Healing Effects of Yoga

Yoga is an exercise practiced by many for a variety of reasons. A variety of health conditions have been mentioned as being helped by practicing yoga such as asthma, back pain, diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, etc. Many turn to this exercise for pain management, while others practice it for the mental performance benefits that it offers. Self-awareness is a common theme among those who practice yoga, as the exercise promotes the mind-body relationship.
There are several types of yoga with each offering various benefits. Some practice what is referred to as hot yoga (Bikram yoga), which is designed to sweat out toxins while the individual assumes certain poses. The room temperature during hot yoga is increased to around 85 to 120 degrees Fare height during this exercise. The body sweats out toxins while the individual must focus his or her mind to stay focuses during the exercise. Those seeking stress relief, weight loss or who want to boost their immune system may turn to this form of yoga. Pregnant women are often discouraged from participating in hot yoga.
Restorative yoga allows the body to be completely at rest while assuming certain positions. Note that rest is different from sleep, however. To assume poses in this type of yoga, props are used. This may include pillows, blankets, blocks, chairs, walls, etc. The props hold the body in position during the pose. This form of yoga, as well as others, helps to trigger the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The PNS balances the body and brings it into equilibrium. Stimulating it may help to improve heart rate, blood pressure and stimulate the immune system and has positive effects on the endocrine system.
Restorative yoga helps many patients relax, which is why many turn to it when experiencing infertility or going through fertility treatment. This may be a troubling time in the lives of many experiencing infertility, so finding a way to relieve stress, anxiety and depression is often important. This form of yoga may help individuals achieve a more hormonally balanced body as well.
It is important that women who are pregnant inform the instructor that they are pregnant prior to beginning the class unless they are taking a class dedicated to pregnant women or those wishing to improve fertility. Women who are pregnant may be discouraged from assuming certain poses while pregnant such as those that require twisting, inversion, are stressful to the abdominal region or require balancing.

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Yoga for Sinusitis

Immune system plays an important role in the prevention of colds and nasal allergies. Yog Mudra and breathing exercises can improve breathing, reduce tension and stress, and support the immune system. If ling mudra is practised daily, for some time, along with a proper practise of Pranayama etc, then various incurable disease of the Chest can be healed.
Pranayama
Deep breathing techniques like Bhastrika helps in inhaling more oxygen into the lungs, which helps in alleviating colds, congestion, and sinus. This pranayama naturally massages the airway and strengthens the neck tissues. And clear the spasm caused by the excess neck tissues.
Process:
• Go in an open air.
• Start to inhale and exhale through nose rapidly for half to one minute, relax for few seconds and repeat.
• In this pranayama kriya there is no restrain of breath.
This pranayama kriya can be repeated for around 7-8 times but should be done before meal.
Rapid Sun Breathing.
Process:
• Go in an open air.
• Close the left nostril and start deep inhaling and exhaling through Right nose rapidly for half to one minute, relax for few seconds and repeat.
• In this yoga kriya there is no restrain of breath.
This yoga kriya can be repeated for around 5-6 times but should be done before meal. This process will increase the heat energy in the body and burn the mucus of the region and help in clearing the nasal cavity region.
Mudra Healing
Ling Mudra: Join both palms and lock the facing fingers together, keeping right thump straight and upright. The upright thumb must be encircled by the other thumb and index finger. Through this yoga mudra, the fire element of the body increases, and simultaneously heat in the body also increases which results in increase in energy. The practise of this Ling Mudra, will help in curing bad cold and also help in curing chest complications which emerges due the Cough Tridosh.
Pran Mudra: Join the tips of Little finger and Ring Finger with tip of the thump. Practise of this yog mudra will help in improving the immune system and recharge the vital energy of the body.
NetiKriya:
In simple Netikriya can be defined as the process of Nasal Cleansing. Neti is the best process to overcome the snoring. As it clears the airways and helps in curing nasal infections such as allergies, sinusitis and other upper respiratory complaints like sore throats and coughs, inflammation of tonsils and adenoids. It is advised to learn this process under competent supervision. You can get benefit a lot if you do a yogic nasal wash, called neti, once or twice a week.
Meditation:
Even the latest scientific experiments shows that Vibrations created from chanting Om can help clear your sinuses and ward off infections. Vibration created through Chanting and humming sounds encourage the air movement and opens tiny ducts that connect your nose to your sinuses and allows your sinuses to drain properly. So daily "Om" chanting may prevent such an infection.
Process
• Sit in a comfortable Padamasan or sukhasana cross-legged seated position. Keeping both hands on top of the knees in Pran Mudra.
• Keep the spine straight and the shoulders relaxed. Close your ears with both palms. Close your mouth and raise and stretch you head especially chin upwards.
• Close the eyes softly and take a slow and deep breath and hold the breath in.
• Begin slowly exhaling, making humming sound of a bee, while reciting "OM" mentally. Try to feel the vibration in the nasal region.
• Repeat the exercise 10 times.

