Relax, when it comes to Yoga, we have you covered!

What is Yoga? The word 'Yoga' means combination. Yoga is a type of workout based on the faith that the body and breath are intimately connected with the mind. By controlling the breath and holding the body in stable poses or 'asanas', yoga creates harmony. Yoga practice consists of five main fundamentals: correct inhaling, correct workout, correct relaxation, proper diet and good thoughts and meditation. The exercises or the asanas are formed to sooth tensed muscles, to firm up the internal organs and to improve the flexibility of the joints and ligaments. With a huge number of advantages one gets by frequent practice of Yoga, it is earning huge amount of importance now-a-days. Your body is cured internally and externally due to perfect blood circulation all through your body. In order to get highest benefits from Yoga, you must pay keen attention on the five main fundamentals and to improve your performance while doing yoga you must be comfortable. While doing yoga you should wear comfy clothes so that you can do it perfectly well. Comfortable clothes doesn't mean loose clothes, it means you must wear correct yoga clothes. On the contrary loose clothes hinder your performance level and you are unable to do yoga exercises correctly. Yoga needs a lot of stretching and the twisting poses, thus one must take good care while doing this. Yoga must be done according to the directions given or else you may even sprain your muscle. This perfection can be achieved by wearing yoga clothes only and not shabby and loose clothes that limit your motion. Even while doing inhaling exercises, relaxation and meditation, your clothes should be such that you feel comfortable. Your clothes must be capable to breathe while doing yoga; this is the essence of yoga clothing. Yoga is beneficial to everybody, let it be men, women and kids also as it is a normal method to prevent and cure health hazards. Well with the rising craze for yoga due to its enormous advantages, there are number of apparel companies that have focused in designing and manufacturing Yoga clothes meant for females, males and kids too. You will truly find a good variety available in yoga clothing meant for all genres. There are a number of online clothing companies particularly meant for yoga clothing and the huge range available on these stores are men's yoga clothing, women's yoga clothing, yoga pants, yoga tops, hardtail pants, yoga mats, manduka mats and much more. These stores are entirely meant for yoga clothing and yoga products with variety of sizes, colors and fabric to suit all. Yoga clothing is offered in different brands and that too at astonishingly reasonable rates. You will be amazed to see the enormous collection available in these stores. You simply need to pick the best yoga clothes and yoga products for yourself and make payments online, within a few days your chosen yoga products will reach your home. You get the fastest delivery of your items along with 5% off on your first order. It is not only the comfort sensed in wearing Yoga clothes but you look fantastic and feel great. It's a guarantee, your friends will feel jealous on seeing you with perfect yoga clothes and most of them may even think where you got your yoga clothes from!

What are the Health Benefits of Yoga?

Yoga has been in the world since more than 5000 years. Every year more and more people are discovering its advantage and have started practicing to enjoy health benefits. We can say that the world today is swept by the true fitness mantra yoga. With changing times more advanced and fusion type of yoga has evolved which makes use of asana and meditation and breathing techniques. One can benefit from these forms and enjoy good health. Here are discussed some of the yoga health benefits:-

Benefits of yoga for flexibility-
Age is nor bar when it comes to yoga. Elderly people and arthritis patients are extremely worried about flexibility. But the fact is that even people with such condition can make use of yoga in everyday life and can benefit good health. The muscles can be safely worked out by various yoga poses and the range of motion can be increased. Yoga increases the natural lubrication of body and softens all the body tissues. Thus, Yoga health benefits can be observed and enjoyed in very short period of time.

Benefits of yoga for strength-
Some fusion forms of yoga like the power yoga and asthanga yoga offer more health benefits and they are vigorous. They tone the muscles. The iyengar yoga lays less stress on movements with precision in poses. These are good to give strength and stamina benefits.

Benefits of yoga for posture-
With flex and strength the posture improves. Further the core strength gets developed with standing and sitting postures. Another important benefit of yoga comes with increase in alertness.

