It’s quite natural that all of us want to lead a healthy life. Size zero, six pack abs, slim and lean looks are on high rise these days, but they come at the cost of a rigid and strict workout regime. Yet no matter what physique we achieve, these workouts stand incomplete without Yoga.
Yoga: The Complete Workout
Workouts and diet control can help us stay fresh and fit but they often fail to nourish the most important element of our being, that is our “mind”. Health is the first and foremost wealth! In striving for this we become superficial fitness addicts trying to achieve “physical wealth”, in the same way a shopaholic strives for the perception of material wealth. So some people can be workout-aholics, here is where I ask you: are you in love with Yoga?
We are all humans and apart from our physical bodies we have an emotional identity which is controlled by our mind; in conventional wisdom we call it a subtle body. As we all strive for equilibrium in our lives, often we forget that our workouts and daily activities do not nourish our mind but rather burn our mind. A one stop solution for holistic fitness is to practice Yoga.
Yoga for the Mind and Soul
Yoga is a science of holistic care for the body, mind and soul. Practicing Yoga isn’t just about doing the exercise, it requires you to practice a positive approach towards life. While doing exercises one has to maintain the mental decorum of positivity, while at the same time holding physical postures to ensure overall exercises of the body. One such example is “Pranayama”, a breathing exercise of the utmost importance.
It requires inhaling and exhaling of air, and while practicing pranayama the yoga teacher always advises students to align their minds in such a way that while breathing one should imagine taking in positive energy and while exhaling one is ejecting all negative emotions.
Apart from keeping the mind healthy, the act of holding the body in a position (postures known as “Asanas”) helps to keep our physical bodies fit and disease free. In fact it has been proven that Yoga has had positive effects for detoxification, stomach ailments, heart diseases, diabetes, depression and stress.
One way to kickoff the day is with upbeat music accompanying an intensive workout. This gets you all set and supercharged for the rest of the day but may end in fatigue or an unknown mood. A person practicing Yoga on the other hand is usually calm and joyous and never develops extreme emotions. Yogic philosophy advocates peace and calmness in life and daily practice of yoga will ensure that you develop the emotional intelligence to deal with any situation in life.
Tap Your Hidden Potential with Yoga
With regular practice of yoga one can connect with their inner self and tap the hidden potential of their mind. From career building, work-life balance, or your overall lifestyle, regular practice of yoga can drastically the important parts of one’s life.
Perhaps that’s why Buddha rightly said
“What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind”.
If you are keen to start Yoga, the best way is to attend yoga sessions with a trainer. These days there are even a couple of virtual sessions online that you can do from the comfort of your home. Regular practice of Yoga is a must, particularly during early morning hours. Consistency is the key to achieving the best results on a gross and subtle level. As I mentioned earlier Yoga is a way of life and therefore a practitioner should be determined and patient enough to follow its regime on a daily basis.
