A Different Perspective About Yoga
From our earlier articles you have already come to know what Yoga is, and gained knowledge on the different Types Of Yoga as well as their benefits. Now we will focus on the importance of regular Yoga practice in coping up with today’s exceptionally busy and highly stressful life.
But before we delve further on the importance of Yoga to people from all walks of life, allow me to introduce you to (perhaps) a new perspective about Yoga.
“We Are All Practicing Yoga In Daily Life Already, Whether We Realize It Or Not”
What do I mean by that?
Well, Yoga at its core was created as a means for people from all walks of life to live healthier, more balanced and peaceful lives. As mentioned before, Yoga isn’t just a form of exercise nor is it just about the Asanas (yoga poses). There are the Eight Limbs of Yoga which were meant to help people cultivate and develop the inner resources needed to cope with daily life and to reach higher levels of serenity (or even enlightenment). Out of the Eight Limbs (pathways) of Yoga, only one is focused on physical practice – that is Asana. The other limbs focus on morality, personal observances or awareness, breathing, controlling our senses, concentration, devotion and a belief in the connection with a higher power (our creator).
Think about it. Don’t most people, to some extent and to varying degrees, already make some or all those other limbs of Yoga a part of daily life? Of course they do. I’m willing to hallucinate that even you do!
This is what I meant when I said that we are all, already practicing Yoga in daily life! Most of us may not have been aware of it before, but you are now. So now, it is really a question of how much focus you want to consciously place on developing all the aspects of Yoga in daily life – in your own personal life.
You don’t have to of course, but perhaps, since you are already doing some form of Yoga in daily life anyway, why not engage it with a more positive and conscious intent…
Going Beyond Exercise
We are all dealing with busy lives and adding another daily event can make this fast-paced life even worse. So why bother adding another event like practicing Yoga which will require more time? And, if you are already engaged in other exercise schedules, then why add another form of physical activity? Let’s explore those questions and answers.
Yoga is not merely an exercise for physical fitness. It’s a physio-spiritual method, which is basically designed to unite the MIND, the BODY along with the SPIRIT. And mind-body alignment is important to promote better overall performance and function. Yoga is known to be one of the most effective and easiest forms of practices that delivers impressive physiological and psychological benefits, which are important for equipping people for coping with today’s frenzied pace and demanding lifestyle.
Yoga As A Strategy To Cope With Modern Daily Life
Today’s socio-economic upheavals contribute to the massive stress placed on the human mind. People from all sectors of society have become victims of this stress. Performing physical exercises is not enough to avoid this stress. So often, we will hear people (and even doctors) say things similar to “I need to workout to get this stress and energy out of my system!”
We have been conditioned to believe that exercise will solve our stress issues. That is a half truth. It provides temporary relief from the stress you are feeling and that is building up, but it doesn’t remove it or reduce it. There’s a fine line between the “reducing” and “temporary relief.”
As such, we need a method that does not only involve physical exercise but also has some nutrition for the mind. The mind, brain and body are interlinked whether we like it or not. Stress is created in the mind but tends to show itself through the body for example, by aging faster, the manifestations of digestive disorders, eating problems, sleep problems and a whole lot more.
Yoga is the only method that has taken into account all these elements and has included meditation and breathing exercises as part of the “program” in order to reduce and even eliminate stress.
Yoga For Students
It is very unfortunate that the “sink or swim” approach of the modern educational system places excessive stress on the minds of students. Most of the time, they feel exhausted and thoroughly drained from trying to cope with demanding schedules, excessive study loads, anxiety over strained human interactions and relationships, dealing with life issues and so much more.
It is now evident that Yogic techniques are more effective than traditional therapies in improving concentration. Yoga creates an intimate relationship between the body, breath and mind. Thus, it assists students in fighting off exhaustion, tamp down anxiety and stay centered.
Yoga For Teens
Most teens report experiencing stress from different sources — from peer interactions, socio-cultural issues, personal relationships, etc. Stress generally arises from a mismatch between perceived demands and perceived ability to cope. Practicing Yoga can aid teenagers to better cope with the environment and fight the pervasive insecurity and fear, along with the myriad concerns and issues common among teenagers.
Stressors that are commonly identified include unsatisfactory family or personal relationships, excessive study workload and consequent lack of time for social and recreational activities. Practicing Yoga can be the solution for all these problems by helping enhance relationship skills; practicing meditation improves concentration and Group Yoga increases social involvement.
Yoga For Business People
The current economic slump has significantly made the business world even harder and more stressful than ever before. Business people feel exhausted and discontent, with the incessant need to constantly race towards the top or at least keep up with the rest of the pack.
A recent survey shows that cardiovascular diseases have increased more than 20% among business people in the past two decades.
Stress is closely associated with certain chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, insomnia as well as back pain, all of which have also been shown to significantly increase among business people. Yoga can be the ultimate weapon in fighting these deadly diseases by helping the body, mind and spirit to cope and deal with day to day stresses effectively. Yoga for Stress gives you a
Yoga For Corporate Managers
Stress is made up of intricate complex of thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and physical symptoms that arise out of the relationship between a person and his or her environment. And as many intimately know, unhealthy corporate environment creates stress. The excessively busy corporate life makes managers susceptible preys to certain chronic dysfunctions and diseases such as asthma, arthritis along with a number of circulatory or digestive problems, insomnia, hypertension and back pain.
Any solution? Fortunately the answer is, Yes! Practicing Yoga on a regular basis can become a lifesaver, preventing business people from becoming helpless victims of these silent but deadly diseases.
Yoga And Time Management
Now let us focus on time management. Most of the corporate professionals are so busy that they barely have time to enjoy even the simple pleasures of family dinners. So where is the time for exercising? Once again here is a solution. Unlike other exercises, practicing Yoga does not require a lot of time or elaborate preparation. Other exercises which only focus on physical activities need a lot of time and expensive equipment. But Yoga is the only method which hardly needs any equipment except for Yoga balls, Yoga benches, mat, etc.
Increased Life Expectancy
Famous medical journal Lancet reports that ‘with just a minimum of 15 minutes exercise performed on a daily basis can effectively boost the life expectancy of a person by 3 years. It is also known to cut down the risk of death by as much as 14%’. In addition, a recent research conducted in Taiwan shows that performing more than 15 minutes of Yoga can lead to further life gains. Furthermore, for every additional 15 minutes spent on regular daily exercise, can further lower all-cause death rates by another 4%.
Compared to other exercises that require more time to be able to deliver the same important benefits, it takes only half the time for Yoga to achieve the said benefits.
Suffice it to say, practicing Yoga 15 minutes a day is good, 30 minutes is better and 1 hour is excellent.
