Healthy Yoga & Breathing

IT’S EASY to think of yoga, with its Indian origins, as a from of religion but that is not necessarily the case.

Physical or hath a yoga is a series of well thought-through postures or poses that can benefit almost every part of the body. Not least of the merits of yoga are the relaxing properties.

Ideally, for the best possible introduction to yoga, go to a class; simple poses, however, can be practiced at home. It is important to do each movement slowly & smoothly, & a good deal of practice is needed before some of the advanced poses can be attempted.

One of the best known postures in yoga is the lotus seat. This consists of sitting cross-legged on the floor with the right foot sole upwards on the left thigh & vice versa. Only those with particularly supple muscles & limber joints can achieve it unless they have practiced from an early age. The simplified version is the tailor’s seat – or sitting cross-legged, back straight, hands loosely in the lap or resting lightly on knees, palms upwards. Either of these positions is ideal for breathing practice.

The first step for any yoga student is to learn to breathe better. Most of us take only short, shallow breaths instead of filling the lungs to capacity, then emptying them completely of stale air. Practice breathing in slowly & steadily through the nose until the lungs can hold no more. Let the ribs expand effortlessly sideways. Hold the breath for as long as is comfortably possible & then breathe out through the open mouth. For breathing practice, go on to rolling the head in another very relaxing & soothing exercise which helps reduce tension in the neck. To avoid headaches & tension, it is essential to keep the muscles & bones of the neck lubricated & free from settling toxins & poisoned. You can also do this exercise standing, but it’s easier when sitting down. With eyes looking straight ahead, tile head to the left & hold for a couple of seconds. Roll the head round to the back & hold ten roll the head around to the right & hold before turning to face completely to the right with the chin raised. Drop the head forward, letting it feel heavy – be aware of the muscle pull on each side of the neck. Gently push the head down as you bring it round to the front again. Repeat once or twice in each direction.

The practice of hath a yoga can help to correct tension, leading, to complete relaxation, muscular control & good balanced.