Muscle Testing with Help of Yoga

Yoga is a much loved concept and is being enthusiastically practiced all over the world. However, everyone practicing has felt a bit of discomfort or pain while doing some poses. This may be just inflexible body, and injury or a deformity which can set back the practice. This can be due to bad technique but most of the times is due to functional problems with structure. It can be cured with help of many ways like Ayurveda, acupuncture or acupressure. However isolating the cause is the first step and yoga helps to do this.

Take for example the lower back pain which is very common. Most of the cases back bending hurts but forward bending do not. Quitting back bending is not the solution. You have to find out where the pain is coming from to resolve it once and for all.  When you are performing the back bending Vinyasa and it hurts which means an injury in the lower back muscles or weak muscles. This leads to spine not being supported well leading to the pain. This is just one case, and in other cases the cause of the problem may be much deeper. It might be the improper functioning of an organ that is leading to the pain. For example pain in the abdomen may be due to improper digestion or liver problems.

Ashtanga Yoga in its anatomy learning helps to understand the body where each person can diagnose the cause of pain. Another common problem is the hurting of the knee. The reason may not be due to the muscles alone. In one case a person with weak knees was not having any improvement even after yoga. The yoga teacher went for proper yoga diagnosis and found that the muscles were not developing due to problems in intestines. Proper therapy for removing the problem helped and then the yoga practice was useful.

Any kind of physical issues can be solved by yoga therapists. You just have to find the right one.                      

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Ashtanga Yoga used as Therapy

There are many instances of people getting injured while practicing Ashtanga Yoga which is an intense form of Yoga. The problem is not of the practice but not understanding the intrinsic knowledge in each step of the eight limbed yoga. Physically gifted young people miss the deep philosophy and become certified teachers imparting incorrect and incomplete knowledge. In fact experience has no substitute in teaching Ashtanga Yoga as only time makes you wiser with acquired knowledge and understanding what is not expressed in words. 

The person who brought this unique yoga system to the world K.P. Jois was not only a nice teacher but a therapist as well. He would always go for individual therapy. According to him every individual has a different body type and the therapy needs to be modulated as per their need. He could assess body types through Vinyasa and asanas not requiring medical reports. As a therapist he advised his students to go through the motions slowly and aggressive practice was not prescribed as healthy.

Doing the yoga quickly can cause more harm than benefit and this is the reason slow and steady practice is a part of yoga therapy. Some people will adapt quickly while others may take time to develop the poses and disciplines. The most important part of therapy is not the poses but the breathing that goes with it and it only comes with regular practice under the tutelage of an experienced yoga guru. One should go softy and then stretch the body to limits when it is ready. The tissues, muscles and binding structures like ligaments and cartilage have to be first made flexible by soft practice and then try the hard asanas. This will have a therapeutic effect on the body making it strong and flexible at the same time. Using yoga as a therapy can heal even serious injuries. You just have to practice it in the right manner.

For more Visit here  : Ahstanga Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training

Ashtanga Yoga Practice by Pregnant Women

Ashtanga Yoga has to be practiced under the keen supervision a qualified Ashtanga Yoga teacher. It is more important if a pregnant woman is practicing Ashtanga Yoga. It is a myth that yoga is harmful during pregnancy. Of course over exertion is not recommended, but Yoga always debars excessive exercise even for normal healthy people.

An Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga practice during pregnancy helps the mother keep healthy and also inhibits the healthy growth of the child inside her. The practices are modified to protect the fetus and strengthen the muscles of the abdomen. The practice should be stopped if fetus moves excessively, in case of bleeding or if you are experiencing cramps. If you are new to Ashtanga Yoga you should first enroll in prenatal Yoga classes to understand how yoga is practiced during pregnancy.

The practice should be started only after 4th month to get good results as by the 4th month fetus stabilizes. Drinking small amounts of water is recommended in these yoga sessions to avoid dehydration which can cause uterus contractions. The Vinyasa practices have to be modified too. Jumping or rolling routines have to be skipped till birth of the child.

Practicing regular modified Ashtanga Yoga routines improves stamina which helps in labor and delivery. The breathing routines help in pain management during delivery. The senses are also fully aware of the contraction when the delivery happens.

Post birth you should wait for 3 months for the body to recover from delivery before starting Yoga. Deepen the forward bending poses in order to get rid of excess belly fat that accumulates during and after delivery.

Places in India to Experience Spirituality

India is known as the land of mystics, and a place which has seen many civilizations rise and fall. The experience of India can transform a person’s life completely. Every place in India has its own story with enlightenment at the core. Travelling the expanses of the country is more than sightseeing. It is a spiritual experience which cannot be forgotten. There is nothing better than an adventure with spiritual experience. If Yoga is the aim of travel, then India is the not only the place of origin but also has many options to choose from. Devotional and meditative experience is there in every place you go. In India Yogic practices are embedded in the culture and the true experience of this ancient knowledge can be had by experiencing the culture. The blend of modern and ancient makes India the place to visit.

So, the question that comes to the mind is which places to visit to get the magical and mythical experience? There is no single answer to this question. The diversity of culture and the abundance of places to visit make making the choice very difficult. You can take a journey of ancient Hindu temples and places of importance to Buddhism as both are closely attached to meditation and spirituality. Trying to visit every corner of the country can be very tempting but is not practical. So, the endeavor of the article is to introduce you to three most popular places with each location with a different experience. The attempt is to bring together the three forces of nature which are abundant in India – Rivers, Mountains and Sea.

