Yoga represents a process through which one can learn how to live in the most integrated way. Therefore, it involves the process of identification and then elimination of all that would contribute to disintegration.
The term yoga is derived from yugil (Sanskrit), which means unite or integrate. It’s a combination of science and arts and a highly enjoyable journey towards perfection. One can trace the origin of yoga way back to the Indus Valley Civilisation, ie, at least 3,000 years BC. And for the past 5,000 years, it has remained as one of the most important facets of our culture.
With the goal of restructuring the society on spiritual values, through revival of ancient yogic discipline, Swami Kuvalayananda established the Kaivalyadhama Yoga institute in 1924, at Lonavla, near Pune. It is one of the oldest yoga institutes in the country and recently played host to the 6th International Conference on Yoga Research & Cultural Synthesis, where over 1,200 delegates participated from the world, including the US, France, Brazil, China, Germany, Canada, Greece, Argentina, Korea and Japan.
Yoga represents a process through which one can learn how to live in the most integrated way. Therefore, it involves the process of identification and then elimination of all that would contribute to disintegration. Hence, it becomes a continuous process, requiring constant vigilance, involving all the aspects of life.
According to O P Tiwari, one of the most recognised and accomplished masters of yoga and chief administrative officer of Kaivalyadhama, “Yoga, which is a science of personal growth for spiritual experiences, has simultaneously become a science of health and healing. All its techniques and methods are geared for bringing the healing touch to the body and mind, which suffer from ill-health.”
For this purpose, it has three main components.
First is the practical discipline (asanas, pranayama and dhyana). Asanas involve the increased awareness of various physical and physiological processes influenced by controlled stretching contraction and relaxation of various muscles, their co-ordination in balancing and during maintenance of posture. Pranayama similarly involves the manipulation of breathing mechanism along with the awareness of the pressure changes inside the chest cavity and abdomen. Dhyana increases the awareness of one's mental processes, including the thoughts, emotions and memory. It can make one aware how the constant restlessness at the level of mind contributes to the feeling of emotional stress, constant fear and insecurity. This increased awareness, combined with the techniques of dhyana, restores the psycho-physiological functions back to its healthy and balanced state.
Second component is the regulation of diet as well as daily habits involving the pattern of sleep, recreational activities and working habits. This helps remove all those irritants, which are responsible for the imbalance in the functioning of body-mind complex.
Third are the changes in one's attitude, behaviour and lifestyle, which help induce the feeling of sharing, warmth in friendship and concern, love and respect for the whole world. This acts as an antidote for the feeling of hopelessness, and loneliness. “If you do yoga keeping this spirit in mind and comply with all the instructions given to you, you would find that yoga not only gives you relief from your problems but also opens up a new way of enjoying your life,” adds Tiwari.
Many a time, when people talk about yoga, they focus their attention on the first component involving asanas, pranayama and dhyana. Thus they confine yoga to a small period of their daily life as if rest of the day has nothing to do with it.
Swami Kuvalayananda’s excellent work in the field of yogic culture attracted the attention of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and today, Kaivalyadhama has branches in Mumbai, Rajkot, Delhi and Bhopal, USA and France.
Inputs from O P Tiwari
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
“YOGA” ‘COMPLETELY’ CHANGED JENNIFER ANISTON’S LIFE
“YOGA” ‘COMPLETELY’ CHANGED JENNIFER ANISTON’S LIFE
Hollywood star Jennifer Aniston has revealed that yoga has 'completely' changed her life.
Appearing in the introduction to her yoga instructor Mandy Ingber's workout DVD 'Yogalosophy', Aniston, 40, said: "It is one of the most fun workouts I have ever had. So have fun and work hard because it will totally pay off".
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, extended invitation to Aniston to look into Hinduism also, which was the mother of yoga.
If Aniston needed any spiritual direction, he or other Hindu scholars would gladly provide it, Zed added.
Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that it was time now for Aniston to explore the spiritual dimension of yoga, because actually yoga was a mental and physical discipline by means of which the human-soul (jivatman) united with universal-soul (parmatman).
Hollywood star Jennifer Aniston has revealed that yoga has 'completely' changed her life.
Appearing in the introduction to her yoga instructor Mandy Ingber's workout DVD 'Yogalosophy', Aniston, 40, said: "It is one of the most fun workouts I have ever had. So have fun and work hard because it will totally pay off".
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, extended invitation to Aniston to look into Hinduism also, which was the mother of yoga.
If Aniston needed any spiritual direction, he or other Hindu scholars would gladly provide it, Zed added.
Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that it was time now for Aniston to explore the spiritual dimension of yoga, because actually yoga was a mental and physical discipline by means of which the human-soul (jivatman) united with universal-soul (parmatman).
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
“YOGA” CUTS INFLAMMATION
“YOGA” CUTS INFLAMMATION
Incorporating yoga sessions in your daily routine could lower a number of compounds in the blood and reduce the level of inflammation that normally rises because of both normal aging and stress, revealed a new study.
Conducted by Ohio State University researchers, the study showed that women who routinely practiced yoga had lower amounts of the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) in their blood.
The women also showed smaller increases in IL-6 after stressful experiences than did women who were the same age and weight but who were not yoga practitioners.
IL-6 is an important part of the body’s inflammatory response and has been implicated in heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes, arthritis and a host of other age-related debilitating diseases.
Reducing inflammation may provide substantial short- and long-term health benefits, the researchers suggest.
“In addition to having lower levels of inflammation before they were stressed, we also saw lower inflammatory responses to stress among the expert yoga practitioners in the study,” explained Dr. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, professor of psychiatry and psychology and lead author of the study.
“Hopefully, this means that people can eventually learn to respond less strongly to stressors in their everyday lives by using yoga and other stress-reducing modalities,” she added.
For the study, researchers assembled a group of 50 women, age 41 on average. Ron Glaser, a co-author and a professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics, said that the study has some fairly clear implications for health.
“We know that inflammation plays a major role in many diseases. Yoga appears to be a simple and enjoyable way to add an intervention that might reduce risks for developing heart disease, diabetes and other age-related diseases. This is an easy thing people can do to help reduce their risks of illness,” he said.
The study was published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
Incorporating yoga sessions in your daily routine could lower a number of compounds in the blood and reduce the level of inflammation that normally rises because of both normal aging and stress, revealed a new study.
Conducted by Ohio State University researchers, the study showed that women who routinely practiced yoga had lower amounts of the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) in their blood.
The women also showed smaller increases in IL-6 after stressful experiences than did women who were the same age and weight but who were not yoga practitioners.
IL-6 is an important part of the body’s inflammatory response and has been implicated in heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes, arthritis and a host of other age-related debilitating diseases.
Reducing inflammation may provide substantial short- and long-term health benefits, the researchers suggest.
“In addition to having lower levels of inflammation before they were stressed, we also saw lower inflammatory responses to stress among the expert yoga practitioners in the study,” explained Dr. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, professor of psychiatry and psychology and lead author of the study.
“Hopefully, this means that people can eventually learn to respond less strongly to stressors in their everyday lives by using yoga and other stress-reducing modalities,” she added.
For the study, researchers assembled a group of 50 women, age 41 on average. Ron Glaser, a co-author and a professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics, said that the study has some fairly clear implications for health.
“We know that inflammation plays a major role in many diseases. Yoga appears to be a simple and enjoyable way to add an intervention that might reduce risks for developing heart disease, diabetes and other age-related diseases. This is an easy thing people can do to help reduce their risks of illness,” he said.
The study was published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
Friday, January 1, 2010
SPLENDOR OF YOGA
TAI JI CAN MAKE YOGA EFFECTIVE
Chinese martial art and dance form, Tai Ji, yoga Tai Ji, the ancient Chinese martial art and dance form, can be used for making Indian yoga more relaxing and spontaneous for effective healing and circulation of positive energy in the human body, globally acclaimed Tai Ji master Chungliang Al Huang says.
"Tai ji (sometimes pronounced Tai Chi in the west) facilitates movement of energy in the body through free and sweeping gestures of hands and limbs. It opens the 'chakras' or the energy points in the body like Indian yoga, which also operates on the same principle," said Huang.
But unlike the seven 'chakras' in the Indian yogic tradition, Tai Ji supplies energy to endless energy points in the body, he pointed out.
The Tai Ji master was in the capital for an hour-long demonstration and lecture on "Living Tao-Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living" Tuesday at the Azad Bhavan auditorium of theIndian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
Huang, who teaches Tai Ji in New York with his American wife Susanne, has worked with Hollywood stars like Sammy Davies Jr, Bruce Lee and Mary Martin and musicians John Denver and Joan Baez.
He moved to the US at the age of 17 and has also appeared in movies like "Flower Drum Song" and "The Green Hornet" starring Bruce Lee. Huang has also collaborated with philosophers and writers like Joseph Campbell, Allan Watts and the Dalai Lama.
The Tai Ji master is the founder-president of the Living Tao Foundation and the director of the Lan Ting Institute in the sacred Wuyui Mountain of China and at the Gold Beach in Oregon.
