An Informative Guide to Yoga for Stress Release and Mind-Body Rejuvenation – Benefits, Postures, Relation with Meditation and Yoga Centers

An Informative Guide to Yoga for Stress Release and Mind-Body Rejuvenation – Benefits, Postures, Relation with Meditation and Yoga Centers

Yoga, the traditional art of discipline, is a living process that can be learned via the acquisition of knowledge and exploration. One can never understand yoga with visible attainment because it is quite static and for learning, you have to loosen up your body and show some movements.

Yoga is about learning how the different field of energy is used by the body and mind. In yoga, you can free the trapped energy without any limitations on both physical and mental levels. The ancient art of Yoga explains the fact that though mind and body are dual entities, they are mono at the same time, interacting, affecting, and interlinked with each other.

By saying that yoga gives freedom, we imply that it liberates our mind and body from pain, fear, anger, fear of death, aging, sorrow, ego, and all sorts of worldly attachments. The human body and mind always desire and it is yoga as a discipline that guides us to overcome it. But the desire to be free from desires is a desire itself. Paradoxical! Isn’t it?

So the question that ultimately arises is – How to become free from this spiritual irony?

In this guide you will read about what is yoga good for and more:

An Informative Guide to Yoga for Stress Release and Mind-Body Rejuvenation – Benefits, Postures, Relation with Meditation and Yoga Centers

How does yoga affect the body, mind, and soul: benefits of yoga

Group of young Vietnamese people meditating outdoor

If something is preventing you to experience the present you can always try meditation. It always helps you to conquer such a dilemma. You can try other ways like Hatha, the physical Yoga, and Jnana – the mental Yoga. In Hatha Yoga, the physical body is the target, but in Jnana Yoga,it targets yours spiritually for a healthier existence.

In Hatha yoga, you use different postures to explore the body and it automatically helps in the relaxation of the body and mind. These postures are very refined tools of Hatha yoga. Yoga is the process of opening up and going beyond the conceptual limit but the term, ‘mastering yoga’ is a myth. This is because Yoga is an endless, infinite process, which none can master.

There is one problem related to Hatha Yoga, which pertains to the fact that it uses postures. Now, as the postures constitute mechanical exercises, they might cause fatigue, and dullness and sometimes resist you from doing yoga. But the mind is much more advanced than the body so that might not be the same with Jnana Yoga.

Hatha yoga makes the body stronger with more flexibility and on the other hand, Jnana yoga stretches and strengthens the mental ability, which makes an individual think creatively and harmoniously. So, Hatha Yoga and Jnana Yoga are the two sides of the coin that help explore the inner self.

Apart from that, there are some traditional yoga processes like Karma yoga and Raja yoga. Tantric Yoga is mainly concerned with the merging of the male and the female. Bhakti is said to be the devotional part of yoga. For thousands of years, Yoga has always been defined as the combination of both traditional and personal experiences.

Yoga, over the years, has developed itself as a craft that gives humans the pleasure of enjoying life in a healthier body and a sane, powerful mind!

Meditation to relieve stress and the importance of ‘Raja Yoga’

woman practices yoga and meditates in the lotus position on the field. Healthy lifestyle and Yoga concept.

Stress has become an integral part of our lives and whether we are at work or anywhere else, we have to face it. There are many health risks of stress starting from the development of destructive behavior to chances of heart attacks and other diseases linked to stressful living. Thus, it is imperative to control stress if we want to regain our physical as well as mental health and Raja Yoga can be an answer to stress. You can practice yoga at home to reduce stress and enhance bodily health.

Meditation to Reduce Stress

Yoga at park. Senior couple sitting in lotus pose on green grass in calm and meditation

Meditation is the best way of reducing stress and in scientific studies, it has now been confirmed that meditation can boost your physical as well as mental health as well as increase memory power and learning capacity. Several brain scans have been performed on people before they do meditation and after meditation completes. The scans clearly show a reduction in stress after meditation as compared to scans performed before meditation.

Meditation and Raja Yoga

Woman Practicing Yoga near the Ocean at Sunset

One form of yoga that puts more emphasis on meditation is Raja Yoga and it includes all the 8 steps that are part of Patanjali Yoga. Many people do not know that Raja yoga originated before earlier civilizations started using written text. The term Raja means King and indicates the power mind has. This form of yoga is now being used for several centuries by “rishis” (saints) to unite together to achieve enlightenment, the final goal being to merge oneself with the almighty.