1.  Varanasi the City of Prayer – The constant chanting of mantras and the jingling of puja bells makes Varanasi the city of prayers. Varanasi is said to be one of the oldest cities in the world and is built on faith and prayer. The holy Ganga and its 80 Ghats make the place. As per Hindu mythology, the city is placed on the Trident of Shiva and will survive parlay (Apocalypse). The boon of Shiva reverberates throughout the city, and people who want to get rid of the cycle of birth and death come here to get salvation.

Yoga is a part of life here in Varanasi, which includes the morning Surya Namaskar and the evening aarti. Even the practice of bowing before the deity in temples is a Yogic practice. If you keep an open mind you can find meditation and spiritual energy all around in the city. Another location which is just 10 Km away from the Varanasi city is Sarnath, the place where Buddha gave his first sermon.

 

2. Rishikesh the place of Yogis – Located at the confluence of Himalayas and Ganga Rishikesh has been a place of mystics since time immemorial. This is the last place Ganga is in the hilly terrain before it enters the plane at Haridwar. The place is rightfully called the land of meditation and now recognised as the Yoga capital of the world. Sage Vashishta one of the contributors to the ancient text Vedas is believed to have practised mediation here. The pristine Ganga gurgling through the mountains is like a chant of spirituality. 

The Ganga is not only a river but a soul purifying deity for the yogis. The water of the river is said to have magical property of curing some incurable disease, and also the place for yogic practices. Today there’re many options of retreats here in Rishikesh. A must visit place if you want to tap into the deep spiritual spring.

3. Mahabalipura (Now Mamallapuram) the City of Artists – During the reign of Pallava rulers, this ancient town was a place for art and craft. You can find a treasure of creation, which includes the many shrines dedicated to gods. The clink of artisans creating ancient art from their chisel is like the rhythm of our own breath.

You can see the oldest sculpture of a yogic pose “Tree” here. Perhaps the carving is of Arjuna the warrior who fought in the Great War Mahabharata. He is said to come here for Tapa for getting the weapons from gods. Here you can find a different form of Yoga being practised by the Brahmins of Tamil Nadu. Yoga is in their daily routine. Surya Namaskar and other poses are a part of their lives, and you can learn from them living in their closed knit community.

There are many other places in India which you can visit for the spiritual and magical experiences. These three places can be a good start of the journey.

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Ashtanga Vinayasa Yoga For Serious Practitioners

Ashtanga Yoga means Yoga with eight processes. ashta - aight, anga - parts was outlined by Sage Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. In his text he describes the path of reaching the Universal self by practicing eight spiritual paths. The eight fold path consists of 

Yama, Niyama, Asana and Pranayama are classified as external cleansing methods. First a practitioner needs to perfect the first four parts and then move on to internal cleansing. Ashtanga Yoga done the wrong way can be really harmful as mentioned in the yoga-sutras. The first step in practicing Ashtanga-yoga is perfecting Yama and Niyama. Even these two are hard to practice for a normal person as the body and mind (including sense organs) are weak. Daily practice of Asanas will help in making the body and sense organs strong and provide the pathway to move forward. When the body is strong enough Yama and Niyama can be practiced.The breathing and movement of body parts helps in improving health. The Asanas help improve circulation of blood thereby removing toxins from internal organs. Sweating during the yogasanas carries these toxins out of the body. Thus by practicing Vinayasa the body become light and strong. Ashtanga Vinayasa Yoga thus purifies the body, mind and the nervous system. So, Yama, Niyama and Asanas practiced together help us to become healthier and sharpens physical and mental energies. The last four steps of Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyaan and Samadhi can then be practiced for mind control. These four steps will help in getting rid of six poisons Kama (Desire), Krodha (Anger), Moha (Delusion), Lobha (Greed), Matsarya (laziness) and Mada (ego). Practicing these eight steps in correct order will help unification of self with universe which is known as salvation (Moksha), which is the aim of this brand of Yoga. Ashtanga Yoga cannot be practiced by everybody and requires perseverance and also takes longer time for perfection. But if done perfectly it has immense benefits for the mind, body and spirit.

• Yama (Codes of morality)

• Niyama (Rules of self purification and self study) 

• Asana (The poses) 

• Pranayama (Breathing Exercise) 

• Pratyahara (controlling the senses) 

• Dharana (Concentrating the mind) 

• Dhyaan (Practicing Meditation) and 

• Samadhi (Surrendering self to universe).

After perfecting Yama and Niyama Asanas need to be perfected. This is done by using Vinayasa (breath control and body movements). Each Asana has movements and particular breath control methods. Take for example the Surya Namaskar which is an Asana. It consists of nine steps and each step has body movement accompanied by breathing exercise. The first step is inhaling while raising the arm above the head and putting them together. Similarly all other Asanas will be broken down into steps known as Vinayasa.

After being a master of Asanas, Pranayama the fourth part of external cleansing can be started. In Pranayama wind (air) is used to activate energy points in the body. It is done by exhaling (rechaka), retention of breath (kumbhaka) and inhaling (puraka). The shatkriyas (Six processes) have to be practiced to go forward.