Yoga, which has risen and become popular all over the world in recent years, is not only a popular or fashionable fitness exercise. Yoga is a very ancient energy knowledge cultivation method, which integrates philosophy, science and art. Yoga is based on ancient Indian philosophy. For thousands of years, psychology, body and spirit have become an important part of Indian culture. Ancient yoga believers developed the yoga system, because they believed that by exercising and regulating breathing, they could completely control their thoughts and emotions and maintain a healthy body forever.
Yoga is one of the oldest sports in the East, a treasure of traditional oriental culture and a beautiful flower. According to legend, yoga originated in ancient India before BC and has a glorious history of thousands of years. Even today, yoga still shows great vitality and charming charm, and is loved by people all over the world, which proves that yoga is indeed the crystallization of excellent wisdom of ancient humans.
According to Indian folklore, thousands of years ago, on the 8000-meter-high Mount Notre Dame in ancient India, some people became saints and others became practitioners. They passed on the secret of cultivation to later pursuers, and this secret of cultivation was the earliest yoga. At the beginning, there were few yoga practitioners, and they usually practiced in temples, country cottages, Himalayan caves and dense forests. Yoga is taught by yoga masters to those who are willing to accept it. With more and more learners, yoga has gradually spread among ordinary people in India.
Today's yoga, after thousands of years of constant baptism and tempering, is a practice method of human science that is constantly improved and summarized from practice. Now, yoga no longer belongs to a few reclusive practitioners, not only to India, but also to Asia. Actually, yoga belongs to the whole world. Yoga is an extremely precious ancient cultural heritage shared by all mankind!
The word yoga comes from the transliteration of Sanskrit yoga, which means combination and connection. The original meaning of the word yoga is to control cattle and horses, and the meaning of yoga is extended to connection, control, stability, harmony, unity and balance. Yoga in a broad sense is a philosophy, while yoga in a narrow sense is a combination of spirit and flesh. Yoga is not a religion. The way of yoga is to open your full potential through the cultural system of body and mind. Yoga posture is not an end in itself, but a preparation for entering a higher form of meditation yoga. In the Yoga Sutra of ancient India, it is defined as "the control of mental function", and yoga is an ancient, fashionable, mysterious and scientific shortcut to physical and mental cultivation.
The practice method of yoga can concentrate the scattered spirit and calm it down. Yoga practice pays attention to physical strength first, and then requires the integration of body and mind, on this basis, it guides practitioners to enter a perfect realm. In the process of yoga practice, practitioners gradually deepen the inner spirit, from the outside to the inside, from feeling, rationality to consciousness, and finally grasp the integration of self and inner spirit to achieve the unity of heaven and man. Yoga practice is from the outside to the inside, but the result is from the inside out. In the process of yoga practice, practitioners are constantly led into the happy home of the soul. When yoga practitioners enter the deepest realm in deep meditation, they will awaken the self-nature of life and the perfect realm of life, thus obtaining the combination of individual consciousness and universal consciousness, awakening the inner sleeping energy, and obtaining the highest enlightenment and the greatest pleasure.
Yoga opposes imposing on others. It advocates that untested things cannot be trusted, including yoga itself. To learn yoga, we must understand its true meaning through our own experience. Yoga has its own set of extremely complete practice methods from body to mind. Today's yoga is not only a philosophical category, but also has a broader meaning, enduring and powerful vitality.
At present, the yoga craze is getting higher and higher in China, and practicing yoga is very popular in large and medium-sized cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Many famous female stars and international models from mainland China, Hongkong and Taiwan Province are loyal practitioners of yoga. Famous beauties such as, Crystal, Soni,1actress born in 1969,,, Tang Yingying,,,,,, Huang Peixia, etc. have benefited a lot from practicing yoga for a long time, kept their charming figure and gained physical and mental health and pleasure.
So what specific benefits will practicing yoga bring to the human body?
Yoga is a physical and mental natural practice system, which can improve the health of brain, spine, glands and internal organs, massage internal organs in different parts, and thus increase the vitality of life. Yoga is unparalleled in self-improvement and potential development. Facts have proved that yoga is helpful to people of any age:
Women practice yoga: in the combination of static and dynamic, shape physical beauty, relieve stress, relax whole body muscles, improve body coordination and control, and mediate endocrine.
Men practice yoga: help men eliminate stress and fatigue, restore energy, regulate cervical and spinal problems, regulate blood lipids, and enhance kidney function and energy.
