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The Holistic Mystic: |
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How Yoga Differs from “Exercise”
by Lonny Brown, Ph.D. |
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Yoga is different than the average western physical fitness workout in many ways:
1. Yoga is ancient, tried and proven. It is the great grandmother of all modern stress management, stretching and relaxation techniques. It has continued for 5000 years because it works and it is safe.
2. Yoga may be learned and practiced in groups or alone; with teachers or tapes; almost anywhere; with no special apparatus; in a few minutes or in extended retreats over days and weeks. When done correctly, it is nearly impossible to “over-do” yoga. The more you do it, the better you feel.
3. Yoga is holistic. Although yoga helps people look, feel, and perform better, yogis have always aimed beyond physical health. Yoga cultivates the mind and spirit as well as the body. It is designed to improve all aspects of one’s life.
4. Yoga is based on positions, not exercises. These motionless “poses” (asana in Sanskrit) open a deeper dimension of awareness of body, breath, energy and mind.
5. Yoga is one of the few personal wellness practices that includes stillness as well as movement. Along with meditation and visualization techniques, it can be used to quiet or stimulate circulation and metabolism. In yoga, slower is better.
6. Yoga is meant to feel good. It refutes the “no pain, no gain” theory of training. If it hurts, ease up and figure out why.
7. Yoga requires attention. Watching the news on TV may be perfectly compatible with weight lifting or running on a treadmill, but yoga requires more internal focus and self-awareness. It reconnects mind and body.
8. Yoga is almost universally beneficial. It can be therapeutic for all ages and all conditions. It is never too late to start stretching, deep breathing, and relaxing. Even a little yoga usually feels better, sometimes dramatically.
9. On the other hand, as an organic modality, yoga promotes gradual improvement (over months and years).. the opposite of instant pills and pop shape-up fads.
10. The source of authority and controlling influence for most fitness education is the teacher or school of discipline. Yoga is more self-originating, self-correcting, and self-validating. Results in yoga are measured subjectively as well as objectively.
The Yoga Mind-Set
¨ Perform Yoga on an empty stomach, wearing loose comfortable clothing, in a warm, quiet room. Enhance the environment with candles, soothing music, and aromatherapy.
¨ When beginning a yoga session, recall your purpose and intent. Expect healing. Utilize the powers of visualization and ritual.
¨ Go slow.
¨ Pay attention to subtle feelings. Listen to the body.
¨ Begin and end your yoga session restfully.
¨ Be faithful to your daily self-healing discipline. In yoga as in life, patience makes for long-lasting changes.
Yoga Philosophies
Hatha is the generic category of yoga that utilizes the first and most obvious vehicle we have, our body. It enhances overall health based on the benefits of stretching, deep breathing, and relaxation.
Kundelini yoga works with the dynamic energies of the body, particularly through the spine and central nervous system. Rigorous breath work is often involved, and it requires a non-polluted system, organic diet, and natural lifestyle.
Viniyoga is a gentle yoga, best suited for out-of-shape beginners. Slow and self-paced it is particularly recommend for heart health.
Iyengar Yoga is named after the inspirational Indian yoga master most responsible for yoga’s highly successful importation (through California) to the US over the past 30 years. It emphasizes traditional training and precision, based on a keen awareness of human anatomy and physiology.
Kripalu Yoga is a contemporary American school of yoga founded by Amrit Desai, originally at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, in Lenox, MA, USA. Popularized by a second generation of American teachers, it incorporates “posture flow,” a more fluid execution of classic yoga poses.
Yoga Theory & Philosophy Resources Online
American Yoga Association www.americanyogaassociation.org/
International Association of Yoga Therapists www.iayt.org/biblio.asp
Yoga Journal www.yogajournal.com/
Himalayan Institute www.himalayaninstitute.org/
Vivekananda Kendra Yoga Research Foundation http://vkyogas.org.in/research.html
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Lonny Brown,
Ph.D.
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Lonny J. Brown, Ph.D. is the author of "Self-Actuated Healing" (Naturegraph, Publ.), and "Enlightenment In Our Time," (BookLocker.com/
LonnyBrown).
His writings on holistic health have appeared on AOL's Alternative Medicine Forum and in Alternative Health Practitioner, Yoga Journal, and many other progressive publications.
Dr. Brown teaches holistic health, mind/body healing, and stress reduction courses at hospitals, schools and businesses throughout the US. His Web site also features essays, tapes, books, and links to a variety of integrative health sources.
Lonny J. Brown, Ph.D. is also the author of " ENLIGHTENMENT ONLINE - The Newsletter for Spiritual Cyberspace.
holistic.com/lonny
lonny@holistic.com
lonnybrown@aol.com
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