It was about a two years ago when I started my interest in doing Yoga. It has done so many great things for me hence I would find great pleasure to be able to share my experience of Yoga with you. Quite honestly, I have not been keeping up with it the past few months so I really felt I had the need to do this as a routine once again. I want to motivate myself again by telling myself and sharing to everyone about doing yoga for a radiantly sexy and healthy body and mind.
Let me start by saying that Yoga is right living. This definition may appear to be simple, but really it is very significant, for the meaning of right living is very wide. Yoga offers us simple, easy remedies, techniques and methods of health and hygiene to assure physical and mental fitness with a minimum of time, effort and expense. Please bear in mind that Yoga is neither a sect nor an ideology but a practical training of mind and body. It is where I learned a technique for achieving purest form of self-awareness, devoid of all thoughts.
How can Yoga give a radiantly healthy body and mind? Yoga is an ancient discipline designed to bring balance and health to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of the individual. Yoga is often depicted metaphorically as a tree and comprises eight aspects, or ‘‘limbs:’’ yama (universal ethics), niyama (individual ethics), asana (physical postures), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (control of the senses), dharana (concentration), dyana (meditation), and samadhi (bliss).
The person that inspired me the most in doing Yoga is Tara Stiles. If you have been doing Yoga, you may have known her as she is very popular. She was named “Yoga Rebel” by the New York Times and has inspired a wide audience around the world with her relatable approaches to yoga, meditation, exercise, awareness, nutrition, and everyday well-being. Tara is the founder and owner of Strala Yoga, widely known for its unpretentious, inclusive, and straightforward approach to yoga and meditation. Jane Fonda named Tara “the new face of fitness” and Vanity Fair declared her the “Coolest Yoga Instructor Ever.” She’s truly amazing on what she does and what she has contributed to many people on Yoga.
Tara authored the following books about Yoga:
Here is a couple of step by step Yoga Postures:
Posture: The Salutation Pose
- Sit comfortably in the thunderbolt pose.
- Kneel up on your knees until your back, buttocks and thighs are aligned.
- Extend your left foot forward bending your left knee at about a 90 degree angle.
- Place the palms of your hands together at the heart in the anjali-mudra.
- Raise your arms straight up keeping the palms together while bending the head backward and looking up.
- Slowly bend backward stretching the arms backward and straightening out the right leg. Hold this position for as long as comfortable while breathing gently through the nostrils.
- Come back to the thunderbolt pose then reverse the posture by alternating legs.
This posture delivers great benefits for the back, arms, chest, legs and hips. Regular practice will strengthen concentration and improve balance. Perform this posture with a sense of reverence and praise. Take a moment to reside in silence and peace as your hands are held at the heart in the gesture of salutation. Keep the intention of praise in mind as you extend your arms skyward. Feel your entire body-mind-heart extending outward in recognition of the sacredness of life.
Posture: The Half Spinal Twist Pose
- Sit in any comfortable cross-legged position.
- Straighten the legs out in front. Bend the right knee and bring the heel of the right foot close to the left hip.
- Inhale and bend the left knee upward and place the left foot flat on the floor to the right of the right leg with the ankle touching the right thigh.
- While turning the spine to the left straighten the right arm bringing it around to the outside of the left knee and grasp the left foot with the right hand.
- Turn your head as far as possible to the left and bend the left arm behind your back. Keep your spine, neck and head aligned and continue to exert effort at turning to the left.
- Repeat the posture the other side by reversing directions 2-6.
The Half Spinal Twist is one of the best Yoga postures for cultivating flexibility and strength in the spine. It soothes stiff necks and upper back tension caused by stress, poor posture, or prolonged periods of sitting in one position. The alternating compression and release of the abdominal region flushes this area with blood and massages the internal organs. Muscles of the stomach and hips are also toned from repeated practice of
the Half Spinal Twist. The posture can be held for as long as you are comfortable. (One repetition consists of performing the posture on each side. Two to three full repetitions should be done at each session.
Doing yoga will give you an increased awareness of your own body and increase your level of comfort, thus improving your self-acceptance and increasing your self-awareness which can then can lead to improved posture and greater self-confidence. I really believe that if people will be able to experience and feel the therapeutic effects and see themselves transforming into healthy living through regular Yoga practice, not only that we will have a radiantly sexy and healthy body and mind but also will have an attitude of compassion towards others and a happier, more joyful, and gratifying life.
Yoga DVDs and starter kits that you might be interested in:
