 May 2007 |
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Hi reader, In our second newsletter for 2007, I have enclosed some information about the purpose of Yoga and an article on Yoga for Anxiety. Announcement:
Below you can find an article I wrote about the purpose of Yoga and an article on Yoga for Anxiety:
The Purpose of Yoga - Holistic Health By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 What is the true purpose of Yoga? Yoga encompasses many holistic aspects, but Yoga's true purpose is to prevent suffering in this life. Yoga is a system, which enables a practitioner to be pro-active about his or her complete health. Yoga instills complete empowerment within the practitioner. If we could end suffering, that would be better, but mankind seems to always find new paths for self-abuse.
The need to sort, prioritize, and judge Yoga styles, and aspects of Yoga, is an example of our limited mental perceptions. The reality is we make these same mistakes when the mind is not disciplined and our comprehension is challenged to its limits. It is possible to miss the entire purpose of Yoga, if the mind is not trained and tutored properly. How many students will discipline themselves without the guidance of a Yoga teacher? How many Yoga teachers see Asana as the "Holy Grail" of Yoga? The "monkey mind" will not be disciplined without pranayama (Yogic breathing techniques), meditation, and japa (repetition of mantra). A Yoga teacher, or student, can practice an untutored form of Yoga, but to practice without guidance is not a holistic approach. A Yoga devotee cannot usually transcend beyond the superficial aspects of Yoga without guidance. For example: Look at the covers of most Yoga publications. If I want to sell more Yoga magazines, I have to put Yoga on display. There is a saying: "A picture is worth a thousand words," but one picture of an "advanced" Yoga asana, will intimidate some members of the public. How many people, in the west, think that a Yoga teacher must be thin, young, extremely flexible, muscular, and physically gifted? Most of the non-practicing public believes this, and many Hatha Yoga students believe it. Worse yet, some Yoga teachers have a narrow-minded view of Yoga, as a strictly physical recreation, similar to gymnastics. Recently, I was addressing an audience in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, about the benefits of Chair Yoga. One member of the audience raised her hand and asked, "What is the most important physical exercise in Yoga?" My answer was that if you are only looking at the physical aspect of Yoga, Pranayama is the most important exercise, but there is much more to Yoga than physical exercise. Even though my answer went into great length about the aspects and benefits of Yoga, a gentleman later told me than he would have imagined the Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana) was the most important aspect of Yoga. My reply was, "Did you ever take a Yoga class?" He admitted that it was the fear of doing a headstand, which kept him away from trying a Yoga class. Now, unless Yoga teachers explain the holistic health benefits of a steady Yoga practice to the public, decades will pass by and these myths will flourish. © Copyright 2007 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications Yoga Options for Managing Anxiety By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 Yoga has many options for ridding your body of toxins, negative energy, stress, and daily anxiety. Yoga postures (Asanas) are most commonly known, but Yoga breathing techniques (Pranayama) are very beneficial; most can be practiced any time of the day. The worst action you can take is to ignore anxiety. Anxiety requires a plan of action to instill positive energy within your being. If your plan of action is to take a Yoga lesson, you are "on the right path" to eliminating negative feelings. Anxiety can lead to a multitude of health problems. Therefore, you should take action to rid your body, mind, and spirit of negative feelings, which build up from within or are a result of your environment. Within a typical Hatha Yoga class, you will learn Asana, Pranayama, and some form of meditation. The combination of these three methods, within the span of 45 to 90 minutes, occurs in one Yoga lesson. Yoga students often practice at home, but the "home Yoga sessions" are usually much shorter. This is fine because a little Yoga is better than no Yoga at all; especially, in the case of a person who experiences anxiety. One short Yoga session can help the mind and body lose feelings of negativity. Yet, it may require a longer session to give you relief, if negative energy is "getting out of hand." The study of Yoga requires your commitment to make a personal appointment with yourself. Do you have the time to take care of your health? This requires pro-active thinking on your part, because most of the world reacts to health problems. Setting a time of the day for a Yoga lesson, at a studio, or a Yoga home practice session, is not difficult. Yet, there are other ways to practice Yoga off your mat and say "goodbye" to anxiety at the same time.
If the weather is rough, you can always go to an indoor facility, or the Emerald Square Mall. It does wonders for your body, and mind, to get out and stop thinking about regrets. We must all learn to put the past behind, do our best now, and plan for the future. Yoga has a number of options for a public, which seeks relief from daily anxiety and stress. Yoga can be considered part of a coping strategy, but in the case of severe anxiety and depression, professional medical or psychological help should be sought. © Copyright 2007 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications Attleboro Yoga Blog
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Each style of Yoga will have a subtle difference from a similar style, but health is always the aim in all forms of Yoga. Superiority of method is an illusion, since all Yogic paths lead to better mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional health.
Here's another option: Go for a 20 to 40 minute walk. There is no shortage of places to walk in the Greater Attleboro and Northern Rhode Island areas. You can practice the natural breath technique (belly breath), Dhirga Pranayama (Three part breath), or a walking meditation.