Many people believe that yoga is all about experiencing pure ecstasy through the union of the mind, the soul, and the body. But most yoga practitioners and teachers would agree that apart from providing relaxation and peace, yoga is about the seemingly limitless capability of a person to be in control and unite with him or her inner self. With this in mind, more and more people—especially those who are having trouble to get better sleep—is using this activity.
Most yoga practitioners thanks to the great knowledge of history of yoga believe that in one way or another, the ancient discipline makes it possible for the breath, the mind, and the senses to unite in creating balance. As defined, the word “yoga” is a Sanskrit term which means “union or joining.” It is considered as almost an ambiguous term because it encompasses a wide range of purely physical disciplines to purely spiritual.
When people talk of yoga, the term “asana” is always mentioned. Asana is known as one of the eight types of yoga wherein mental and spiritual well being than are prioritized compared to physical endurance. Today, the two words have become almost synonymous to modern-day yogis because they embody the same concept: relaxation though meditation.
If you’re planning to practice yoga as a form of exercise and as a means to get better sleep, it shouldn’t be as confusing as it seems because you don’t need to learn all the concepts and philosophies behind it. This ancient tradition that requires deep meditation has been proven as an effective way to relax, what you need to learn are the basic information you will need for you to apply the concept in your everyday life.
Yoga for beginners
More and more people practice yoga nowadays so they can get better sleep. But aside from that, other reasons why many people practice it is because they can explore the almost limitless possibilities of yoga as an ancient philosophy. They can also delve into its depths as a meditative practice or for pure spiritual discipline. Or they can use its philosophies as an exercise for you to be fit and healthy.
No matter what your reasons are, understanding your main objectives and your level of interest can definitely help you find the right yoga program. The first thing that you have to bear in mind before you totally indulge in practicing yoga is setting and determining your goals. You can do this by knowing first what are the possible health and fitness benefits you can get from yoga. Most yoga practitioners agree that the potential benefits of yoga may include the increase of strength and flexibility, creation of balance as well as the improvement of breathing and overall posture. On the spiritual aspect, yoga can serve as an exercise that can help you soothe your nerves, calm your mind while increasing your focal and concentration skills.
Next, undergo a general check-up. This is a sort of “SOP” before you begin practicing yoga or any type of exercise program for that matter. A check-up is important for you do discuss with your physician the advantages and disadvantages of yoga in your total health and well being. Since yoga involves physical endurance, you might also want to visit an orthopedic before you undergo a class to avoid possible injuries.
If you are planning to get better sleep through yoga for anti-aging, make sure that you have a good yoga instructor who can attend to your needs, know your physical and emotional limitations, know when is the best time suitable for you to practice yoga, make sure that you begin with the easy yoga poses before slowly advancing to the difficult positions, and make sure that you wear the right kind of clothes and that you have the yoga equipment you need like mats, foam blocks, and yoga pillows.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
False Assumptions In Staying Healthy
If there are the different tips and paradigms that are constantly distributed in society regarding health in general and staying healthy, there are also many false assumptions in staying young and of course staying healthy. These false assumptions pertaining to steps or practices to stay healthy may be risky for an individual. Worse, one of these false assumptions may lead to illness if done improperly to a significant extent.
Fallacy 1:
Eating Too Much While Still Young Is Reasonable
We have this common notion that as long as we are still young, we can be lenient and just eat what we want without moderation. We can always argue anyhow that our young bodies can still take some sort of nutritional punishment and would be able to rectify the effects afterwards.
The truth about this is that though we are actually able to rectify such situation, the damage has begun already. Furthermore, we do not know at what age our body starts to not be able to restore the optimal health status at full efficiency. For example, eating high cholesterol food would have a preemptive effect of deposits in the arteries. Before long, this would reach a stage wherein the process is irreversible and may cause the life of the person.
Even if there was a reason that ageing is part of life and that even how much we try to choose the right food our bodies would still deteriorate anyway, the thought of why would we hasten the process of ageing by introducing unwanted radicals to our cells should be enough to keep us on the right way of thinking.
Fallacy 2:
Not Eating Carbohydrates Will Make You Lose Weight Faster
Another common misconception is that we would be able to lose weight faster if we didn't eat any food that is rich in carbohydrates. This would account breads, rice, and other starchy foods. Though it is a fact that these types of food are high in calories, carbohydrate deprivation will not contribute to faster weight loss. Certain parts of the body would require some nutrients that come along with carbohydrates in
rice and other starches such as Vitamin B complex. Furthermore, sticking to an alternative diet such as pure protein will not help one lose weight faster.
Fallacy 3:
Starving Will Help You Lose Weight
A much more drastic misconception is the notion that skipping meals would lead to a faster weight loss. Ideally, that should be the case if the aspect of caloric intake is the only thing to be considered. However, there are also some other aspects such as
ulcer developing in the gastrointestinal area, or perhaps a retroactive effect on the body of the starving individual wherein the body signals the brain that there is nutritive deprivation. The latter would cause the metabolism of the individual to slow down significantly to cope up with the body's current situation.
Furthermore, if the body is further subjected to much more food deprivation, the body will not be using the fats right away. The surrounding muscles cells will start to take the brunt leading to muscle atrophy.
These are just some of the most common fallacies that are freely thought of by the people who haven't been properly educated about them. Nevertheless, the action for health - one of the only eternal aspect of staying healthy is of the self, along it is self responsibility and self control.
Fallacy 1:
Eating Too Much While Still Young Is Reasonable
We have this common notion that as long as we are still young, we can be lenient and just eat what we want without moderation. We can always argue anyhow that our young bodies can still take some sort of nutritional punishment and would be able to rectify the effects afterwards.
The truth about this is that though we are actually able to rectify such situation, the damage has begun already. Furthermore, we do not know at what age our body starts to not be able to restore the optimal health status at full efficiency. For example, eating high cholesterol food would have a preemptive effect of deposits in the arteries. Before long, this would reach a stage wherein the process is irreversible and may cause the life of the person.
Even if there was a reason that ageing is part of life and that even how much we try to choose the right food our bodies would still deteriorate anyway, the thought of why would we hasten the process of ageing by introducing unwanted radicals to our cells should be enough to keep us on the right way of thinking.
Fallacy 2:
Not Eating Carbohydrates Will Make You Lose Weight Faster
Another common misconception is that we would be able to lose weight faster if we didn't eat any food that is rich in carbohydrates. This would account breads, rice, and other starchy foods. Though it is a fact that these types of food are high in calories, carbohydrate deprivation will not contribute to faster weight loss. Certain parts of the body would require some nutrients that come along with carbohydrates in
rice and other starches such as Vitamin B complex. Furthermore, sticking to an alternative diet such as pure protein will not help one lose weight faster.
Fallacy 3:
Starving Will Help You Lose Weight
A much more drastic misconception is the notion that skipping meals would lead to a faster weight loss. Ideally, that should be the case if the aspect of caloric intake is the only thing to be considered. However, there are also some other aspects such as
ulcer developing in the gastrointestinal area, or perhaps a retroactive effect on the body of the starving individual wherein the body signals the brain that there is nutritive deprivation. The latter would cause the metabolism of the individual to slow down significantly to cope up with the body's current situation.
Furthermore, if the body is further subjected to much more food deprivation, the body will not be using the fats right away. The surrounding muscles cells will start to take the brunt leading to muscle atrophy.
These are just some of the most common fallacies that are freely thought of by the people who haven't been properly educated about them. Nevertheless, the action for health - one of the only eternal aspect of staying healthy is of the self, along it is self responsibility and self control.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)