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…This is a word derived from the Hindi word “YOG” meaning
a UNION or joining together.
Think of the word YOKE, another word derived from Hindi
and you have the concrete concept.
However, there is NOTHING CONCRETE at all about YOGA.
YOGA
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While YOGA is ALL ENCOMPASSING in its broadest definition and
involves ancient cultural and religious practices and it would
require volumes worth of explanation to have an individual pull all
the information together from 10,000 years or so ago, it is in our
interest here to
1) Provide a basic understanding of YOGA
2) Demonstrate some of the most helpful postures in the
YOGA exercises
3) Give a series of movements that can help you DESTRESS
the body
4) Have a foundation for which you can build upon for
yourself and others in your lives
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YOGA can be described as a JOURNEY.
In ESSENCE, it means the following:
…the effort of ATMAN ( the soul within the Cosmic
Journey) to reunite with the BRAHMAN (the almighty
Creator of the Cosmos).
If you are truly interested in such spiritual messages, you
may consider taking YOGA more seriously and find
yourself immersed in its profound yet fundamental
meaning.
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YOGA
…has been practiced by the East Indian and other
Asian cultures for thousands of years.
The basic principles involved are:
1) It is MEDITATION or DYANA
2) It involves POSTURES or ASANAS
3) It has one concentrate on the BREATH or
PRANA
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A true YOGI (male or female), is one who practices the
YOGA journey every day of his/her life and seeks nothing
but a one-ness and freedom from the body, from the mind
and ultimately from everything material. It is a long process
and one that requires the person to truly put the time into
it.
There are many who try to do this and far more who do not.
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Today we will look at how we can follow a series of
body movements or postures that have been
practiced for centuries in order to obtain
1) More flexibility
2) Relaxation
3) Muscle toning and balance
4) Pain relief
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There are HUNDREDS of styles of YOGA. If you would like to
seek a particular style, you can research the vast number of
resources on the Web/Internet, in bookstores and schools
that are dedicated to the teachings of this ancient practice.
There are styles devoted to less movement and those that
have much more movement that
are quite invigorating and athletic
in their approaches such as Core
Power Yoga that is more like a
fitness class.
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A predominant ancient classic style that is widely known is
HATHA YOGA
In this type of YOGA, the person is using the postures to help
balance the body and mind, increase strength, flexibility and
for relaxation ultimately.
The word essentially means a “balance”:
HA= from the sun and THA= from the moon
In Sanskrit, HATHA means uniting the forces of the sun and
moon.
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These will include:
1) Upward Salute in Mountain:
Urdhva Hastasana in Tadasana
2) Downward Facing Dog: Adho
Mukha Svanasana
3) Chair Pose: Utkatasana
4) Upward Facing Dog: Urdhva
Mukha Svanasana
5) Triangle Pose: UtthitaTrikonosana
6) Warrior Pose II: Virabhadrasana II
7) Warrior Pose I: Virabhadrasana I
8) Warrior Pose III: Virabhadrasana
III
There are over 200 postures of HATHA YOGA.
We will demonstrate some of them today.
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14)Half Lord of the Fishes:
Paripurna Matsyendrasana
15)Head of the Knee: Janu
Sirsasana
16)Lotus position: Padmasana
17)Corpse position: Savasana
18)Child’s Pose: Balasana
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All these poses may be done in the comfort of
your home, on natural earth, in a hotel, a
bathroom- virtually anywhere. You may use a
chair or a mat on the floor. If you have joint and
back problems, you should be with an instructor
who can guide you to perform those moves that
will help and not further injure the body.
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>Take about 30 minutes to 1 hour a day to perform these
movements as you begin in YOGA.
>As you become more flexible and can progress forward, you may
incorporate many more moves and enhance your YOGA journey.
>Think of YOGA as a means of realignment and rebalance of your
body- your VEHICLE- on a continuous basis
>YOGA can destress your body and reduce your chances of illness
and injury when you make it part of your everyday life
>DO NOT PUSH THE BODY IF YOU ARE IN GREAT PAIN!
>You will always have yourself to take care of and the divine
power in you knows this!
NAMASTE
Please note these points:
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REFERENCES ON YOGA:
Lasater, Judith. 30 Essential Yoga Poses:
For Beginners and Their Teachers;
Rodmell, USA, 2003
Yee, Rodney. Yoga: The Poetry of The
Body; St.Martin’s Griffin, !st Ed.; 2002
Yoga Journal, a USA publication
Yogajournal.com
Yoga.org.nz