Benefits of yoga for better breathing-
All the yoga asana and the yoga postures are well structured with breathing techniques. This is important to improve the lung capacity and increase the blood flow in the body. With improvement in endurance the performance also perks. Yoga lays stress on deepened and lengthened breathing technique.

Benefits of yoga for reducing stress and increasing calmness-
Even a beginner can feel the difference in his/her first yoga class. Numerous yoga styles make particular meditation technique to calm the mind. Some other yoga forms focus on breath. Yoga is popular on account of its anti-stress benefits.

Benefits of yoga for concentration-
It’s true that with absorption of yoga in life the concentration improves and the mood swings arrested. Yoga has tremendous effect on depression and anxiety. Yoga is said to ease some of the obsessive compulsive disorder.

Benefits of yoga for heart-
Even studies support that yoga is capable in alleviating cardiovascular diseases. It reduces heart rate and control blood pressure. People can get benefited with yoga and they can control hypertension, stroke, cholesterol etc. some studies even show the anti-oxidant effect of yoga for better health.

Benefits of yoga for other ailments-
In the west the researchers has found the benefits of yoga on account of its therapeutic effects. Yoga benefits arthritis, asthmas, back pain, insomnia and even in sclerosis too.

Other health Benefits of yoga -
Yoga builds memory. It also slows down the aging process and boosts energy level. On a spiritual level too the awareness increases. Yoga practitioners opine that even on personal front yoga works miraculously.

With practice of these yoga practices one can witness and benefit all the good health. It infuses entirely in one’s individual’s life.

History of Yoga- an Overview

The history of yoga is believed to be as old as civilization. The prehistoric roots and its gradual evolution and development are testimony to this fact. Ancient yoga derived from Indian asceticism to uniting in the “cosmic one.” Yoga history could be traced in the Upanishads, Vedas and even in Brahmanas. The yoga history was also illustrated in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

How yoga derived its name?
The history of yoga is recorded in our scriptures and it’s continuously evolving in recent times. Though yoga has evolved with changes in techniques and methods but the essence and goal remains the same. The word yoga derived from Sanskrit word “Yuj”, meaning to “unite”.

History of yoga in Indus valley civilization-
The archeological excavations of ancient civilization shows that even before 3000 BC yoga had evolved. The artifacts and the “Yogi glyptic” are testimony to the fact. The various yoga postured relic’s depicts, some of the noteworthy yoga postures in them.

History of yoga in Vedic period –
With evolution of Vedas the foundation of Hinduism was laid. The Vedas hold the ancient yogic teachings and hence is known as Vedic yoga. While some vague references of history of yoga could be found in the Vedas but practices could be found in the Brahmanas. The Rig Veda mentions yoga’s practice as yoga was essential with Vedic ritual. This dates back to 900 BC.

History of yoga in the Upanishads-
This period is also knows as pre-classical yoga period. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad makes the reference of yoga meditation and is clearly reflected in 900 BC to 400 BC. The Mahabharata and the Bhagavad-Gita (oldest Yoga scripture) shows the yoga history in 500 BC and 200 BC resp. Even in Buddhism, the importance of yoga meditation and various yoga postures have been mentioned.

History of yoga in the Patanjali “Yoga Sutra’s”-
This period is also known as the Classical period of yoga. The main attempt of Patanjali was to define and normalize classical yoga form and is known as Patanjali eight fold path of yoga (Eight Limbs of Classical Yoga).

Post classical yoga-
Numerous sovereign yoga schools were developed during this period after the Yoga sutra period, hence the name Post classical yoga. The human body became filed of study along with the meditation which was missing is the previous years. A new system with numerous yoga exercises was developed. And thus Hatha yoga, Raj yoga and other branches emerged.

