FAQ's
What is yoga? Developed in India, Yoga
is the name given to an ancient practice that helps to
create a sense of union in all aspects of ourselves; in
body, mind, and spirit. People have been practicing yoga
for thousands of years in order to feel at peace with
themselves. The word "Yoga" means union.
What is Hatha yoga? This is what most people think of
as yoga. Here you find the physical postures, poses, and
exercises that work directly on the body and, in turn,
on the mind. People are attracted to Hatha yoga because
its benefits are felt immediately. It relaxes the body,
clams the mind, and brings greater awareness to your life.
What
are the benefits of yoga?
More importantly, yoga is extremely effective in:
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Increasing Flexibility – yoga has
positions that act upon the various joints of the body including
those joints that are never really on the ‘radar screen’ let alone
exercised. |
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Increasing lubrication of the joints,
ligaments and tendons – likewise, the well-researched yoga
positions exercise the different tendons and ligaments of the
body.
Surprisingly it has been found that the body
which may have been quite rigid starts experiencing a remarkable
flexibility in even those parts which have not been consciously
work upon. Why? It is here that the remarkable research behind
yoga positions proves its mettle. Seemingly unrelated “non
strenuous” yoga positions act upon certain parts of the body in an
interrelated manner. When done together, they work in harmony to
create a situation where flexibility is attained relatively
easily. |
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Complete Detoxification – By gently
stretching muscles and joints as well as massaging the various
organs, yoga ensures the optimum blood supply to various parts of
the body. This helps in the flushing out of toxins from every nook
and cranny as well as providing nourishment up to the last point.
This leads to benefits such as delayed ageing, energy and a
remarkable zest for life. |
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Excellent toning of the muscles – Muscles that have become flaccid, weak or slothy are stimulated
repeatedly to shed excess flab and flaccidity. |
But these enormous physical benefits are just a
“side effect” of this powerful practice. What yoga does is
harmonize the mind with the body and this results in real quantum
benefits. It is now an open secret that the will of the mind has
enabled people to achieve extraordinary physical feats, which
proves beyond doubtthe mind and body connection.
Yoga through meditation works remarkably to
achieve this harmony and helps the mind work in sync with the
body. How often do we find that we are unable to perform our
activities properly and in a satisfying manner because of the
confusions and conflicts in our mind weigh down heavily upon us?
Moreover, stress which in reality is the #1 killer affecting all
parts of our physical, endocrinal and emotional systems can be
corrected through the wonderful yoga practice of meditation.
In fact yoga = meditation, because both work
together in achieving the common goal of unity of mind, body and
spirit – a state of eternal bliss.
The meditative practices through yoga help in
achieving an emotional balance through detachment. What it means
is that meditation creates conditions, where you are not affected
by the happenings around you. This in turn creates a remarkable
calmness and a positive outlook, which also has tremendous
benefits on the physical health of the body.
These are just some of the tangible benefits
that can be achieved through yoga.
Having seen this, it is educative to note why
the ancient yogis performed yoga and the interdependence of yoga
and meditation. The ultimate goal of the yogis was “self
realization” or “enlightenment”, a concept, which perhaps is quite
esoteric to you and me.
But what is interesting is that for this they
had to meditate for extensive spells of time – days,weeks and much
more. This required tremendous physical fitness, energy and the
capacity to subsist on next to nothing. Yoga positions or asanas
provided them the fullest fitness with the least metabolism or
stress and meditation in turn provided them the strength and will
to perform these asanas effectively – a virtuous cycle of cause
and effect. This mutually symbiotic relationship helped them in
their path.
from Healthand yoga.com |
What types of yoga are practiced a Park City Yoga Studio?
You can read any of the class descriptions by going to our class schedule page and clicking on a specific class to see the description. Go to Classes
Is
yoga a religion?
Yoga is not a religion. It is a philosophy that began
in India an estimated 5,000 years ago. The Yoga Sutra
scriptures provide a framework for spiritual growth and
mastery over the physical and mental body. Yoga sometimes
interweaves other philosophies such as Hinduism or Buddhism,
but it is not necessary to study those paths in order
to practice or study yoga.
Is
yoga stretching?
Pantanjali’s eight-fold path illustrates how the
physical practice is just one aspect of yoga. Even within
the physical practice, yoga is unique because we connect
the movement of the body and the fluctuations of the mind
to the rhythm of our breath. Connecting the mind, body,
and breath helps us to direct our attention inward. Through
this process of inward attention, we learn to recognize
our habitual thought patterns without labeling them, judging
them or trying to change them. We become more aware of
our experiences frm moment to moment. The awareness that
we cultivate is what makes yoga a practice, rather than
a task or a goal to be completed. Your body will most
likely become much more flexible by doing yoga, and so
will your mind.
How
many times per week should you practice?
Yoga is amazing - even if you only practice for one hour
a week, you will experience the benefits of the practice.
If you can do more that, you will certainly experience
more benefits. We suggest starting with two or three times
a week, for an hour or an hour and a half each time. If
you can only do 20 minutes per session, that’s fine
too. Don’t let time constraints or unrealistic goals
be an obstacle - do what you can do and don’t worry
about it. You will likely find that after a while your
desire to practice expands naturally and you will find
yourself doing more and more.
What
does Om mean?
Om is a mantra, or vibration, that is traditionally chanted
at the beginning and end of yoga sessions. It is said
to be the sound of the universe. What does that mean?
Somehow the ancient yogis knew what scientists today are
telling us - that the entire universe is moving. Nothing
is ever solid or still. Everything that exists pulsates,
creating a rhythmic vibration that the ancient yogis acknowledged
with the sound of Om. We many not always be aware of this
sound in our daily lives, but we can hear it in the rustling
of autumn leaves, the waves on the shore, and the inside
of a seashell. Chanting Om allows us to recognize our
experience as a reflection of how the whole universe moves
the setting sun, the rising moon, the ebb and flow of
the tides, the beating of our hearts. As we chant Om,
it takes us for a ride on this universal movement, through
our breath, our awareness, and our physical energy, and
we begin to sense a bigger connection that is both uplifting
and soothing.
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