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How Yoga and Cycling Fit Perfectly Together

At first glance the two don't seem to go together do they? Cycling can be so frenetic, and yoga so serene. Yet, yoga can enhance your cycling experience greatly.
I started cycling in 1992 with endurance rides in the Colorado Rockies. They typically covered anywhere from 68 miles on a single day ride to 700 miles on a multi-day event. Some of those miles were over 12,000-foot passes and others on the flat wide-open plains of eastern Colorado.
After a long ride I would most always pay for a massage to help eliminate the toxins, which had accumulated during the hours in the saddle. Having arrived home I would also stretch to stay limber and decrease soreness.
When I started practicing yoga a few years later I happily discovered unexpected benefits, which lent themselves to cycling very quickly and enhanced what I was already doing.
In yoga breathing is a vital part of every session. You learn to breath slowly, predictably and purposefully. This practice enables you to focus on the muscles being used, the balance required and the mental calmness needed to chase away the rest of the world for a few precious moments.
In cycling breathing correctly is a vital part of the ride. Does that sound familiar? When I saw how much my breathing during yoga changed how I performed, I knew instantly how it would affect my cycling. Learning to breathe during an endurance ride or a race is an important part of performing properly.
Yoga teaches us to breathe into the muscles being worked, relaxing and energizing them at the same time. When I am racing a time trial, which is a race against yourself and the clock, I have learned to apply these yoga principles to keep my breathing under control. Breathing deeply, slowly, and by mentally directing the oxygen and energy toward my legs, lower back, neck, or triceps I can reduce the pain and suffering and increase the effectiveness of racing techniques.
As I mentioned earlier, in Colorado we ride a lot in the mountains and they present a whole host of problems to a cyclist's body. We climb to absurd heights, descend at ridiculous speeds while covering hundreds of miles. As you might surmise, this takes enormous concentration.
Yoga provides the techniques to concentrate on the tasks at hand enabling the cyclist to push through pain, long hours on a skinny seat, breathe sufficiently in the thin oxygen and focus on narrow roads while descending.
During a yoga session we learn to balance on one foot with our arms extended over our head in the tree pose. Poses like this help you have real sense of your body, gain stability, strength, and a quiet focus on your physical condition. This all translates extremely well to cycling.
Consider combining the two, you may find the results to be worth the effort.