Children practicing yoga: promoting the growth and development of children's bones, helping to adjust the correct sitting and standing posture, cultivating children's concentration ability, stretching children's body and giving soft internal organs a helping function, and improving children's learning ability.
Practicing yoga in middle-aged and elderly people can help the bones and muscles of the elderly to recover their mobility, elasticity and vitality, and restore the youthful functions of internal organs and glands, thus beautifying and resisting aging and assisting in the treatment of some senile diseases.
Scientific research shows that yoga is a good anti-pressure exercise. After comprehensive statistics by an authoritative organization, ten functions of practicing yoga are listed: maintaining and promoting the normal function of the system; Enhance the function of endocrine system; Massage and strengthen all parts of human organs to balance their functions; Promote blood circulation and metabolism; Yoga breathing can improve mental function and prolong vitality; Adjust the spine to enhance flexibility; Lose weight and maintain skin; Enhance psychological and spiritual energy, make the mood calm; Eliminate toxins from the body; Slow down and eliminate various chronic diseases. ...
Preparation for practicing yoga
Generally speaking, people practice yoga postures in the morning, at noon, at dusk or before going to bed. In fact, as long as you are on an empty stomach, you can practice at any time of the day. In other words, it is not appropriate to practice yoga posture after meals (within 3 hours). In the eyes of real yogis, 4-6 am is the best time to practice yoga, because at this time, everything around is quiet, the atmosphere is purest, the gastrointestinal activities basically stop, the brain is inactive, and it is easy to enter the deep practice state of yoga.
№ Location: It is best to practice yoga in a clean and comfortable room, with enough room for stretching and avoiding any furniture. The indoor air is fresh and circulating, and oxygen can be inhaled freely. It is best to put green plants or flowers, or play soft music to help relax your nerves.
Of course, you can also choose to practice in the open air, such as gardens and other places with good environment Never practice in strong wind, cold or polluted air, or in direct sunlight (except at dawn, when the light is soft and healthy).
№ Clothing № When practicing yoga posture, you should wear loose and soft clothes, especially those made of cotton and linen, and make sure that ventilation and body are not restricted when practicing. You must take off your shoes, socks (keep your feet warm in cold weather), watches, glasses, belts and other accessories.
Props: Of course, it is best to use professional yoga mats when practicing yoga. When the ground is too hard or uneven, the yoga mat can play a buffering role and help you keep balance. However, if you don't have a professional yoga mat, you can put a carpet or a folding blanket. Don't practice on the hard floor or soft bed, and be careful not to slip.
Beginners can also use some props to practice certain postures, such as → yoga bricks, yoga ropes, and even walls, tables and chairs. Many postures can use corresponding props to help you practice step by step, and at the same time more accurately grasp the feeling that each posture conveys to your body.
Don't practice yoga within 20 minutes before taking a bath, because practicing yoga will make your body feel extremely sharp. At this time, if hot and cold stimulation is given, it will harm the body and consume the energy stored in the body. Yoga should not be practiced within 20 minutes after bathing, because blood circulation is accelerated and muscles become soft after bathing. If you practice yoga immediately, it will not only hurt your health, but also lead to an increase in blood pressure and an increase in the burden on your heart. Patients with heart disease, hypertension, hyperthyroidism and other diseases should pay special attention to this.
Besides, don't practice yoga posture after taking a bath in Sun Long. Taking a cold bath about 1 hour before practicing yoga can make your practice achieve better results.
№ Diet № As mentioned above, it is not appropriate to practice yoga posture within 3 hours after meals. But you can eat a small amount of liquid food or drinks, such as milk, yogurt, honey, juice and so on. Before practice 1 hour or so. You can drink a little water when practicing to help expel toxins from your body (even drink more water when doing duck walking exercises).
It is best after yoga practice 1 hour. It's best to eat some natural foods and avoid foods that are greasy, spicy or cause hyperacidity. Eating enough is enough. Eating too much can make people feel bored and lazy. In addition, after practicing yoga, it is normal to eat less, exhaust more and defecate more.
Overview and function of yoga posture
& lt sitting posture: lean forward >
Sitting forward can not only calm the whole nervous system, but also calm the brain.
Especially for beginners of yoga, leaning forward in a sitting position is easier than leaning forward in a standing position, because it takes a little more effort and a certain balance ability to complete leaning forward in a standing position.
Generally speaking, as long as you practice reclining posture, you will lay a good foundation for practicing standing posture, and also provide a practical choice for patients with hypertension or other diseases. If they were smart and obedient, they wouldn't put their heads under their hearts.
