Posts Tagged ‘Proper Breathing Techniques’

Here's How The 5 Tenets Of Yoga Promote Healing Through Positive Thinking

There is scientific evidence that shows that optimists tend to live longer than pessimists? This is because positive thinking helps promote a physiological environment that is optimal for healing. The five tenets of yoga can help enhancing positive thinking. Here’s how.

1. Exercise. With exercise, feel-good hormones called endorphins are released, making you feel fresher and happier.. thereby replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. But more importantly, yoga helps unblock energy pathways, thus allowing energy healing to work.

2. Breathing. Most of us don't realize it - but we're actually not breathing right. Yoga emphasizes the usage of proper breathing techniques that increase oxygen intake which then enhances the circulation of both blood and energy in our bodies. As such, oxins of our bodies and the mind, are dispelled more efficiently and can be replaced by positive thoughts.

3. Relaxation. Yoga is a calming and rhythmic exercise, involving a lot of stretches and breathing. Through practicing the asanas and various yoga poses, tension is drained from our muscles – promoting relaxation of the body. This relief increases your happiness levels and general well-being, encouraging the development of positive thoughts.

4. Diet. Yoga promotes holistic healing and practices, and therefore encourages wholesome eating as well. It recommends eating mainly fresh foods with lots of fruits and vegetables. What we eat has an effect on both our bodies and our minds and food with high oil and preservative content introduces an endless list of toxins to our bodies, thus disrupting our energy flow. Eating habits prescribed by yoga encourages not only happiness and optimism, but higher energy levels!

5. Meditation. Lastly, meditation is a crucial element in the practice of yoga and energy healing. While the asanas and breathing techniques help to calm our minds, meditation allows us to take the time to contemplate our thoughts. It is through deep introspection  that the active release and dispelment of negative and hurtful emotions from our minds occur. Now, these negative emotions can be replaced with more serene and positive thoughts.

An Overview Of Hatha Yoga

There are many forms of yoga these days, but the predominant religious and exercise movement is known as Hatha yoga, a style that attracts roughly 30 million Americans. In the most basic sense of the term, this style focuses on posture and breathing as a way of attaining spiritual enlightenment.

Author Ymber Delecto once explained, “Yoga is invigoration in relaxation. Freedom in routine. Confidence through self control. Energy within and energy without.” Spiritually, Hatha yoga creates a spiritual environment through breathing, repetition and posture that taps into and regulates inner chakras (or energy centers). Yoga practice was initially developed in India over 5,000 years ago as a way of facilitating true understanding and meditation.

The first step is the practicing of the different asanas (poises) to help the mind and body align with one another and open the inner channels of communication. By finding the right posture, one can remain comfortable for long periods of time while meditating. Secondly, proper breathing techniques (sometimes referred to as “pranayama”) are taught. Next, some students may choose to delve more deeply into the philosophical roots. Yoga instructor David Williams (from Hawaii) once noted, “Before you’ve practiced, the theory is useless. After you’ve practiced, the theory is obvious.”

The end result of practicing this style of yoga is markedly noticed almost immediately. Suddenly you can stretch a bit further and touch those toes. You’re not huffing and puffing carrying laundry up to the top floor of the house anymore. Your bowel movements are even more regular than usual and you find that stomach aches and head aches rarely occur these days. Your abdomen, legs and gluteus are looking more defined too. When you’re at work and start to feel stressed, you take a deep breath and reconnect with the relaxation techniques you learned in class, although the anxiety rarely reaches you on a physical level anymore. Your energy levels are revitalized, your hormones are balanced and a calm sense of euphoria and appreciation for each day takes root in your soul. Life is good, thanks to Hatha yoga, a practice that goes back thousands of years to some infinite source of knowledge the West generally seemed to have overlooked.

While many of us wish we had the discipline to properly perform Hatha yoga at home with a DVD, it’s simply not feasible — in the truest sense. Attending yoga class is a bit like attending church on Sundays, in that it gives us that set-aside time to focus, meditate, appreciate and reflect. Much like a priest, the yoga instructor brings an atmosphere of supreme holiness and quietude, while helping you sense your weaknesses and align yourself correctly in tune with your core being. Yoga is not something you can do half-heartedly or skimp out on. Instead, it requires full attentiveness and studiousness. Even if your end goal is purely fitness-oriented, take the time to appreciate this ancient Indian practice and learn the right way. You just may be surprised by what you learn about yourself!