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Yoga and the Economy

It is fall 2008. We have a new president-elect, the holiday season is in our presence, and snow is falling here on a beautifully thick gray day in Midwest America. Normally, based on these factors-being an especial lover of gray late-autumn days--I would say things are good.
But things are not good. We are riding a wave of a recession whose dark-lit story seems by experts' observations to be in its early chapters. We've all heard the fears, the fallout, the collapses, and the numbers, and we all expect to hear much more. Even if we generally dwell on the sunny side of the street, these are comparatively dark days.
Enter yoga and the economy. Yoga, the most economical of wellness systems ever created, can help humans through economic hard times. Now, more than ever when millions of people practice yoga worldwide, the power of steadfast yoga can help raise spirits and bring back a universal balance.
First, know that you are an economy in and of yourself. When a nation's economy is strong, the force of humans contained within it functions at a generally higher, smoother state than in a weaker economy. Likewise, when you are healthy in diet, exercise, and mind work (e.g., mental-emotional wellness exercises), you can be said to be a strong economy of one. These three broad realms of yoga practice and principle-diet, exercise, and mind work-are also the foundation of basic human wellness.
It is when one of these personal Big Three falters for you that it is time to take stock, make a plan, and take action. Even if you are eating well and exercising regularly these days but have more stress than you had before the economy started plummeting, you are at risk of personal economy downturn.
Consider the impact our nation's economic crisis, which threatens basic survival, has made on personal wellness. Retirement fund loss, heavy unemployment, and high anxiety of high prices at the store and the pump have touched our lives directly or indirectly, but most likely both. If you are worried about your retirement from 401K fallout or know someone who is, or if you are angry that your brother lost his job at GM or lost a job yourself, or if you are anxious that good, healthy food is so much more expensive than it used to be or worried how your community's much less fortunate are going to get enough food in the coming four weeks, this message is for you: Turn to yoga.
Turn to yoga. Or, if you are already a regular practitioner, turn to yoga more: more often, more intensely.
Yoga means unity. Just like the air you breathe, what happens to you happens to me. Your unemployed friend is your concern. Conversely, your efforts to keep yourself healthy in this recession can become your friend's hope. By keeping yourself up in these hard times, you help keep up the lives of those around you. This is yogic fact, or at least yogic modus operandi.
So use yoga's Big Three to get strong and stay strong. Be the government of your own economy. And don't give up on governance. Keep injecting your economy of one with yoga just like a government would inject its economy with recovery plans. Tap into the infinite resources within you to create a brighter day for you, for others.

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Yogic eating

Any dog or horse trainer will tell you that what is fed to an animal influences its behaviour.  Although we like to forget this when it comes to ourselves, what we eat has a huge influence not only over our physical well being, but also over our thoughts, and ultimately our emotional and spiritual well being. The yogis of ancient times knew this, and many classical yogic texts, such as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, contain advice on a yogic diet. However, proper diet is a controversial subject.  Nutrition has been extensively researched by modern science, and there seems to be as many 'proper' diets as there are scientific studies.  It is more than a bit confusing for someone to devise their own individual diet amidst so much, often contradictory, advice.
The advice given below is based on the classical yogic texts and on the author's experience. It also gives pointers for further research and experimentation.
Unlike modern scientists, yogis are not interested in the chemical content (protein, vitamins, etc...) of the food. Instead, food is traditionally classified according to its effect on the body and mind, using the the three Gunas: Sattva (the quality of love, light and life), Raja (the quality of activity and passion, lacking stability) and Tamas (the quality of darkness and inertia, dragging us into ignorance and attachment) :

• Sattvic food promotes clarity and calmness of mind and is favourable for spiritual growth. It is "sweet, fresh and agreeable" and includes most fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables, particularly green leafy vegetables, whole grains, honey, pure water and  milk (with the reservation that commercially produced milk may not nowadays be so sattvic...). Given the amount of pesticides and chemical fertilisers used on commercial crops, only organic products still qualify as Sattvic, and tinned or frozen food certainly don't.
• Rajasic food feeds the body, but promotes activity and therefore induces restlessness of mind. It disturbs the equilibrium of the mind and is generally to be avoided by yoga practionners. Rajasic foods include most spicy foods, stimulants like coffee and tea, eggs, garlic, onion, meat, fish and chocolate, as well as most processed food. Eating too fast or with a disturbed mind is also considered rajasic. Rajasic food should be avoided by those whose aim is peace of mind, but will benefit people with an active lifestyle. A little rajasic food can be sattvic, for example, hot spices can help digestion, and therefore help create peace of mind!
• Tamasic food (to be avoided)  induces heaviness of the body and dullness of the mind, and ultimately benefits neither. It  includes alcohol, as well as food that is stale or overripe.  Overeating is also tamasic. The traditional advice is to fill the stomach half with food, one quarter with water, leaving the last quarter empty.