"I wanted to become Fred Astair, but my friends in Hollywood, with whom I worked in movies, wanted to learn Tai Ji from me," Huang said.
The Tai Ji master was born in Shanghai in the middle of the Sino-Japanese war and was raised in the province of Fujian, where he learnt his art in the villages "by osmosis - watching others dance".
Huang has also authored several spiritual best-sellers like "Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain: The Essence of Tai Ji" and the "Chinese Book of Animal Powers".
"These are books on Taoism - the ancient Chinese philosophy - practised before the birth of the Buddha. Tai Ji, as it is danced today, is an offshoot of natural Taosim - an animist form of taoist religion," Huang said.
He was invited to India by ICCR president Karan Singh. "This is my third visit to India. I first visited the country in 1982 and then in 2000, where I met Karan Singh," Huang said.
Explaining the similarities between Tai ji and Indian yoga, Huang said: "The basic principle in yoga and Tai Ji is to connect to the universal power and to bring positive energy into the being. But the difference is that yoga sometimes becomes static, blocking the flow of energy because of the stress on breathing. Tai Ji, in contrast, allows the practitioner to breathe naturally and move the body in rhythm with the chi (energy), the yin and the yang (male and female) forces."
Huang allows his students to make sounds while dancing Tai Ji. "The essence of the sounds of Tai Ji is 'om' - representing the heart, 'ah' - the throat and upper torso, and 'ha' - the lower chakra or the gut," the master said.
According to Huang, Tai ji has "potent healing powers"." Research is underway in the US to prove that it even cures cancer," the master said.
Chinese martial art and dance form, Tai Ji, yoga Tai Ji, the ancient Chinese martial art and dance form, can be used for making Indian yoga more relaxing and spontaneous for effective healing and circulation of positive energy in the human body, globally acclaimed Tai Ji master Chungliang Al Huang says.
"Tai ji (sometimes pronounced Tai Chi in the west) facilitates movement of energy in the body through free and sweeping gestures of hands and limbs. It opens the 'chakras' or the energy points in the body like Indian yoga, which also operates on the same principle," said Huang.
But unlike the seven 'chakras' in the Indian yogic tradition, Tai Ji supplies energy to endless energy points in the body, he pointed out.
The Tai Ji master was in the capital for an hour-long demonstration and lecture on "Living Tao-Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living" Tuesday at the Azad Bhavan auditorium of theIndian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
Huang, who teaches Tai Ji in New York with his American wife Susanne, has worked with Hollywood stars like Sammy Davies Jr, Bruce Lee and Mary Martin and musicians John Denver and Joan Baez.
He moved to the US at the age of 17 and has also appeared in movies like "Flower Drum Song" and "The Green Hornet" starring Bruce Lee. Huang has also collaborated with philosophers and writers like Joseph Campbell, Allan Watts and the Dalai Lama.
The Tai Ji master is the founder-president of the Living Tao Foundation and the director of the Lan Ting Institute in the sacred Wuyui Mountain of China and at the Gold Beach in Oregon.
"I wanted to become Fred Astair, but my friends in Hollywood, with whom I worked in movies, wanted to learn Tai Ji from me," Huang said.
The Tai Ji master was born in Shanghai in the middle of the Sino-Japanese war and was raised in the province of Fujian, where he learnt his art in the villages "by osmosis - watching others dance".
Huang has also authored several spiritual best-sellers like "Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain: The Essence of Tai Ji" and the "Chinese Book of Animal Powers".
"These are books on Taoism - the ancient Chinese philosophy - practised before the birth of the Buddha. Tai Ji, as it is danced today, is an offshoot of natural Taosim - an animist form of taoist religion," Huang said.
He was invited to India by ICCR president Karan Singh. "This is my third visit to India. I first visited the country in 1982 and then in 2000, where I met Karan Singh," Huang said.
Explaining the similarities between Tai ji and Indian yoga, Huang said: "The basic principle in yoga and Tai Ji is to connect to the universal power and to bring positive energy into the being. But the difference is that yoga sometimes becomes static, blocking the flow of energy because of the stress on breathing. Tai Ji, in contrast, allows the practitioner to breathe naturally and move the body in rhythm with the chi (energy), the yin and the yang (male and female) forces."
Huang allows his students to make sounds while dancing Tai Ji. "The essence of the sounds of Tai Ji is 'om' - representing the heart, 'ah' - the throat and upper torso, and 'ha' - the lower chakra or the gut," the master said.
According to Huang, Tai ji has "potent healing powers"." Research is underway in the US to prove that it even cures cancer," the master said.
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