The Heart of a Yoga Practice: Dedicating your Efforts

Copyright 2006 Alanna Kaivalya There are a variety of reasons people begin practicing yoga. Many wonder what all the fuss is about, some have heard that it can help with flexibility and strength, and others wonder about the stress relief benefits. More than fifteen million Americans have stepped on the mat and have explored how yoga can enrich their lives, but many only see the physical benefits....

Continue Reading

Hatha Yoga

One of the many subsets of the 5000 year old system used to increase the well being of the mind, body and spirit, is known as Hatha Yoga. In Hatha Yoga participants combine a series of stretching exercises referred to as asanas, specialized breathing techniques and mental concentration. In fact, the famous Lotus position is one of the many asanas used in Hatha Yoga. The goal of the using Hatha...

Continue Reading

Yoga and Meditation Meets Science - Anatomy of Yoga

Everyone learns differently, learning about yoga and meditation is no different. Some people try out yoga because their friends are trying it - word-of-mouth is enough to get them started. Others choose to start yoga and meditation driven mainly by a health scare, or a chronic health condition such as back pain, arthritis - even temporary conditions such as weight loss and pregnancy can benefit from yoga and meditation. Then, there are those (and I happen to fall into this camp) who like to understand WHY something works. Not necessarily a scientist, but we would like to know enough about...

Continue Reading

Tracing the History of Yoga

The history of Yoga has a lot to do with the present times. Yoga started some 5000 years ago when human civilization has only begun. Scholars have believed that Yoga was originated out of Stone Age Shamanism'. This is because there were some cultural similarities between Mehrgarh which was a Neolithic settlement and the Modern Hinduism. The shamanistic culture of Mergarh was in fact influenced by Hindu ideals, symbols and rituals of the present. The ancient shamanism and early Yoga had so much similarity for the reason both wanted to go beyond the human condition. Shamanism's primary goal...

Continue Reading