Leaning forward can affect many energy centers (chakras) and important organs in the body at the same time, but the most beneficial point is Liyuan (also known as the central chakra or the second chakra). This chakra is responsible for the kidneys and adrenal glands. Therefore, practicing forward posture is an effective way to balance and strengthen the functions of these organs.
The forward leaning type is mainly divided into rhombic type, baddha konasana type, straddle type, one-leg exchange stretching type, archery type, back stretching type, cow face type and boat shape.
& lt sitting posture: lean back >
Reclining generally requires a strong body, while leaning forward requires flexibility. At the same time, leaning back is a good way to strengthen the body and regulate the body, especially for the muscles of the back, legs and buttocks. If you feel that you don't have the strength to do the backward posture, please practice the one-star stance first, such as the warrior posture.
1, backward posture can enhance the flexibility of the spine, help improve the standing posture and sitting posture, and maintain the elasticity of the spine. They can also benefit the nervous system by increasing the blood supply to the spinal region and the nerves extending from the spinal column.
2, stretch the abdominal area, and can help digestion to a great extent, because they can regulate the generally weak abdominal muscles and digestive organs. They can also expand and open the chest area and increase the flexibility of the shoulders, thus helping the chest to expand more. This can create better conditions for deep breathing and benefit the respiratory system. When the body is still a grandfather, the brain will also enter a passive state of calm.
3. Reclining will affect many energy centers. For example, the throat chakra, which is located in the energy center of the throat, is affected whenever the neck is straightened or put down.
When performing a full backward tilt, all air wheels will be affected. However, the most affected and benefited chakra is the umbilical chakra, the third energy center, which is closely related to the abdominal plexus.
This chakra is also related to the pancreas. The pancreas has chemical effects on the stomach, liver and spleen. From the point of view of energy, all organs are interrelated and support each other.
The pancreas regulates the sugar content in the body by producing insulin. If the content of insulin is reduced, it will easily lead to diabetes, and muscles can no longer effectively use glucose. The function of the spleen is to distinguish between pure and impure food that everyone eats.
These physical functions and their related chakras also affect our mood. For example, our ability to distinguish the value of things is very important. When the energy of the spleen is blocked, it will lead to negative emotions, which will distract us, worry too much and feel "stagnant". In this way, the spleen affects our ability to make decisions and move on in life.
Lying posture is mainly divided into cat stretching, camel stretching, cobra pose, locust stretching, bow stretching, fish stretching, dog stretching and bridge stretching.
& lt sitting posture: spine bending >
Spinal torsion is particularly useful for arranging the position of various vertebrae, which can effectively twist the spine above the waist. These postures can gently massage the internal organs of the abdomen and provide fresh blood to nourish these organs. They can also enlarge the chest and create conditions for better breathing, especially through the chest.
Torsion of the spine revitalizes the nerve center of the nervous system, which extends from the spine to the periphery of the body. Therefore, these postures have greater influence on the autonomic nervous system than any other postures, especially on the vagus nerve. It has the function of sorting out and calming the body and mind; So it can not only make the body radiant, but also make the delicate chakra system full of vitality.
The autonomic nervous system is controlled by the brain stem and hypothalamus, which is responsible for all the body functions we don't know. These functions include digestion, respiration, gland and hormone secretion, heartbeat, blood circulation and kidney and liver functions.
Vagus nerve is an important part of the parasympathetic nervous system in our body, and it also affects the sympathetic nervous system. Parasympathetic nervous system is a quiet and relaxed part of autonomic nervous system, which can balance the activity and stimulation of sympathetic nervous system.
Vagus nerve extends from the brain to the spine and ends in the abdominal plexus. This nerve is related to seven energy centers (chakras), which are closely related to various sympathetic plexus in the body.
By making the nerve center full of vitality, energy and strength gather together, thus releasing the energy trapped in the body. In this way, energy can be better utilized. We can release energy by performing spinal torsion, and at the same time make all the subtle parts of the body and physical strength (related to the gas wheel) full of vitality.
Lying posture is mainly divided into spinal twist, sitting twist and crescent.
& lt standing posture >
In yoga, reflexive posture is very important for all postures. The purpose of reflexive posture is to restore your body symmetry after completing those asymmetrical standing postures, and at the same time, these reflexive postures can relax and stretch your thighs and spine.
Standing posture is mainly divided into mountain posture, squatting posture, bending posture, side bending posture, warrior first posture, warrior second posture, triangle stretching posture, rotating/rotating triangle posture and side triangle stretching posture.
