Even though I have been doing yoga myself for quite some time now, creating this blog really taught me a lot in regards to the subject! I learned some of the names of postures I didn't know initially, and it makes it easier to talk about it with my fellow yogi's!
I learned more about the physical benefits that led me to desire taking more classes! Who wants to be out of shape? So far, my favorite physical benefit of Bikram Yoga is my posture. I have never stood up so straight like I do now. I never thought that the reason why I slouched was because the muscles in my back and spine got so weak they couldn't hold me up right. Now that I am taking these classes on a regular basis, I have been able to see a huge improvement! Mentally through my meditation sessions, I have learned how to handle stressful situation. In the past I would just freak out, and wouldn't be able to get anything done when ever I got stressed. Now that I have developed a more peaceful mind, I am capable of getting more tasks done.
While collecting the information necessary for the project, I also learned so much in regards to the history of Yoga. Even pass the idea of Bikram Yoga I learned all about the other forms of yoga that existed way before Bikram yoga did! This was very interesting to me, I was unaware of how long yoga had been around, or where it originated from. Another cool fact I had was that, I didn't know Bikram was an actual person! This really blew my mind away that he had become so successful! It was very interesting to learn that Bikram made people become certified specifically through him before they could open up a business with the name "Bikram" in it.
Looking up information about yoga music was very intriguing. The reason was because I have always listened to music similar to mother nature and simply instrumental music way before I discovered meditation. This makes me wonder if it was my way to relax myself in a way I didn't know I was. Meditation does not have to be something learned, it can come naturally. With this said, I have been meditating way before I even knew what meditating was! I found the chanting called Kirtan extremely interesting. From a religious stand point, it must feel very powerful to listen to, since it takes quite a few people to produce a form of music.
I discovered a lot of information completing this project. It was both an intellectual journey as well as an emotional one. I learned so much about the history of yoga, and at the same time, I learned a lot about myself. I would have to say that i learned a lot more in this format of writing. I believe because the assignments were broken into separate blogs, it made it feel like several little projects in comparison to one big project. Plus, including the image online made it more interesting to look at, plus I could change the colors to appeal my person taste. Because of this, I found this online format a lot easier to do, and more fun than a traditional formatting process.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Importance of Music
An intimate touch of sound, if your'e really listening, can open up the body to become more aware of your being. Wether you are meditating or doing postures, soothing music can keep the mind and body calm and relax. Thus, increasing your ability to correctly hold postures, and helps you stay in sync with your meditation. When I meditate nightly I have to have soft flutes or singing bowls playing in the back ground. This really helps me to keep my mind at ease and also to remove other thoughts of stress from that day.
Singing bowls have a really deep smooth sound, and flutes have a higher pitch. When you put them together specifically, it is so relaxing! Sometimes people will even combined the wonderful sounds of instruments with mother nature. Sounds such as waterfalls, streams, thunderstorm, etc. The combination of these two really creates a harmony between human kind and mother nature. It helps to remind me that we are extremely connected with mother nature as long as we are willing to be.
Vocal music can actually distract the mind, and is not recommended for meditation. Vocals can trigger memories, and when meditating, you want to remove all possible thoughts. This is why instrumental music is recommended. Kirtan can also be added to instrumental music adding a more religious feel. Kirtan chanters called Kirtankar, are singing lord praises and that is why I say it is more tied to religion. The tones the chanters use are very similar to the music it is combined with! This makes it very relaxing to listen to, and even a non-religious person can enjoy the music for meditation.
Singing bowls have a really deep smooth sound, and flutes have a higher pitch. When you put them together specifically, it is so relaxing! Sometimes people will even combined the wonderful sounds of instruments with mother nature. Sounds such as waterfalls, streams, thunderstorm, etc. The combination of these two really creates a harmony between human kind and mother nature. It helps to remind me that we are extremely connected with mother nature as long as we are willing to be.
Vocal music can actually distract the mind, and is not recommended for meditation. Vocals can trigger memories, and when meditating, you want to remove all possible thoughts. This is why instrumental music is recommended. Kirtan can also be added to instrumental music adding a more religious feel. Kirtan chanters called Kirtankar, are singing lord praises and that is why I say it is more tied to religion. The tones the chanters use are very similar to the music it is combined with! This makes it very relaxing to listen to, and even a non-religious person can enjoy the music for meditation.
This is a picture of a singing bowl! You simply take the wooden stick and glide it around the top edge of the bowl. This creates a deep soothing sound! Kind of like a glass of wine!
