Where can practice Yoga

Place for practice of Yoga should have fresh air in a quiet and clean place that suits the concentration and awareness. One should not practice Yoga in direct sunlight or after sun-bathing. Outdoors may be good but should be avoided for cold wind and insects. 

Who can practice Yoga

Everyone - children, young, old can practice yoga. Both male and female can practice yoga. There is no age limit. People belongs to any religion also can practice. However, there are some restrictions and precautions, which should be taken. 

Restrictions & Precautions

In Yoga, the application of the techniques will vary according to the abilities of the practitioner. Never practice any yoga techniques under the influence of alcohol or mind altering drugs. Those with disabilities, severe, acute or chronic medical conditions should consult both with their medical practitioner and their yoga teacher to assess any dangers or difficulties, which may arise. There are no hard and fast dietary rules necessary to begin the practice of yoga. One does not have to give up smoking in beginning, become vegetarian, or be a purist to learn yoga. 

Benefits of Yoga

Physicaly, yoga and its cleansing practices are extremely effective for various disorders. It is extremely effective in increasing flexibility as yoga has positions that act upon the various joints of the body. Similarly, the well-researched yoga positions exercise the different tendons and ligaments of the body and increases lubrication of the joints, ligaments and tendons. Surprisingly, it has been found that the body, which may have been quite rigid, starts experiencing a remarkable flexibility in even those parts, which have not been consciously worked upon. Seemingly unrelated “non strenuous” yoga positions act upon certain parts of the body in an interrelated manner. When done together, they work in harmony to create a situation where flexibility is attained relatively easily.  

Yoga is perhaps the only form of activity, which massages all the internal glands, and organs of the body in a thorough manner, including those – such as the prostate - that hardly get externally stimulated during our entire lifetime. Yoga acts in a wholesome manner on the various body parts. This stimulation and massage of the organs keep away disease. One of the far-reaching benefits of yoga is the uncanny sense of awareness that it develops in the practitioner of an impending health disorder or infection. This in turn enables the person to take pre-emptive corrective action.  

By gently stretching muscles and joints as well as massaging the various organs, yoga ensures the optimum blood supply to various parts of the body. This helps in the flushing out of toxins from every nook and cranny as well as providing nourishment up to the last point and hence achieve complete detoxification. Muscles that have become flaccid, weak stimulated repeatedly to shed excess flab and flaccidity and hence yoga provides excellent toning of the muscles. But these enormous physical benefits are just a “side benefit” of this powerful practice.  

Yoga harmonizes the mind with the body and this results in real quantum benefits. It is now an open secret that the will of the mind has enabled people to achieve extraordinary physical task, which proves mind and body connection. Yoga through meditation works remarkably to achieve this harmony and helps the mind work with the body. In fact, yoga works in achieving the common goal of unity of mind, body and spirit – a state of eternal bliss. The meditative practices through yoga help in achieving an emotional balance through detachment. This in turn creates a remarkable calmness and a positive outlook, which also has tremendous benefits on the physical health of the body.  

These are just some of the benefits that can be achieved through yoga. Having seen this, it is educative to note why the ancient yogis performed yoga and the inter-dependence of yoga and meditation. The ultimate goal of the yogis was “self realization” or “enlightenment” for which they had to meditate for extensive spells of time – days, weeks and much more. This required tremendous physical fitness, energy and the capacity to subsist on next to nothing. Yoga asanas provided them the fullest fitness with the least metabolism or stress and meditation in turn provided them the strength and will to perform these asanas effectively – a virtuous cycle of cause and effect. This mutually symbiotic relationship helped them in their path.