Mind, Body and Soul – Healed by Yoga
Benefits of yoga are multiple. We may start yoga for any purpose but serious pursuance of a yoga practice would help us experience benefits that heal the mind, body and soul.
Many people join a yoga class for weight loss and end up gaining multi level benefits. In reality the weight loss in Yoga also happens because of this healing happening at various levels. The body returning to balance leads to everything else, weight included, returning to normal levels.
Yoga works on our chakras. Every yoga pose brings some chakra in balance. The chakras coming to balance heal the organs in the area around the chakra. They also balance the hormones. Once the hormones are functioning at their normal levels, all functions in the body are corrected.
Also a lot of problems crop up due to stress and emotional distress. Yoga reduces stress and also dissolves the already existing negative emotions in the body. Yoga makes us less anxious and improves our mood. Starting a day with yoga will make you see a lot of difference in your mood through the day. You would also find your self able to handle stress in a much better manner through the day.
Not only the past the present as well as the future is healed by yoga.
But to be healed by yoga one needs to understand that yoga is not just a set of excercises. It is a way of life and one has to include these lifestyle changes as a part of their practice to feel the difference.
The eights limbs of yoga define the way to a yogic life on and off the mat. The eight limbs of yoga include the
- Yamas – define an ethical code of conduct
- Niyamas – relate to self practices
- Asana – the postures of yoga
- Pranayama – expanding breath and prana
- Pratyahara – Withdrawal of senses
- Dharana – Concentration
- Dhyana – Meditation
- Samadhi – stillness in meditation
These are the many things one needs to practice beyond the asanas. The deeper one goes in the practice the deeper would be the benefit and the experience. If you see the flow, asana comes at third level, but having said that I have also experienced a shift in yama and niyama happen when one practices asanas with devotion and dedication.
One also has to be careful of the food they consume. The right food consumed at the right time is what ultimately would lead to good health.
Apart for the asanas, yoga also includes a regular pranayam (breathing excercises) and meditation practice. Yoga lays a lot of importance on breath. Breath is referred to as the prana the life force. For good health it is very important that we breathe properly. The pranayams help balance the three nadis.
The chakras are eventually balanced when the three nadis (ida, pingla and sushmana) are balanced. These are balanced by combination of yoga, pranayam and meditation. Therefore it is important to understand the holistic process of yoga to be healed by yoga.
Sitting in meditation during the yogic practice also touches the soul, it sets the ground for spiritual advancement of the individual. Ideally one must do the asanas also in a meditative state.
In this way one experiences a transformation of mind , body and soul and is healed by yoga!
I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and this post corresponds to letter M!