Modern yoga and its history-
The Chicago summit and the famous lecture of Swami Vivekananda became a turning point with the introduction of Yoga to the Western world. Thus various yoga schools emerged and more and more people learnt this yogic form of exercise.

Yoga today in modern world-
Yoga has gained immense popularity in recent years. Yoga has become a health movement. The westerner’s views and spirituality has changed a lot. Yoga’s has become a mandatory fitness regime. Yoga has evolved into more modern form like power yoga or Zen yoga.

Yoga has revealed through its long history. The vast oceans of Yogic literature and the motivation and drive makes all follow the true Yogic path.

Keep Fit by Doing Yoga

Yoga’s primary emphasis is upon general well-being. Although yoga has been shown to be beneficial in a variety of conditions, it is not considered a therapy for specific illnesses. Rather, yoga employs a broad holistic approach that focuses on teaching people a new lifestyle, way of thinking, and way of being in the world. In the process, however, it is also found to bring a myriad of healing effects. By attending to practices for improving, regaining or retaining general good health, a person is likely to find that some of his more specific difficulties tend to disappear. Many of the healing effects of yoga is clinically verified. We will look at the healing effects of yoga. However, one of the most important benefit of yoga is its application in relieving stress, fatigue, invigoration and vitality and its anti-aging properties and its application for relaxation therapy.

According to Swami Sivananda, the benefits of pranayama (yogic breathing practices) include: “The body becomes strong and healthy. Too much fat is reduced. There is luster in the face. Eyes sparkle like diamonds. The practitioner becomes very handsome. Voice becomes sweet and melodious”

Indra Devi, author of many books on yoga suggests that with yoga: “You will be able to enjoy better sleep, a happier disposition, a clearer and calmer mind. You will learn how to build up your health and protect yourself against colds, fevers, constipation, headaches, fatigue, and other troubles. You will know what to do in order to remain youthful, vital and alert, regardless of your calendar-age; how to lose or gain weight; how to get rid of premature wrinkles, and keep a smooth skin and clear complexion.”
Doing yoga regularly offers many benefits, including making you feel better about your body as you become stronger and more flexible, toning your muscles, reducing stress and improving your mental and physical well-being. Will it help you lose weight, though?

Answer: Practicing any type of yoga will build strength, but some types may not raise your heart rate enough to make them the only form of exercise you need to include in your weight loss regime. It depends on the type of yoga you select and how frequently you practice it.
In order to lose weight, you must eat healthily and burn calories by doing exercise that raises your heart rate on a regular basis. Some types of yoga, such as Iyengar, in which yoga poses are held for several minutes with a resting period between each pose, will build muscles and improve your posture, but will not give you the cardiovascular workout you need to lose weight.

If you plan to make yoga your primary form of exercise, you must do a vigorous 90-minute yoga class at least three times a week. Many people also choose to combine yoga with running, walking or other aerobic exercise in order to reach their weight loss goals.
Ashtanga:
Ashtanga Yoga is a very vigorous style of practice with a few distinct advantages for those who want to lose weight. Ashtanga practitioners are among the most dedicated of yogis, and beginners are often encouraged to sign up for a series of classes, which will help with motivation. Another advantage is that once you learn the poses, Ashtanga Yoga is ideal for home practitioners.

Power Yoga:
Power Yoga is extremely popular, because it provides a very vigorous cardiovascular workout.

Hot Yoga:
Vinyasa yoga done in a hot room ups the ante by guaranteeing

Yoga’s primary emphasis is upon general well-being. Although yoga has been shown to be beneficial in a variety of conditions, it is not considered a therapy for specific illnesses. Rather, yoga employs a broad holistic approach that focuses on teaching people a new lifestyle, way of thinking, and way of being in the world. In the process, however, it is also found to bring a myriad of healing effects. By attending to practices for improving, regaining or retaining general good health, a person is likely to find that some of his more specific difficulties tend to disappear. Many of the healing effects of yoga is clinically verified. We will look at the healing effects of yoga. However, one of the most important benefit of yoga is its application in relieving stress, fatigue, invigoration and vitality and its anti-aging properties and its application for relaxation therapy.

