Tantra Yoga

So far, Tantra yoga has been the most misunderstood type of yoga practiced in the western world.

In its purest form, Tantra yoga grew out of the ancient civilization in the Indus Valley and it aimed at helping people reach the form of non-duality along the most sacred of paths.

The present-day sexual concept of Tantra yoga is in fact a defilement of the sacred essence of the practice that results from the mis-translation of some Indian texts by people with little experience in the domain.

The difficulty came from the huge amount of metaphors used in Tantra yoga textbooks particularly because they described experiences that had to be felt individually as consciousness forms.

Tantra yoga insists on the heart focus and the perception of the world through the experience of love and harmony that are also common concepts to taoist Chinese philosophy and to the biblical texts. Various divisions can be identified within Tantra yoga too, and this is obvious in the Tibetan Tantra yoga school and its teachings. For the Tibetans, the practice of Tantra yoga was kept in the monastic environment most of the time and it got to be explained on paper in very much the way it was expressed in speech.

According to Tantra yoga practice, the path to be followed is that of love-will-wisdom which is complexly corresponding to heart-hand-head, with all the elements joined in harmony. It all starts with love and the practice of Tantra yoga should not focus on a certain intent but rather on the beauty of the process.

The sexual connotations added to Tantra yoga represent a corruption of the pure practice that seeks the union with another person rather than the balancing and the unity of the yin and yang inside each individual.

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Yoga Exercises

Yoga exercises have become a great way to treat various health conditions related to a stressful life style. To begin with the basics, lots of people get to practice yoga out of the sheer desire to grow their spiritual side and get distracted from the very material grip of our reality.

Yet, there are others for whom yoga exercises become a way to alleviate ailments or body disorders; this is the case of people who suffer from sleep problems and don’t manage to get a good night rest. How can yoga exercises help for the matter? The very essence of yoga is relaxation, if you come to develop mind control and relax, the ability to fall asleep becomes a skill.

Among the yoga exercises that help induce a good night rest we should mention neck stretches, shoulder movements, complete muscle relaxation techniques and breath control.

The health benefits of yoga are widely advertised and they usually represent the main attraction and trigger that makes people take up yoga classes in the first place. Some think they’ll get slimmer, others that they’ll grow muscular mass, and there are even some people who expect to increase their sexual performance by the practice of yoga exercises.

Nevertheless, this kind of perception of yoga exercises is very far from the origins of this art of body and spirit harmonious growth. Yoga is more about inner than outer training although the latter is fully reflected and influenced by the former.

Thus, according to the original meaning of yoga exercises, a person who manages to discover the richness inside of himself/herself while eliminating negative emotions will enjoy a better life, an incredible health and the peace and harmony of superior spirits.

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Yoga Clothes

Cute yoga clothes? How do they match with yoga principles?

The truth is that yoga is on the forefront of practices meant to awaken mankind to a new age of spirituality, but in the western mind the body and soul have been seen as separate for such a long time that the way back to a different perspective is pretty sinuous.

On normal terms, one shouldn’t care how one looks while practicing yoga, the clothes in themselves should mean nothing, but some trainees are not ready to make their spiritual revolution at the expense of good looks. And this is how cute yoga clothes appeared in the first place.

For some people, spirituality and fashion trends do not exclude each other, there is no contradiction apparently. Well, if we looked deeper into the matter we’d surely identify one. To push the exemplification of the yoga clothes concern a bit further, we should ask ourselves what happens to the concentration during the asanas once one realizes that the sweat has ruined part of the trendy look of the clothes.

Here are a few tips to identify the really good yoga clothes with the mention that the fashion issue remains a matter of personal choice and there are no clear cut rules to influence selection criteria.

Softness and quality of fabric are the first two elements to make a difference in the yoga clothes choice. The body postures can be extremely soliciting and the clothes have to allow for ample movements while also absorbing the higher amount of perspiration.