Benefits of Raja Yoga

Flowing bloodcells

The benefit of doing this yoga at home is that it helps in relaxing your mind and opening up your conscious inner self the main emphasis of this form of yoga is on meditation. Some of the other benefits include stimulation of glands, improvement in blood circulation, and strengthening of muscles.

If you practice Raja Yoga regularly then you will notice an improvement in concentration as well as memory power and allow you to control your emotional commotions.

Yoga is very useful for the development of the mind as well as the body. The benefits of yoga have been proved scientifically also and it is now quite popular all over the world. Raja yoga is another form of yoga that puts more emphasis on meditation for the reduction of stress levels and relaxing the mind. Nowadays as stress is becoming one of the major concerns leading to several types of diseases, physical and mental, the practice of Raja Yoga is becoming even more important now.

Ways to release stress during your yoga classes

 group of women meditating in lotus pose outdoor on wooden terrace.

Yoga is supposed to relieve you of stress. So it seems weird that yoga classes might become the reason for your stress and anxiety. Don’t let this happen to you. Yoga is an anxiety buster and let it remain so. There can be various reasons that make you tense. Let’s look at some of them.

If you have joined some yoga classes, you need to be punctual and reach the class in time. If you are disorganized, there is every possibility that you have to rush to the class so that you reach there on time, with the consequence that you start your exercises on a nervous note. It is better to reach the class a little early and relax before you start with your exercises. If you are calm and composed before your yoga class, you will reap more benefits from the exercises.

Sometimes people start comparing themselves with other people in the class. They might do certain poses better than you. You should remember that nobody is the same and everyone has some or other limitations. Do not overstretch yourself, and do not compare your abilities with the person next to you. Know your physical limitations, and do only as much as you are comfortable doing. Sometimes in our eagerness to outdo others we may overstretch ourselves or do a pose incorrectly, which might result in an injury. Yoga for beginners should be performed under an experienced yoga instructor.

Try to follow your instructor and pay attention to your posture. It is also very important to practice under the guidance of a good and knowledgeable instructor. He should understand your body and your limitations, and guide you according to your physical abilities. Wrong postures might harm you instead of doing any good to your health. Moreover, a good instructor will also guide you about breathing along with various poses. You have to inhale or exhale according to various poses, to get better benefits from these exercises. Choosing a good instructor is half the battle won.

Being regular with your exercise is very good for your health. At times, you may not be in perfect health. It is all right to miss a few classes. You can occasionally do the exercises at home whenever it is convenient for you. Try to join the classes where timings are flexible. Do not get affected by other people in the class. Try to relax and be happy instead of fretting about a congested class, or an irritating person near you. A positive and adjusting outlook is very helpful.

Five Yoga principles and their objectives

Young woman meditating with her eyes closed, practicing Yoga with hands in prayer position.

Yoga, an ancient form of Hindu discipline is composed of certain principles which are followed by all dedicated Yoga practitioners. There are five main principles of Yoga and each one of them is formed to help a Yogi achieve a healthy state of mind and body. The following are the five principles of Yoga through which you can attain peace of mind and body:

  • Proper Relaxation

rear view of woman practicing yoga in lotus pose in the forest (Park) with green leaves

The goal of this principle is to achieve inner peace by refreshing and relaxing your whole body. It encourages you to release the tension that builds up in your muscles and put your entire body at rest. Revitalizing your nervous system offers you a feeling of relaxation and then allows you to carry this feeling into your daily activities. This principle helps you to conserve your energy and also gives you the ability to get over your worries and fears. A wellness retreat in India includes yoga to allow people to overcome stress and anxiety. You can visit a retreat to learn yoga for beginners after which you can practice it correctly at home.

  • Proper Exercise

A group of young people do yoga in the Park at sunset

The aim of this principle is to make your body physically active. The human body requires exercise and movement for proper functioning and with the help of various Asanas or Yoga postures, you can achieve this easily. By practicing Yoga postures you can enhance your physical flexibility and tone your muscles and ligaments which eventually lead to improved blood circulation in your body. Yoga postures are designed to regulate the physiological functions of your entire body which in turn provides you with proper strength and energy. If you visit any wellness retreat in India or wellness retreat in the world or a yoga center, you will be able to learn the yoga poses beneficial for your body.