According to Swami Sivananda, the benefits of pranayama (yogic breathing practices) include: “The body becomes strong and healthy. Too much fat is reduced. There is luster in the face. Eyes sparkle like diamonds. The practitioner becomes very handsome. Voice becomes sweet and melodious”

Indra Devi, author of many books on yoga suggests that with yoga: “You will be able to enjoy better sleep, a happier disposition, a clearer and calmer mind. You will learn how to build up your health and protect yourself against colds, fevers, constipation, headaches, fatigue, and other troubles. You will know what to do in order to remain youthful, vital and alert, regardless of your calendar-age; how to lose or gain weight; how to get rid of premature wrinkles, and keep a smooth skin and clear complexion.”
Doing yoga regularly offers many benefits, including making you feel better about your body as you become stronger and more flexible, toning your muscles, reducing stress and improving your mental and physical well-being. Will it help you lose weight, though?

Answer: Practicing any type of yoga will build strength, but some types may not raise your heart rate enough to make them the only form of exercise you need to include in your weight loss regime. It depends on the type of yoga you select and how frequently you practice it.
In order to lose weight, you must eat healthily and burn calories by doing exercise that raises your heart rate on a regular basis. Some types of yoga, such as Iyengar, in which yoga poses are held for several minutes with a resting period between each pose, will build muscles and improve your posture, but will not give you the cardiovascular workout you need to lose weight.

If you plan to make yoga your primary form of exercise, you must do a vigorous 90-minute yoga class at least three times a week. Many people also choose to combine yoga with running, walking or other aerobic exercise in order to reach their weight loss goals.
Ashtanga:
Ashtanga Yoga is a very vigorous style of practice with a few distinct advantages for those who want to lose weight. Ashtanga practitioners are among the most dedicated of yogis, and beginners are often encouraged to sign up for a series of classes, which will help with motivation. Another advantage is that once you learn the poses, Ashtanga Yoga is ideal for home practitioners.

Power Yoga:
Power Yoga is extremely popular, because it provides a very vigorous cardiovascular workout.

Hot Yoga:
Vinyasa yoga done in a hot room ups the ante by guaranteeing

Yoga’s primary emphasis is upon general well-being. Although yoga has been shown to be beneficial in a variety of conditions, it is not considered a therapy for specific illnesses. Rather, yoga employs a broad holistic approach that focuses on teaching people a new lifestyle, way of thinking, and way of being in the world. In the process, however, it is also found to bring a myriad of healing effects. By attending to practices for improving, regaining or retaining general good health, a person is likely to find that some of his more specific difficulties tend to disappear. Many of the healing effects of yoga is clinically verified. We will look at the healing effects of yoga. However, one of the most important benefit of yoga is its application in relieving stress, fatigue, invigoration and vitality and its anti-aging properties and its application for relaxation therapy.

According to Swami Sivananda, the benefits of pranayama (yogic breathing practices) include: “The body becomes strong and healthy. Too much fat is reduced. There is luster in the face. Eyes sparkle like diamonds. The practitioner becomes very handsome. Voice becomes sweet and melodious”

Indra Devi, author of many books on yoga suggests that with yoga: “You will be able to enjoy better sleep, a happier disposition, a clearer and calmer mind. You will learn how to build up your health and protect yourself against colds, fevers, constipation, headaches, fatigue, and other troubles. You will know what to do in order to remain youthful, vital and alert, regardless of your calendar-age; how to lose or gain weight; how to get rid of premature wrinkles, and keep a smooth skin and clear complexion.”
Doing yoga regularly offers many benefits, including making you feel better about your body as you become stronger and more flexible, toning your muscles, reducing stress and improving your mental and physical well-being. Will it help you lose weight, though?