The nature of food can change. Cooking is the most obvious way to change the nature of food. Grains become sattvic only after cooking. Honey becomes tamasic (poisonous) with cooking. The nature of  a food also change by being in combination with other foods and spices, or if it is stored for periods of time. Generally grains should be aged a bit (they become more sattvic) but of course, fruits shouldn't (they rot and become tamasic).
How and when to eat is also important. One should not eat too late at night, for there should be a gap of at least two, and preferably 3 to 4 hours between supper and sleep. Food should be freshly prepared and eaten with attention, respect and gratitude. While one should eat to live, rather than live to eat, food should be tasty, so as to be appreciated. The attitude of the person preparing the food is important as well, as the mood of the cook permeates the food. Most Indians still prefer their lunch box prepared at home to lunch in a restaurant for this reason, and some yogis only eat food prepared by themselves or other yogis.
Another important issue with a yogic diet is that of vegetarianism.  Not only are fish and meat specifically listed amongst the "food injurious to the yoga" by the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (I, 59), but eating the flesh of dead animals violates the first principle of yogic ethics (yamas) as laid down by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, that of non- violence (ahimsa). Yogis believe that the fear of death permeate every cell the body of an animal when it is slaughtered, and therefore, the traditional yogic diet is lacto-vegetarian and avoids eggs as well as all animal flesh (including fish!).  Indeed modern research has shown that vegetarians are generally in better health than meat eaters. Proteins that can be obtain from nuts, dairy products and legumes are generally of a better quality than meat.
Anyone who has lived for a while on a dairy farm might go as far as questioning the morality of eating dairy products when the milk is taken from a cow whose calf has been taken away and slaughtered. This is a valid point, and while milk is not inherently "injurious to the yogi", it may be that in the world we live in, only a vegan diet can really be sattvic, because of the poor treatment of the milking animal, the stress they are subjected to, and the quantity of drugs that they have to ingest (some of which undoubtingly find their way into their milk). However, I believe that dairy from farms where animals are well treated, such as organic ones, is acceptable.
Another important point to consider is how any particular diet suits an individual's particular constitution and circumstances. Ayurveda, the classic system of Indian medicine, classifies people, as well as food into three categories according to their nature. These three categories, or doshas as they are called, are Pitta (hot and oily), Vata (dry and light) and Kapha (cold and moist) and in ayurveda, the individual's diet should be tailored to the individual's constitution to keep the doshas in balance. Some foods which are recommended for a particular ayurvedic constitution may not be suitable for another; for example, while milk, a sattvic food, is generally good for Pitta constitution, it may not suit someone with a Kapha constitution. The ideal ayurvedic diet also changes depending on the time of the year. For further information, see our articles on Ayurveda, Ayurvedic diet, and Ayurvedic cooking
Finally, the issue of food combining, which has received some attention in the West in recent years, is also important, for even the right foods taken in wrong combination can cause problems. Without going into too much details, let's just say that some types of food combine well, while others, because of the difference in the digestive process they require, should not be mixed. For example, strong proteins should not be mixed with carbohydrates. To be safe, avoid mixing too many different types of food in the same meal. See  "Food Combining Made Easy " by Herbert Shelton, or "The Tao of health, sex and longevity", by Daniel Reid (also offers a wealth of advice on diet and exercise) for more information on that subject.
They are many more approaches to dieting, and eating the right food, in the right amount, in the right combination, at the right time, is a difficult art, that can only be learned by experimenting to find out what works best. I hope that the  recipes from our  recipes section will inspire you!

Christophe Mouze
Christophe is one of the resident yoga teacher and chefs at the Clare Island Retreat Centre, Ireland