& lt balance posture: balance between standing and hands >
Refers to the use of the body in a balanced or equal way, so that the body can move flexibly, pose and coordinate its limbs. It can calm your brain and concentrate.
Balance posture is mainly divided into tree posture, samurai posture, half moon posture, eagle posture, dance posture, balance posture, bracket posture, oblique bracket posture, peacock posture, rear bracket posture, crow posture and inverted posture.
& lt handstand posture >
The handstand posture is an indispensable part of yoga training. They can affect the function of the body in various ways, so that we can get physiological, psychological and spiritual benefits, and these gestures can also make the whole system full of vitality again. For example, they can relieve fatigue, insomnia, headache, varicose veins, digestive system diseases and excessive tension and anxiety.
Handstands are mainly divided into shoulder handstands, plow handstands, scorpion handstands and head handstands.
& lt rest and relaxation posture >;
Effective movements are often the time to exert maximum energy and the most relaxing time.
Relaxation posture is mainly divided into supine relaxation, horizontal heroic and half-length supine relaxation.
Classification of yoga
Yoga can be divided into six categories: wisdom yoga, career yoga, faith yoga, hatha yoga, raja yoga yoga and Kundalini yoga. Some yoga systems are not mainstream, so I won't introduce them.
According to the true meaning of yoga, it is inseparable, because no matter what kind of yoga, it is a tool to the spiritual world for practitioners. Different tools are used, and methods naturally come from many sources; It's just that modern people always want to emphasize that their tools are particularly good, so they unconsciously start to reject other tools. This idea finally affected more people. I make a distinction here, just hope that everyone can better understand the characteristics of yoga and make it particularly vivid. I hope you don't pay special attention to a certain method and ignore more important things.
Wisdom yoga advocates the cultivation of knowledge concepts, liberating from ignorance and reaching sacred knowledge in order to look forward to being one with Brahma. Wisdom yoga believes that knowledge can be divided into lower and higher levels. The so-called knowledge of ordinary people is limited to the external manifestations of life and matter. This kind of low-level knowledge can be obtained directly or indirectly. The knowledge sought by wisdom yoga requires yogis to turn inward in an instant and experience and understand Brahma, the god of creation, through the essence of all external things. By reading the ancient classics that are regarded as apocalypse, we can understand the real hidden meaning in the book and get the sacred truth. Yoga practitioners rely on yoga practice to enhance their vitality, open the Brahma chakra above their heads, let Brahma enter the body and gain supreme wisdom.
Yoga philosophy holds that the tangible body is only the inner existence or carrier of the soul. More important than it is the "subtle" body (breath), which surrounds the tangible body through many qi veins and energy centers. Yoga philosophy holds that practicing yoga can activate the body's functions.
The lower branches of patanjali trees pay attention to the tangible body, while the higher branches pay attention to the subtle body. Dissecting the latter, we can see that it consists of seven energy centers-chakras and more than 70 thousand nadir. By learning physical training to control breathing and yoga posture, you can control the flow of energy through your body and finally achieve spiritual perfection.
The seven chakras translated from Sanskrit are "chakras" and "circles", which are the energy centers that connect subtle bodies with tangible bodies. Chakras store all human energy or prana, and control the release of energy through breathing. Each chakra is associated with some physical ability or emotion, usually with an element. All chakras except the zenith chakra have their own spells.
These seven chakras are distributed on the main air vein in sequence and at certain intervals, and the midvein forms a vertical path along the spine. The first wheel is located at the bottom of the spine, which is the undersea wheel. It means the foundation or source of life, which is related to life and soil. The reproductive chakra (meaning "where the soul is") is where sexual desire and enjoyment lie, and belongs to water. The next one is the umbilical chakra, which means "the sun". It is related to or controls people's willpower and endurance. Heart chakra means "unbeaten", which is related to the victory of love and passion and dominates "Qi". The throat chakra dominates wisdom and creativity. The brow chakra is located in the center of forehead, which is related to perception and consciousness. The last chakra on the chakra is the zenith chakra, which symbolizes eternity and opens the door to wisdom.
Qi pulse diagram Qi pulse is woven into a network of Qi pulse throughout the body. The most basic qi pulse is the midrib, which forms a vertical channel along the spine and connects seven chakras. Located on both sides of the midvein are the secondary air veins, namely, the right pulse and the left pulse, which control the energy in the body and are opposite to each other-described as yin and yang or yin and yang poles, similar to the situation that the left hemisphere and the right hemisphere of the brain control different functions in the tangible body.