TIPS TO KNOW ABOUT YOGA

FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD 

KNOW ABOUT PRACTICING YOGA

http://indiawest.com - US Researchers from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) have put out a list of five things people should know about yoga. I have reprinted it here as a public service notice. Yoga typically combines physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation or relaxation. If you’re thinking about practicing yoga, here are 5 things you should know: Studies suggest that yoga may be beneficial for a number of conditions, including pain. Recent studies in people with chronic low-back pain suggest that a carefully adapted set of yoga poses can help reduce pain and improve function. 
Other studies also suggest that practicing yoga (as well as other forms of regular exercise) might have other health benefits such as reducing heart rate and blood pressure, and may also help relieve anxiety and depression.

Studies show that certain other health conditions may not benefit from yoga. Research suggests that yoga is not helpful for asthma, and studies looking at yoga and arthritis have had mixed results. Yoga is generally considered to be safe in healthy people when practiced appropriately. However, people with high blood pressure, glaucoma, or sciatica, and women who are pregnant should modify or avoid some yoga poses. 
Practice safely and mindfully. Everyone’s body is different and yoga postures should be modified based on individual abilities. Inform your instructor about any medical issues you have, and ask about the physical demands of yoga. Talk to your health care providers about any complementary health practices you use, including yoga. If you’re thinking about practicing yoga, also be sure to talk to your health care providers. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Each year, up to one-quarter of U.S. adults experience low-back pain. It is a challenging condition to diagnose, treat, and study. Researchers from the NCCAM - which belongs to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services - are studying how yoga may be used to help improve health and to learn more about its safe use and give suggestions to the public about yoga practice, says the author of the article, Meena Modi, a yoga and meditation specialist. One of the most relevant tips to take into account is: "Carefully selecting an instructor who is experienced and is attentive to your needs is an important step toward helping you practice yoga safely." The 2007 National Health Interview Survey found that yoga is one of the top 10 complementary health practices used among U.S. adults.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Yoga prescribes physical, mental and spiritual disciplines which will free one from mental and physical diseases. ... Asana -”bodily postures”: This process of various exercises and bodily postures brings physical and mental steadiness as well as health and vigor.  Pranayama - “control of breath”.  Prana means life air and yama means to control.  It involves controlling the inhalation, exhalation and the retention of the air we breathe. ... Yoga practices are also meant for the holistic upliftment of mind, body and spirit.  By regularly practicing Yoga, Pranayana (breathing exercises) and by maintaining a natural life style in one’s eating, resting, work, etc., a person can be fully relaxed and free from tension and anxiety.  When a person maintains these practices properly, he or she will be free from heart diseases and mental anxiety.

T.D. Singh, Ph.D. - Śrīla Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Mahārāja :
“Science and Religion - Present and Future” - “Yoga”
Bhaktivedanta Institute - http://www.scienceandscientist.org/
http://www.krishnascience.com  -  http://www.bhaktisvarupadamodara.com/

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/