The Many Forms Of Yoga

Mention yoga and many people assume it is a uniform practice. In truth, there many different forms of yoga that can be practiced and each has a different approach.
What are the many different forms of yoga? To grasp them, you will first have to understand that some forms of yoga are more popular than others. For the sake of this article, we will be discussing the most popular forms of yoga, so that you may find these types at a local fitness club in your area. Those yoga classes that you are likely to come across include: Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Iyengar, and Bikram.
Let's start with the one that is gaining a lot of attention lately: Bikram. Bikram yoga is also known as "hot yoga," and since its inception people have been yearning to learn these exercises. This movement was first begun by Bikram Choudhury many years ago with the intent that it would become an intense form of yoga. Bikram is done in an extremely hot room (usually 95 to 100 degrees), which helps to loosen tight muscles. In addition, the high heat will cause a person to sweat profusely (sweating cleanses the body). Usually, this class will contain around 10 poses, though some contain all 26 poses. Another popular form of yoga is Hatha, and you are sure to find this one near you as well.
Hatha is really quite a generalized term. Hatha encompasses many different forms of yoga, though a Hatha course will usually move at a slow pace. In many ways, Hatha is the best introductory yoga course. Also, you will find that Vinyasa is another form of yoga that beginners will enjoy due to the breath-synchronized movements and slow poses. In great contract to Hatha and Vinyasa is Iyengar ... though this type of yoga is closer to its true roots. What are the different types of yoga poses involved in Iyengar?
Iyengar is really based upon bodily alignment. Those that practice this form of yoga do so in order to hold various poses for long periods of time. There are also many props that will be used in an Iyengar course (blankets, blocks, straps), and these courses are highly addictive. As you can see, there are many sorts of yoga that you can easily take part in.

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Should Christians Practice Yoga?

Relatively new to the list of controversial health topics is the practice of yoga by Christians. Though its Hindu origins are widely understood and agreed upon, the Christian community offers conflicting opinions about yoga's spiritual relevance in the United States today. Those who simply view yoga as an effective way to improve flexibility and reduce stress are met with criticism by those whose stance rings loud and clear: the practice of yoga is spiritually dangerous and should not be taken lightly.
In the West, yoga has introduced itself to the American people as a secular, neutral practice. Yoga is known to improve physical fitness, reduce stress and help relieve chronic pain. The flexibility achieved through yoga reduces a person's risk for injury and can even elongate a person's figure. "America's Next Top Model" winner Eva Pigford claims that she grew two inches after intense yoga training. The deep breathing techniques associated with yoga are also linked to efforts in smoking cessation and migraine relief.
Yoga comes from the Sanskrit term for "yoke" or "union." Historically, the practice aimed to produce an experience of union with Brahman, the impersonal god of Hinduism. Prana is the Hindu label for universal energy, which through yoga is concentrated from the air and distributed throughout the body through various breathing techniques. Through hatha yoga and tantric yoga, prana is allegedly transferred from one individual to another. In other forms of yoga, the pinnacle of enlightenment is called "Kundalini arousal." In Hindu mythology, Kundalini is the serpent goddess who rests at the base of the spine and when aroused, travels up the spine to activate prana. Many adept at manipulating this force are commonly referred to in the United States as shamans, witch doctors or psychics associated with the pagan or occult world.
But yoga's Eastern roots are not the sole cause for controversy. Many Christians in opposition to yoga share the same opposition to any energy healing practice that holds the pantheistic view that everything in the universe is divine. Therapies such as Reiki, Quantum-Touch and Chakra balancing fall into this category. If man is divine, man is his own god and can heal himself. This view removes the separation between God and man, which Christians call sin. Without sin, man would be in no need of Jesus Christ, the Savior. It is the Christian belief that only through God's son Jesus Christ can a man be reconciled to God. The conflict between yogic ideology and Christianity by now should be quite obvious.
Where does this leave Christians who want the physical benefits of yoga without the potentially dangerous spiritual ramifications? Laurette Willis, a well-known author and speaker in the Christian community, left "New Age" practices and developed a deep breathing and stretching program called PraiseMoves, which many have labeled "the Christian alternative to yoga." Improved flexibility can come from any general but comprehensive stretching program, or through classes in gymnastics or ballet. Christians who feel "strong enough in their faith" to practice yoga without succumbing to Eastern religious influence are encouraged to research instructors before they begin a program, and to fully understand which form of yoga the instructor is teaching.
No matter where a person falls on the spectrum of belief, personal motives should be addressed. What void does yoga fill? For some, yoga is only exercise. For others, stress relief. To the Christian opposed to yoga because of its connection to energy healing, yoga is blasphemous and profane. It is the Christian belief that God offered the free gift of salvation through his son Jesus Christ and through Him alone comes healing and true peace. Accepting the free and eternal gift of salvation may not improve your physical flexibility, but for many Christians, the peace found through Christ is all the stress relief and enlightenment they need.

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