This is why cotton is favored over any other material for yoga clothes since it helps you remain drier and more comfortable for the entire period of the session even if the top is dripping wet at the end. Synthetic materials can have good absorbing qualities too, not to mention that the drying rate could be better than for cotton.

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We all get Constipation and indigestion at some stage, don’t we? – Part one of five

We all get Constipation and indigestion at some stage,

abdominal lift

THOSE who are masters of the science of Yoga refer to constipation as ‘the mother of all diseases’, and so many of the most important Yoga asanas aim at improving elimination and the digestive processes and, consequently, the health of the entire organism.

Among these exercises the ABDOMINAL LIFT is considered one of the most essential; not only for its physical values, but also for the way it influences our spiritual development by ridding the body, and therefore the mind, of impurities. Not only does the constant practice of it bring relief from chronic constipation and indigestion but it also strengthens flabby abdominal muscles and so improves the figure.

Before attempting the ABDOMINAL LIFT it is advisable for beginners to spend the first two or three days limbering up the muscles with the following contracting and relaxing movements known as UDDIYANJ,

1.    Stand with the feet about twelve inches apart, in hale slowly and deeply and exhale with a good deal of force.
2.    Without inhaling again, pull in the abdominal muscles with a strong upward movement until a hollow forms under the ribs.
Hold for two seconds.
3.    Relax the muscles, pull in again and relax again. Repeat these two or three times in quick successive movements, still without inhaling, and then relax.

Do not overdo these movements at first, and remember that the accent is on the pulling in movement rather than on the letting go.
Yoga exercises must be done while the stomach, bladder, and if possible the bowels are empty. First thing in the morning or last thing at night is convenient for most people but the time of day does not matter too much so long as the stomach is empty.
Allow at least four hours after a heavy meal, two hours after a light meal, and half an hour after a cup of tea or glass of fruit juice. Do not eat directly after exercising but wait at least half an hour. Be sure that nothing you wear fits tightly, or restricts your movement in any way.

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The last in this series of Constipation and indigestion, you should be cured.– Part five of five

The last in this series of Constipation and indigestion, you should be cured.

Variation of Head to Knee Posture 1.

1.           Sit down on the floor with your legs stretched out. Place the right foot on the left thigh, as near to the body as possible.
2.    Stretch forward your left hand and grasp the toes of your left foot.
3.    Place your head on your left knee.
4.    Keeping your head on your knee, reach your right arm round the back of your body and try to grasp the toes of your right foot which is on the left thigh. Remain thus for as long as you find comfortable, and without straining, and then straighten up, lie flat on the floor and relax, taking a few deep recovery breaths.

If you find you can do this variation you might like to omit the simpler Head to Knee posture in favour of this one, as the benefits of the asana are greatly enhanced by the added stretch to die muscles of the back and shoulders.
Yet another variation of the HEAD TO KNEE POSTURE re-quires a little more flexibility, and should not be attempted until you can perform the above variation with ease.

Variation of Head to Knee Posture
1.    Sit down on the floor as before and place your right foot against your left thigh, as near to the body as possible.
2.    Lift your left leg straight up and catch the foot firmly in both hands. Your leg should be perpendicular to the floor.

Incline your head slightly until your face touches the knee of your raised leg. Hold this position for as long as you can and then repeat with the other leg. You may perform this variation up to six times, three for each leg. It will take time and patient practice to perfect, but it is well worth the extra effort as it will give an invigorating pull to the sciatic nerve as well as imparting the other benefits of the posture.
And now for something more spectacular. This is a colourful Yoga asana requiring flexibility and concentration. Called the Akarna Dhanurasana or in English the BOW AND ARROW POSTURE it will strengthen flabby abdominal muscles, thereby promoting better elimination, and will also limber up the joints of the hips, legs and shoulders.

Method
1.    Sit down on the floor with your legs stretched out. Bend your right knee until your right foot is over your left thigh.
2.    Grasp the right foot with the left hand to hold it in position while you
3.    Raise your left elbow while drawing your right foot up to touch your left ear.

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