Khalsa, Karan. (12/30/2009). Article Factory. Importance of Instrumental Music In Yoga. Received 05/01/10 from: http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/health/importance-of-instrumental-music-in-yoga.html
(4/22/2010). Wikipedia. Kirtan. Received 05/01/10 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirtan
Thursday, April 8, 2010
The Philosophy behind Bikram Yoga
Bikram yoga started with Bikram Choudhury when he wanted to design a style of yoga that would compliment intensity and self competitiveness. He opened the Yoga College of India all around the world! Bikram derived from Hatha Yoga which is the form of yoga most styles today originated from.
Bikram believed that the specific 26 poses he chose would help strengthen every muscle in your body. The heat needs to be at least 100 degrees or higher. Heat also helps the students to become more flexible within the class session, and also helps reduce possible injury. Bikram yoga systematically moves fresh, oxygenated blood to one hundred percent of your body, to each organ and fiber, restoring all systems to healthy working order, just as Nature intended.
To be 'Perfect' in Yoga is to do the best you can do. The only person who you should be comparing yourself to is yourself. As long as you keep this mentality you will consistently see improvement! My whole life I was never able to do the splits, or touch my toes. Now, I can do both! And I have only been doing Bikram's strategy for 6 months now. When I first got involved into Bikram yoga I was really just there to get the exercise. I was unaware of how much of an affect it would have on my self as a whole. Not only that, but it caused me to become more interested in the background information in regards to Bikram. This lead me to information from when yoga began!
Like I said earlier, Bikram yoga was originated from Hatha yoga, but where did Hatha yoga come from? Around 250 B.C.E., an individual by the name Patanjali scribed his system in a text known as the Yoga Sutras. The Yoga Sutras consisted of 4 chapters that are called padas. While written initially in Sanskrit, abundant translations have proliferated to help found multiple systems in multiple countries. The reason why I even bother to bring this up, is because it is amazing how consistent yoga has stayed through out the years. The Sanskrit in the four chapters talk about meditation, not desiring anythings to reframe from jealousy, and of course stretching. Today, forms just like Bikram yoga teach us the exact same things. This is why I love yoga, because of it's simplicity, we can originate different types of yoga, but keep the same ideas back from 250 B.C.E.
I really have been enjoying Bikram yoga, and hope to practice other forms of yoga in the future. So far it has had an incredibly effect on my life in a positive way, and I do not want to lose what I have gained. Not only am I more aware of my surroundings, more balanced, and flexibly, but I feel better. I have so much more energy, and thanks to Patanjali, I have been able to experience a new lifestyle under his discipline.
Here is a picture of Bikram Choudhury himself!
About Bikram Yoga. November 30, 2009. Bikram Yoga Toronto. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://www.bikramtoronto.com/about-bikram-yoga.htm.
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as-it-is introduction, commentaries, and translation. (n.d.). RainbowBody.Net. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://www.rainbowbody.net/HeartMind/Yogasutra.htm.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Mental Benefits of Yoga
When someone thinks of yoga, usually it's a vision of just exercises. No one really realizes what yoga can do for your mind. Have you ever driven and notice that you don't know how you got from your house to work? Or you missed your turn 2 miles back. I know I have.
Yoga, when in the class room teaches you to focus on one thing, and one thing only. This is a really hard thing to grasp in the beginning. The idea is to focus on the now. Now is hard to describe because it is always going. There is past, which is time that has moved on, and there is the future, which hasn't arrived. Now, is here at all time. Removing past memories, and worries about the future, leave you with a quiet sensation with just yourself, and no thoughts. The hard part, is removing these obstacles. I bet you are wondering how yoga has anything to do with this!
Yoga has you do poses that require a lot of balance and strength. When attempting these poses, your mind is relaxed because it isn't going a mile a minute. This is the first step to calming your mind. If you start to think in yoga, you inevitably will fall over, or potentially hurt yourself. To help achieve this, your instructor will ask you to focus on your breathing. When you start to get the hang of calming the mind, you will notice you have more control of when you want to think and what you want to think about. This betters you in so many ways! Now, instead of worrying all the time, you will be able to take breaks through out the day from thinking. It's like a mini vacation!
This part of yoga has really been the most beneficial one for myself. I have always had a lot of my plate sort of speak. Especially right now, working, school, planning a wedding and so forth. Meditation has become a common practice for me to start my day off. I take just twenty minutes in the morning and focus on my breathing, slow down my thoughts, and try to rid of them completely. Doing this helps me to think more clearly through out the rest of the day. It also is relaxing. I think it is imperative to incorporate a time in the day to relax your body and become completely aware of your surroundings. You deserve it!
After each Bikram Yoga class, the students take 10-20 minutes to really feel their self. Feel yourself existing, and how your body is feeling. Where do you hurt? Where do you feel relievment? Where do you have an itch? Ignore it, just be aware of it all. This is one step to realizing what your body is telling you. Where are your weak points? Where are your strengths? After just a few classes you begin to notice subtle movements.
