Health — Page 39

What Is The Philosophy Of Yoga?

When people hear the word yoga, they think of somebody sitting in the louts position and possibly meditating while in that position. This discipline is more than just sitting with the feet on the thighs; it is a combination of physical and philosophical foundation for leading one’s life. The word comes from the ancient Sanskrit writings and translates in English to “royal union.” This basically means a union of the body and mind.

The ancient text that gives the basis for it is the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. This ancient text is made up of four books written over 2000 years ago. These books are the Sadhana Pada, Samadhi Pada, Kaivalya Pada and the Vibhuti Pada. The Sadhana Pada is where the physical pieces of yoga are to be found.

In this book, you will learn of the “eight limbs.” The limbs referred to here at in essence steps known as Ashtanga yoga. The first five limbs deal with the external and the remaining three are about the internal. Of the first five, the third is Asana and is all about the physical body. Its main idea is that the body needs to be kept disease-free and have a maintenance of energy. It is this book from which people in the west have learned of yoga and transformed it into its modernized, western form.

Asana is simply the plural from of the word asan which means posture or body position. The purpose of asana is to make improvements in vitality and flexibility and to promote meditation. Proponents of asana believe that doing the various positions opens the channels for physical and psychic energy in the human body. Any positions practiced should be held firmly and steadily while remaining comfortable.

This means that there should be no physical pain while in any of the positions. There are several poses that a person practicing the discipline may strike. These range from beginner poses to a more advanced level of positions.

No matter what your level of expertise is, there are a few fundamental concepts to always keep in mind. Any exercises should be done on an empty stomach. Your body should never quiver or shake because of too much pressure or force being exerted. It is important to always keep controlled breathing-no do hold your breath or gasp. Most of the time you want to do yoga on a mat and not the floor. At the end of each session, you will want to spend some time maintaining a state of deep relaxation.

Poses vary in their execution. Some are done seated while others are performed standing, lying on your back, balanced against another object or with the back bent. Poses are generally classified as beginner, intermediate and advanced. Beginners may start with the Downward Facing Dog, The Pyramid or the Standing Forward Bend. These are standing positions. Some seated poses for beginners are the Cobbler’s Pose, Seated Wide Legged Straddle and Half Lord of the Fishes.

Again, yoga is more than just getting into a certain position. It is an entire philosophy that centers around not only tangible needs but spiritual well being as well. In fact, the first limb of the Sutras teaches the virtues of nonviolence, truth in thought and word and celibacy for the unmarried and monogamy for the married.

Attending itness clubs is an excellent way to maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep your body in shape. They offer personal training Toronto too. Alternatively, you may prefer yoga Toronto for a further enriching fitness experience.

I bet you didn’t know that there is a specific class of vegetables that contain very specific phytonutrients that actually help to fight against belly fat.

Most folks do not know that there are certain chemicals in food and also in the environment like herbicides, pest control products that contain petrochemicals that can behave like xenoestrogens.

These xenoestrogens can cause problems in both sexes because they can cause hormone imbalances if there is excess exposure to them.

These estrogenic chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis can stimulate your body to store belly fat, along with many other problems.

So here’s where this specific class of vegetables comes in handy

Certain cruciferous vegetables have specific nutrients that fight those xenoestrogens that are making you store more belly fat. The best vegetables are brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale and broccoli.

The fact that these vegetables work against the estrogenic effects will enable you to fight and reduce belly fat.

So there you go just another excuse to do what mom always told you and eat more broccoli!

As I tried some of these vegetables I learned to like them with a little garlic and melted grass fed cheese to improve the taste. You will come up with your own favorites, I am sure.

Now , there are some spices that also can help you burn off the fat

There is a compound in chilis called capsaicin that increases your energy use up to 23 percent when eaten in the morning.

Also, black pepper creates increased body heat, called thermogenesis , which helps burn calories

3. Turmeric has both anti-cancer and pro-thermogenic support. Best of two worlds if you ask me.

Combine all three spices and add them to you meals you get an increase in the benefits of just one. Triple team your fat.

You just do not want to over use these spices or you may end up with too much heartburn. Burn stomach fat , not your stomach lining.

Keith Junor writes a blog that will help you to get rid of more fat with less work as well as visit his blog at www.behealthyandslim.com This and other unique content ‘fat burning’ articles are available with free reprint rights.

What Is The Philosophy Of Yoga?

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