Answer: Practicing any type of yoga will build strength, but some types may not raise your heart rate enough to make them the only form of exercise you need to include in your weight loss regime. It depends on the type of yoga you select and how frequently you practice it.
In order to lose weight, you must eat healthily and burn calories by doing exercise that raises your heart rate on a regular basis. Some types of yoga, such as Iyengar, in which yoga poses are held for several minutes with a resting period between each pose, will build muscles and improve your posture, but will not give you the cardiovascular workout you need to lose weight.

If you plan to make yoga your primary form of exercise, you must do a vigorous 90-minute yoga class at least three times a week. Many people also choose to combine yoga with running, walking or other aerobic exercise in order to reach their weight loss goals.
Ashtanga:
Ashtanga Yoga is a very vigorous style of practice with a few distinct advantages for those who want to lose weight. Ashtanga practitioners are among the most dedicated of yogis, and beginners are often encouraged to sign up for a series of classes, which will help with motivation. Another advantage is that once you learn the poses, Ashtanga Yoga is ideal for home practitioners.

Power Yoga:
Power Yoga is extremely popular, because it provides a very vigorous cardiovascular workout.

Hot Yoga:
Vinyasa yoga done in a hot room ups the ante by guaranteeing you’ll sweat buckets.

Keep in mind that if you are just starting to do yoga or are quite out of shape, always choose a beginner-level class.

Yoga Workouts at Home
Keep yourself exercising by doing yoga at home on the days you can’t make a class. Follow along with a video or audio recording, if you are new to yoga. When you are ready to plan your own workouts, use these yoga sequencing ideas to help you come up with yoga sessions of varying lengths that suit your needs.

Origins And Concepts Of The 3 Different Branches of Yoga

History of Hatha Yoga: The history of hatha yoga goes back in the fifteenth century India when Yogi Swatmarama, a sage during those times, introduced it as a form of "a stairway to the heights" of Raja Yoga which is the preparatory stage of physical purification that makes the body fit for the practice of higher form of meditation. Hatha yoga is also known to be called as "hatha vidya" and the word "hatha" is a combination of the words, "ha" which means sun "tha" that means moon and they are said to refer to the prinicipal "nadis" or the energy channels of the body and must be fully operational to attain the state of "dhyana" or a certain aspect of meditation.

Some people may link that the origins of hatha yoga which dates back in the tenth or eleventh century with Goraknath, a yogin during those times. However, the oldest surviving text about hatha yoga is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika by yogin, Yogi Swatmarama. The text is said to be taken from old Sanskrit writings and personal yogin experiences of the yogin himself. The text relates about shatkarma, asana, pranayama, chakras, kundalini, bandhas, kriyas, shakti, nadis, and mudras among others.

Concept of Hatha yoga: The total concept of the traditional hatha yoga is a holistic yogic path comprising of moral disciplines, physical exercises, breath control, and meditation. The hatha yoga that is widely practiced and popular in the western countries mainly composed of the "asanas" or postures and other exercises.

Hatha yoga is only one of the two concepts of yoga that concentrates on the physical culture and the other yoga is the Raja yoga but both of these are referred to as Ashtanga yoga. The main difference is that the Raja yoga concentrates more on the "asanas" or postures to get the body ready for a prolonged meditation that concentrates mainly on the meditative "asana" poses. The hatha yoga on the other hand concentrates on balancing the mind and body through physical exercises, controlled breathing, and calming the mind through meditation and sheer relaxation.

Different positions or postures are recommended by practitioners to help lessen or avoid health problems ranging from constipation through cancer. It was said that it helps to reduce stress, pressure, and other mental worries that people today are frequently exposed to.