(n.d). Yoga Benefits. Life Positive, Your complete guide to Holistic Living. Retrieved 3/18/10 from: http://www.lifepositive.com/Body/Yoga/yoga-benefits.asp
Yoga, when in the class room teaches you to focus on one thing, and one thing only. This is a really hard thing to grasp in the beginning. The idea is to focus on the now. Now is hard to describe because it is always going. There is past, which is time that has moved on, and there is the future, which hasn't arrived. Now, is here at all time. Removing past memories, and worries about the future, leave you with a quiet sensation with just yourself, and no thoughts. The hard part, is removing these obstacles. I bet you are wondering how yoga has anything to do with this!
Yoga has you do poses that require a lot of balance and strength. When attempting these poses, your mind is relaxed because it isn't going a mile a minute. This is the first step to calming your mind. If you start to think in yoga, you inevitably will fall over, or potentially hurt yourself. To help achieve this, your instructor will ask you to focus on your breathing. When you start to get the hang of calming the mind, you will notice you have more control of when you want to think and what you want to think about. This betters you in so many ways! Now, instead of worrying all the time, you will be able to take breaks through out the day from thinking. It's like a mini vacation!
This part of yoga has really been the most beneficial one for myself. I have always had a lot of my plate sort of speak. Especially right now, working, school, planning a wedding and so forth. Meditation has become a common practice for me to start my day off. I take just twenty minutes in the morning and focus on my breathing, slow down my thoughts, and try to rid of them completely. Doing this helps me to think more clearly through out the rest of the day. It also is relaxing. I think it is imperative to incorporate a time in the day to relax your body and become completely aware of your surroundings. You deserve it!
After each Bikram Yoga class, the students take 10-20 minutes to really feel their self. Feel yourself existing, and how your body is feeling. Where do you hurt? Where do you feel relievment? Where do you have an itch? Ignore it, just be aware of it all. This is one step to realizing what your body is telling you. Where are your weak points? Where are your strengths? After just a few classes you begin to notice subtle movements.
(n.d). Yoga Benefits. Life Positive, Your complete guide to Holistic Living. Retrieved 3/18/10 from: http://www.lifepositive.com/Body/Yoga/yoga-benefits.asp
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
What are the Physical Benefits of Yoga?
Yoga has so many different benefits it's hard to name them all. There are a few favorites of mine that I would love to share, however.
Yoga, has been proven to help lower blood pressure. Creating oxygenation through your body by becoming more flexible creates better circulation, resulting in lower blood pressure. Breathing exercises are also very common, because it strengthen your lungs and helps you to control your breathing pattern. Once you have established breathing properly, you will notice that other daily activities, such as walking, or climbing up stairs are easier to do just from breathing exercises.
I have seen the most change in my posture from doing yoga. I am 5'11 and very slender so most people are shorter than me. Because of this, growing up I would slouch down and never stood up correctly. From doing this, the muscles in my back got so weak, before yoga, it actually hurt to hold my back up straight. Yoga, strengthens your muscles in areas that have been neglected for some time, thus making you feel amazing once rehabilitated.
Another favorite thing about my yoga experience is how much energy I have now! In fact, most yogis state that when you perform your yoga correctly, you will feel energized after your yoga session rather than tired. Doing yoga gives you the ability to become more aware of your body. In yoga, you are requested to make subtle movements that will improve your alignment. Over time, this will increase your level of comfort in your own body. This can lead to improved posture and greater self-confidence. Everyone desires self confidence, right?
Most importantly, stress. I know that I am referencing physical benefits, but haven't you noticed a difference in how your body feels when you are stressed in comparison to when you are relaxed? Yoga demands high concentration when trying to hold a pose that is quite difficult. Because your focus is so attentive on this one thing, other problems that you may have await you after class. Once class is over, you feel so energized and relaxed at the same time, (if you are anything like me) you feel like you can take on the world!
Walker, M. (n.d.). 77 surprising health benefits of yoga.Nursing Degree.com.Retrieved February 21, 2010, from: http://www.nursingdegree.net/blog/24/77-surprising-health-benefits-of-yoga/.
Yoga, has been proven to help lower blood pressure. Creating oxygenation through your body by becoming more flexible creates better circulation, resulting in lower blood pressure. Breathing exercises are also very common, because it strengthen your lungs and helps you to control your breathing pattern. Once you have established breathing properly, you will notice that other daily activities, such as walking, or climbing up stairs are easier to do just from breathing exercises.
I have seen the most change in my posture from doing yoga. I am 5'11 and very slender so most people are shorter than me. Because of this, growing up I would slouch down and never stood up correctly. From doing this, the muscles in my back got so weak, before yoga, it actually hurt to hold my back up straight. Yoga, strengthens your muscles in areas that have been neglected for some time, thus making you feel amazing once rehabilitated.
