ne of meditation in forests and mountains and being scantily clad, they devised indoor exercises now known as ‘yoga poses’ or ‘yogasanas’ to keep their body healthy and light and make it a willing instrument of their meditation.

Over the years, yoga poses (postures) got separated from

If you have observed from a distance people doing yoga poses, you would think they are latter day contortionists. You could be wrong, they are wise people who have realized well in time how easily and relatively inexpensively they can keep their bodies healthy, literally fit as a fiddle.

Yoga poses are the best way to maintain the body flexible, supple and toned up without exerting any force on the body. There is a certain subtlety in this ancient eastern system of body maintenance which keeps one in tune with nature.

Modern lifestyle takes its toll in terms of physical and mental health. Hypertension and diabetes are common ailments and the beneficiaries are pharma firms. Resources that should be spent on other productive channels are wasted in shoring up a tiring body that becomes an open invitation to premature aging and a host of diseases.

Yoga has many dimensions The word yoga means union. It meant a whole set of physical, mental and spiritual exercises developed by ancient Indian yogis as a means of realizing God and being united (‘yuj’ in Sanskrit, meaning ‘being yoked’) with Him. The yogis were performing rigorous routine of meditation in forests and mountains and being scantily clad, they devised indoor exercises now known as ‘yoga poses’ or ‘yogasanas’ to keep their body healthy and light and make it a willing instrument of their meditation.

Over the years, yoga poses (postures) got separated from

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Yoga poses are the best way to maintain the body flexible, supple and toned up without exerting any force on the body. There is a certain subtlety in this ancient eastern system of body maintenance which keeps one in tune with nature.

Modern lifestyle takes its toll in terms of physical and mental health. Hypertension and diabetes are common ailments and the beneficiaries are pharma firms. Resources that should be spent on other productive channels are wasted in shoring up a tiring body that becomes an open invitation to premature aging and a host of diseases.

Yoga has many dimensions The word yoga means union. It meant a whole set of physical, mental and spiritual exercises developed by ancient Indian yogis as a means of realizing God and being united (‘yuj’ in Sanskrit, meaning ‘being yoked’) with Him. The yogis were performing rigorous routine of meditation in forests and mountains and being scantily clad, they devised indoor exercises now known as ‘yoga poses’ or ‘yogasanas’ to keep their body healthy and light and make it a willing instrument of their meditation.

Over the years, yoga poses (postures) got separated from

ysical and mental health. Hypertension and diabetes are common ailments and the beneficiaries are pharma firms. Resources that should be spent on other productive channels are wasted in shoring up a tiring body that becomes an open invitation to premature aging and a host of diseases.

Yoga has many dimensions The word yoga means union. It meant a whole set of physical, mental and spiritual exercises developed by ancient Indian yogis as a means of realizing God and being united (‘yuj’ in Sanskrit, meaning ‘being yoked’) with Him. The yogis were performing rigorous routine of meditation in forests and mountains and being scantily clad, they devised indoor exercises now known as ‘yoga poses’ or ‘yogasanas’ to keep their body healthy and light and make it a willing instrument of their meditation.

Over the years, yoga poses (postures) got separated from

>Yoga has many dimensions The word yoga means union. It meant a whole set of physical, mental and spiritual exercises developed by ancient Indian yogis as a means of realizing God and being united (‘yuj’ in Sanskrit, meaning ‘being yoked’) with Him. The yogis were performing rigorous routine of meditation in forests and mountains and being scantily clad, they devised indoor exercises now known as ‘yoga poses’ or ‘yogasanas’ to keep their body healthy and light and make it a willing instrument of their meditation.

Over the years, yoga poses (postures) got separated from

ne of meditation in forests and mountains and being scantily clad, they devised indoor exercises now known as ‘yoga poses’ or ‘yogasanas’ to keep their body healthy and light and make it a willing instrument of their meditation.

Over the years, yoga poses (postures) got separated from the rest of the mental and spiritual practices and has become popular as fitness yoga. Nevertheless, people who practice yoga poses derive benefits of yoga like a focused mind, self-discipline, a composed temperament and a healthy view of life.

The great repose There are a hundred yoga poses. They have interesting names like Red Indians who named themselves Sitting Bull or Galloping Horse. The poses bear names like The Boat, Crow, Peacock, Lotus and so on. The last mentioned is the pose in which the Buddha is shown seated. It is the pose developed by yogis for their meditation. Legs withdrawn and feet resting on the thighs, hands placed on the thighs turned upward with thumb and forefinger closed, the spine and neck held erect, eyes lightly closed and the normally outgoing mind gathered and centred within – this is the ultimate pose of repose without and within.

But yet, before we could attain that inner repose, we have to slowly master the body through various poses and by regulation of breath which is called pranayama. Regulation of breath is said to energise the body and gradual slowing down of breathing is said to reduce the fr