  • Proper Breathing

Close up photo of two caucasian yogi breathing deeply with one nostril during yoga class

This principle allows you to breathe fully and in a rhythmic manner to increase your oxygen intake by using every part of your respiratory system. Practicing proper breathing starts with deep breathing followed by slow and rhythmical breathing. To exercise proper breathing, you must learn how to regulate the inhalation and exhalation process in synchronization to a definite length and time. This principle helps you achieve the ability to recharge your body, both physically and mentally, simply by controlling the flow of air in your lungs.

  • Proper Diet

This guy is very delight of junk food.

Yoga helps you to attain self-awareness as well as spiritual awareness and improper diet can be a major hindrance to reaching this goal. A healthy diet not only nourishes your body but also your mind and so, the principle of proper diet encourages you to eat when you are hungry and in moderation. An unhealthy eating habit not only causes various physical ailments but can also result in mental inefficiency. Any

  • Meditation and Positive Thinking

Woman and man doing yoga with lotus position on summer beach

This principle suggests you keep a positive outlook in your life as your way of thinkingplays a great role in your way of life. Moreover, positive thinking along with meditation facilitates the growth of a peaceful mind by removing all your negative thoughts and providing you with the ability to control your mind.

Yoga makes the best of your physical and emotional health

Two young girls practicing stretching and yoga workout exercise together on the terrace

Yoga is a centuries-old practice that people do to maintain their physical and emotional well-being. It is an ideal way to strengthen body muscles; it removes stiffness and makes joints flexible. Besides this, yoga makes our immune system stronger which enables the body to fight so many diseases. Yoga is beneficial not just for physical health, it is equally good for as well.

What is yoga good for?

Major Depressive Disorder called MDD concept

Life today is so busy and stressful that it takes a toll on our health. All of us keep running behind on material pursuits and we hardly get time to take care of our physical and mental health. Even a successful person sometimes lacks inner peace, and this is why there are more instances of people with poor mental health. If a person does not enjoy good mental and emotional health, he can never be happy and healthy. Stress today is the biggest reason responsible for many physical ailments that are on the rise. Therefore, the need of the hour is to eliminate stress from our lives, and what other better way it could be than to practice yoga to gain flawless emotional health?So what is yoga good for – Let’s take a look at some of the reasons:

Yoga benefits the body and mind

Young woman practising yoga at the beach.

Yoga practice enables a person to develop complete control over emotions and moods, thus bringing feelings of happiness and relaxation to one’s life. It gives us the power to deal with all our emotions in the best possible way, without harming ourselves and the people related to us. Many of us experience a fire within us, the fire of emotions. It is a situation wherein a person feels uneasy with the emotions. Yoga is a sure-shot remedy to put off the fire of emotions and aggression inside a person.

The breathing patterns that we use while doing yoga poses have a magical effect on our minds Majority of the mental and physical problems take place when our mind, body, and emotions are not in balance. Breathing brings harmony amongst these three aspects and human being starts feeling happy and healthy. When a person experiences all good feelings after an initial practice of yoga, he gets motivated and makes it a point to do yoga every single day. Relaxing at a wellness retreat in the world will give you the added benefit of learning yoga asanas you can practice at home to control your emotions.

Yoga is a balm for your troubles

people doing yoga

Today, yoga is believed to be the best solution to cure stress and depression in a harmless way, which is in contrast to medication that often comes with side effects. Yoga brings into use numerous breathing techniques that enable a person to calm down and release stress. All breathing techniques aim to affect the expression of emotions, mood, and mental level of a person. “Ujjayi” is the most common and most helpful breathing technique that helps people to regain their lost peace of mind. The inhalation and exhalation pattern used in Ujjayi enhances the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the calming response of the body.

People who practice yoga everyday experience the calming and soothing effect of yoga on their emotions. All of us usually suppress and hide our emotions, as we are suspicious regarding the consequences of our outbursts of emotions. Doing this creates a fire of emotions within us, which hurts us and other people as well.

Yoga teaches us to embrace all our emotions and to confront them rather than their suppression. It would be fair to say that yoga is a superb tool for physical health and even better for the emotional health of a person.

How does yoga help develop gratitude among practitioners?

