists from the University of Boston School of Medicine, along with the staff of the McLean Mental Hospital, led by Chris Streeter, found that in just 3 classes a week, yoga not only allows you to achieve flexibility, but also fight depression in patients as a result of relaxation.

For three months, the researchers observed the emotional state of two groups of people. The first one did regular physical exercises and walking for 3 hours a week, and the second one practiced yoga.

MRI analyzes showed that yogis had an increase in the level of gamma-aminobutyric acid, and in fact it is the most important neurotransmitter of the central nervous system being necessary for the normal functioning of the brain. This acid is able to relieve arousal, providing a calming effect on a person. Its low content is observed in depressive states.

yoga for pain

Another group of researchers from the University of Oregon, led by James Carson, studied whether regular classes yoga to get rid of fibromyalgia (neuropathic muscle pain that spreads throughout the body). It is known that 80-90% of patients with this disease are women, so only they took part in the study.

25 participants of various ages took part in special program Yoga of Awareness, and the remaining 28 were receiving conventional medical treatment. It turned out that the results of yoginis in overcoming muscle disease were much better.

Finally, scientists at the University of Montreal published in the American Psychological Association journal a statement that regular yoga practice, while helping in the development of flexibility, stimulates the work and development of the central region of the brain that controls the reaction to pain. That's why yoga practices patients suffering from neuralgia.

This is how the benefits of yoga are proven with the help of science. But something else is interesting: everything that is being clarified today as a result of many years of research has long been known to Indian sages millennia ago.