Another favorite thing about my yoga experience is how much energy I have now! In fact, most yogis state that when you perform your yoga correctly, you will feel energized after your yoga session rather than tired. Doing yoga gives you the ability to become more aware of your body. In yoga, you are requested to make subtle movements that will improve your alignment. Over time, this will increase your level of comfort in your own body. This can lead to improved posture and greater self-confidence. Everyone desires self confidence, right?
Most importantly, stress. I know that I am referencing physical benefits, but haven't you noticed a difference in how your body feels when you are stressed in comparison to when you are relaxed? Yoga demands high concentration when trying to hold a pose that is quite difficult. Because your focus is so attentive on this one thing, other problems that you may have await you after class. Once class is over, you feel so energized and relaxed at the same time, (if you are anything like me) you feel like you can take on the world!
Walker, M. (n.d.). 77 surprising health benefits of yoga.Nursing Degree.com.Retrieved February 21, 2010, from: http://www.nursingdegree.net/blog/24/77-surprising-health-benefits-of-yoga/.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
What is Yoga
Initially when I thought of yoga, I pictured a bunch of people doing very little to just say they are trying to get in shape. When I had my first class, I realized that yoga was a lot harder than I thought! The type of yoga that I have been taking is called bikram yoga. This style means that you do your exercises in a heated room. Yoga helps you become more flexible and it also will tone certain areas that you want to focus on. When in a heated room, naturally your body can stretch more than usual, impacting your ability. During the class, I thought I was going to vomit. I should have listened to the instruction package the company provided me that stated not to eat heavy foods within the first three hours of class, and to drink plenty of water. It was an hour and a half non-stop of different poses to hold and I was sweating along with everyone else. It started off focusing on consistency of breathing.
Then the class continued into different types of poses. Poses in yoga mean different types of postures that are quite difficult to hold, or, stretching areas of your body you didn’t know needed to be stretched. After my first class was over, I couldn’t have been happier. Once I stepped out into the cooler room I immediately felt relieved because needless to say I was not prepared for the class at all. And on top of everything, the next day I felt terrible. Places of my body were sore I didn’t know could be sore.
My next class, I decided not to eat a bunch of food right before, and not drink any water! I completely hydrated myself and surprisingly the class went by much faster, and I didn’t feel dizzy or nauseated. It was a huge difference just by drinking water so I started to drink water even when I didn’t have a class. When starting the second class, I promised myself not to overdo it. Whenever I began to feel a bit funny, I would just sit down until I got myself under control again. I felt like a million bucks once the class was over. I was sore the next day of course, but I didn’t feel like I had been hit by a bus.
Bikram yoga is not a specific type of yoga, rather there are 26 poses that are done in order to tone everything in a heated room up to 100 Fahrenheit degrees. These twenty six asanas (meaning poses) were selected because you can be a beginner, or an expert for years to attend on of these classes.
Ardha Chandrasana - Half Moon Pose was surprising the hardest pose for me. It is the third posture and it really feels awkward when you do it. It is actually nick named the “Awkward Posture”. Holding your arms straight up and holding them together, lean to the left or right as far as you can and hold it. From experience this posture really worked the muscles on the sides of my stomach and chest. The fifth posture is Dandayamana – JanuShirasana. This posture you stand on one leg for balance, and raise the other leg to a 90 degrees. Then you try to reach for your toes and touch your head to your knee. This one really stretches your legs.
Ardha Chandrasana: Half Moon Pose
Dandayamana – JanuShirasana: Head to Knee Pose
26 poses of Bikram Yoga. (n.d.). Yogiclogic. Retrieved February 6, 2010, from
http://www.yogiclogic.com/bikram-yoga-poses.php
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Introduction
The majority of people seem to be looking for a way to self improve. Whether it's becoming more spiritual, flexible, strong, calm, or desiring a healthier life style, yoga is fit for you. Noticeably, yoga classes have shown up in even the smallest towns. Close to 11 million Americans are enjoying its health benefits and hopefully that number will continue to increase. Some people may feel that yoga is simply a trendy fad, but how terrible is that? If America could use anything, its a fad that's going to help us become more spiritually aware, and in better shape.
I started yoga roughly 2 years ago, when my Husband demanded I started doing something for myself. At that time of my life, it was very difficult to find time considering a full time work schedule as well as school. Needless to say free time was not in my vocabulary and my interest of hobbies was dissipating. As soon as I took my first class it gave me time to think about where I was in life, and that I was unsatisfied with it. It gave my time in general and if it wasn't for that initial class I wouldn't be the person that I am today.
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