History of Karma Yoga

Karma yoga also known as Buddhi Yoga or the "discipline of action" is centered on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Sanskrit scripture of Hinduism. One of the four pillars of yoga, Karma yoga concentrates on the adherence to duty (dharma) while remaining detached from the reward. It states that one can attain Moksha (salvation) or love of God (bhakti) by performing their duties in a selfless manner for the pleasure of the Supreme. Karma Yoga is an inherent part of many derivative types of yoga, such as Natya Yoga.

Concept Of Karma Yoga

The word Karma is mentioned from the Sanskrit Kri, meaning 'to do', in its most basic sense karma simply means action, and yoga translates to union. Therefore, Karma yoga literally translates to the path of union through action. It is described as a way of acting, thinking and willing by which one acts in accordance with one's duty (dharma) with no consideration of personal selfish desires, likes or dislikes, i.e. acting without being emotionally involved to the fruits of one's deeds.

In the case of Arjuna in the Gita, this translated to his fighting in the oncoming war to uphold the righteous cause in accordance with his duty as a warrior; even if out of compassion, he did not want to battle with his relatives and teachers on the other side.

Krishna then goes on to tell how Arjuna should surrender the fruits of his actions (good or bad) to himself (as the Supreme Person or avatara) :

Krishna describes that allocated work done without expectations, motives, or anticipation of its outcome purifies one's mind and slowly makes an individual fit to see the value of reason. He states that it is not necessary to remain in external solitude, or actionless, in order to practice a spiritual life, with the state of action or inaction is solely determined in the mind.

In order to attain the perfection of life, Krishna describes it is important to control all mental desires and tendencies to enjoy pleasures of the senses. The practice of Karma Yoga in everyday life makes an individual fit through action, meditation and devotion to sharpen his reasoning, develop intuitive power of acquiring knowledge and to transcend the mind itself.

History Of Raja Yoga

Raja Yoga also known as Classical Yoga or simply Yoga is one of the six orthodox (astika) schools of Hindu philosophy, being described Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. It is also occasionally referred to as A??anga (eight-limbed) yoga because there are eight aspects to the path to which one must attend. Raja yoga is concerned primarily with the cultivation of the mind using meditation (dhyana) to further one's acquaintance with reality and finally achieve liberation.

The term Raja Yoga is a retronym, introduced in the 15th century Hatha Yoga Pradipika to differentiate the school based on the Yoga Sutras from the new current of Hatha Yoga.

Concept of Raja Yoga

Raja-Yoga is principally concerned with the mind. The mind is traditionally perceived as the 'king' of the psycho-physical structure which does its bidding (whether or not one has realized this). Because of the relationship between the mind and the body, the body must be 'tamed' first through self-discipline and purified by various means (see Hatha Yoga). A good level of overall health and psychological integration must be achieved before the deeper aspects of yoga can be pursued. Humans have all sorts of addictions and temptations and these preclude the attainment of tranquil abiding (meditation). Through restraint (yama) such as celibacy, abstaining from drugs and alcohol and careful attention to one's actions of body, speech and mind, the human being becomes well to practise meditation. This yoke that one puts upon oneself is the alternate meaning of the word yoga.

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras start with the statement yogas citta-vtti-nirodha (1.2), "yoga limits the oscillations of the mind". They proceed on to detailing the ways in which mind can create false ideations and advocate meditation on real objects, which process, it is said, will lead to a spontaneous state of quiet mind, the "Nirbija" or "seedless state", in which there is no mental object of focus. Practices that serve to maintain for the individual the ability to check this state may be considered Raja Yoga practices. Thus Raja Yoga encompasses and differentiates itself from other forms of Yoga by encouraging the mind to avoid the sort of absorption in obsessional practice (including other traditional yogic practices) that can generate false mental objects. In this angle, Raja Yoga is "king of yogas": all yogic practices are seen as potential tools for obtaining the seedless state, itself considered to be the first point in the quest to cleanse Karma and obtain Moksha or Nirvana. Traditionally, schools of yoga that label themselves "Raja" offer students a mix of yogic practices and (hopefully) this philosophical viewpoint.