Group of people are sitting outdoors on grass with eyes closed. Photo from back of instructor

It is a known fact that yoga helps tone the body and soothe the mind. However, not many know that yoga offers much more than just physical and mental exercises. Yoga can be considered a multifaceted gem that can reflect a different colored light depending on the amount of light that hits it at any one point. Similarly, the way an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions govern him/her would depend to an extent on how he/she approaches them in the first place.

The yoga stances that we practice regularly have the ability to draw out certain parts of our physical and mental areas dealing with strength, balance, flexibility, love, trust, gratitude, etc. which we can otherwise not access at normal times. Interestingly, yoga seems to influence the emotional traits of the body in a positive sense as well.

For instance, the yoga poses dealing with backbends allow an individual to tap into the power stored in the back body, thereby allowing him/her to open up more fully to near and dear ones. Therefore, visualizing difficult situations while practicing these backbends would enable an individual to open up to the problem and handle it more effectively. This in turn would make it easier for an individual to open up to challenges and face them headlong during his/her day.

Yoga can deeply affect the gratitude we feel in our hearts for things we are not normally grateful for or take for granted. It can also help us in times when we don’t feel grateful for anything. A good yoga session would help us overcome negative thoughts about life and start a new inning by embracing everything that is still alive and waiting to welcome us.

Yoga helps us understand the quality of life rather than the quantity of what we have. It helps us realize the quality of our own body, starting from the heartbeat to the breath, to the skin. It also helps us feel strong at one instant and completely vulnerable and liberating at the other.

Developing gratitude through yoga would enable us to feel grateful for so many things that remain around us after everything else seems to have disappeared. Gratitude, in turn, can help us make peace with our turbulent minds, thus giving us a deep sense of joy and peace.

Yoga and meditation centers in India

Young woman doing yoga

India has been an attraction for many who seek spirituality, self-realization, and serenity. There are many such ashrams and retreat spots that teach you the ancient Indian practices of meditation, yoga, and Ayurveda. These comprise of meditation centers, luxury spas, and massage centers. These are spread across the Himalayas, and down to the South.

Some of the well-known centers are mentioned below:

Art of Living Ashram

Art of Living Ashram

Image Source : bangaloreashram.org

Situated in Bangalore, this Ashram is spread across 65 acres of land. It is located on the peak of the Panchagiri Hills and gives a serene ashram experience. It is surrounded by mountains, garden lakes, and organic farms. A peaceful and calm place, this ashram has visitors from all across the world. They are seen voluntarily helping in the daily chores such as cooking, cleaning, and maintaining the ashram.

Osho Meditation Resort

Osho Meditation Resort Pune

Image Source : osho.com

This is located in the hub of Pune called Koregaon Park. Even if it is in the middle of the bustling city, the gardens provide natural calm and serenity. It offers both natural and traditional experiences along with luxury getaways. One can get a course on meditation here. It has organic gardens, a swimming pool, and a pathway made of marble stone. Single occupancy here costs $55 every night. This resort has become famous as a sought-after wellness resort in the world and in India.

Tushita Meditation Center

Tushita Meditation Center

Image Source : tushita.info

Located at Dharamsala in North India, Tushita Meditation Center has Buddhist roots. It’s an experience to get back to the simple basics and reconnect with the soul. Silence is a primary virtue with meditation classes conducted every day. The Dalai Lama’s nearby residence is a must-visit.

Ashiyana Yoga Retreat

Ashiyana Yoga Retreat

Image Source : ashiyana.com

A perfect retreat to get rid of the busy life, this place is located near the Mandrem River. It provides therapies, nutritious meals, and exercises that can be refreshing. It comprises three packages which can be chosen as per your requirements. The stay can be of a minimum of 7 days and can range up to 21 days. This wellness resort in India will help you learn to live a holistic lifestyle.

Shreyas Yoga Retreat

Shreyas Yoga Retreat

Image Source : shreyasretreat.com

Situated in Bangalore, this is a center for relaxation classes, spas, meditation sessions, and organic vegetation. It stretches across 25 acres of land and is at a distance of an hour from the airport. It has tents that cost $280 every night. This place offers luxury in sync with nature. A perfect getaway for people who are under tremendous stress and need some ‘me’ time.

These resorts can be a perfect holiday destination if your aim is to practice Yoga and meditation. Most of these are situated in places that blend with nature and are true to the principles of Yoga.

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