Why Learn Yoga in India

India, where yoga was invented, or rather, where he developed.  Thousands and thousands of years ago.  Although the official age of yoga is around 5,000 years, sages, sadhus, gurus - all that you will be - practiced Vedic art long before yoga is taught as a philosophy and as submitted in writing or via the extortionate price classes.  What were the Celts - later as the British, to be colonizers of India - doing the same time?  Of course, not exceeding them Anna Maya kosha (physical persons) and reach higher states of consciousness.

Coming to India to get your yoga teacher training certification (or just take a week or two for a yoga retreat) makes sense.  You learn from the source.  You will live and breathe yoga here.  You will see it in practice in everyday life, from Hindu rituals, the way Indians practice their religion and how these philosophic principles permeate their mind sets, and, consequently, their action.  You will not get any of it in the learning yoga course in London or New York subway carrying shudder through walls and unbridled energy of the external ready to meet and greet you after a deep Savasana.

The economic factor is a huge incentive to come to India.  Approx. $ 1,000 will get you all the training, accommodation and food (not to mention the family, love and home away from home) in India.  The same cost in the US or the UK would not even cover the course, not to mention the rent, food and everyday relationships.

More important than escaping the sound of traffic, but coming to India to avoid your ingrained habits, thinking, responsible, caring and tensions that come with your home territory.  It will also give you a nice respite from all the distractions that might make motivating yourself to get up at 6 am for asana practice that much harder.

Isolation of four to six weeks to yourself and your yoga practice will allow you to immerse yourself fully in the course without additional burdens errands and chores.  And believe me, within 6 weeks of twice daily asana practice, meditation and confront your inner self will unearth enough to keep you busy in contemplation.

Studying yoga in India is a great occasion to take time off work and explore one of the most exciting, happy, bright and welcoming countries in the world, the Earth.  It is a place of exciting change - in culture, not just GDP. Western influence in its major cities a glorious contrast to rural life out of them.India also has some of the most riotous religious festivals that involve fireworks, blowing up colossal statues and having paint fights.


Being abroad opens you up to new ways of thinking, perceiving and acting: exactly what yoga is trying to do.  One of the best places to study yoga in India, Rishikesh, where you can easily find a good teacher of yoga ashram or yoga school as Rishikesh.

The Four Paths of Yoga

There are four ways described in the Yoga Vedas.  Bhagavad Gita talks about these four paths to liberation and freedom.  These four paths are:

1. Karma Yoga: Karma Yoga is not a replacement of the duty or selfless service.  For each role in our life (wife, daughter, sister, colleague, teacher, etc.), we have appropriate tasks we perform any of our obligations to the best of its ability, should meet without an acknowledgment or additional reward expected.  It is also important that we. Introspection to determine what are our responsibilities in life and in every situation, we think about the best way, this requirement should be met  In yoga, the hierarchy of tasks:

2. Duty towards himself.

Duty to the family (parents, partners, children), which includes earning a livelihood)

Duty towards society - by acting out of duty, but as of likes and dislikes, and expectations for the return (monetary), recognition, status, etc.)  Our ego is reduced and ego is our biggest hurdle on the way of self-development.

3. Bhakti Yoga: This is a path of devotion to something greater than himself (a master, a duty, an idea, etc.) to which you left entirely to themselves.  With the assumption that it / something you is someone superior, you realize that you can go a long way, which helps to reduce your ego.  Bhakti Yoga brings the process to the divine to join, the mantra may include singing (which opens the heart and helps to leave preconceived ideas) as devotional prayers and practices to live in accordance with the laws of God, etc.

4. Gyan Yoga (Jnana Yoga) In this path, we acquire knowledge from a variety of different, credible sources and then put it into practice.  It can be performed by reading, classes, lectures, the company of sages peoples seek etc. We use our intellect (ie to analyze performance) to grow.  Knowledge improves our consciousness, while more sources provide more clarity.  However, if we are not willing, we will not be able to distinguish between true and false.  It is recommended that we get a complete picture of true philosophical knowledge not only fragments) before making a decision about taking as true vs. to misunderstand and what to put into practice.

5. Raja Yoga: Yoga literally means the king (with the king, to be the spirit).  This type of yoga is to get over the mind control level of 0 to 7, (ie taming the king) Raj Yoga is like an umbrella with many practices included below.

His main practice is Hatha Yoga (compensatory sun and moon energy in the body or by force to control body with the mind) Hatha Yoga is compressed by 5 practices:

·        Asanas (steady, comfortable posture)

·        Pranayama (regulation / control / manipulation of life energy)

·        (Catching castles, streamlining of certain body parts such as channeling energy) Bandhas

·        Mudras (gestures, the energies associated with 5 elements manipulate)

·        Kriyas (actions for purifying body toxins, so energy can flow better)

These paths can be used individually or exercised together.  All these paths lead to the same goal, the liberation of the mind and the freedom from attachment, ego and senses.

Some of the Most Popular Methods Used in Yoga

The training of yoga teachers became popular as more and more people are looking to enroll in yoga classes.  The practice of yoga, a study has been known to provide many health benefits, such as normalization of blood pressure and increased fitness.  Yoga is recommended to treat stress.

Over time, yoga practitioners often report increased feelings of less stress and well-being and happiness.  This is attributed to meditation where the practitioner focuses on postures and the breath acts.

Before undertaking the yoga, it is important to check with your health care provider.  The pre-exercise screening will identify people experiencing medical conditions that may place them at higher risk of health problems during physical activity.  Some of the popular methods used in yoga include:

Hatha yoga: "Ha" "sun" means as "tha" means "moon."  Hatha means the union of postures with breath.  In other words, the class is a Hatha style that seeks to focus on adherence to soft and slow movements with the work of conscious breathing.  Therefore, Hatha yoga is recommended for beginners.  In addition, it is the easiest because many studios access categories offer the class.

Anusura: The Anusara classes have a theme centered on the heart that seeks to encourage practitioners to achieve a quality of heart or mind.  Combined with a set of principles of alignment, the class generates a balanced action with each pose.  Like other different types of yoga, movements and actions Anusura are coordinated with breathing.

This form of yoga is recommended for students looking for an opportunity of a class that uses concise instructions and visual creation to help unite the mind, body and spirit.

Iyengar Yoga: training to become a yoga instructor gives you the ability to offer the right training.  Iyengar Yoga emphasizes giving precision and alignments in different postures.  Also, Iyengar uses tools such as ropes, belts and wooden gadgets that go a long way in helping the practitioner to acquire the idealized version of postures.

This form of yoga is credited as being the first type of yoga practiced in the West as it seeks artistic expression through science education.


Ashtanga: Ashtanga yoga is recommended for people looking for strong physical practice.  Therefore, it is also known as "Yoga power".  Therefore, this style of yoga is perfect for someone who is very athletic.  It is also recommended for people looking for a vigorous practice to help discipline their mind and streamline their bodies.

Hatha Yoga-Who Can do Yoga?

If it seems that everyone is trying yoga, they are.  The idea that yoga is only for the super-flexible young, dancers and gymnasts, Indian swami, or flower children of the 1960s, is mercifully fading.  People are finding that yoga is really for everyone.  Old and young, male and female, gym rats and couch potatoes are all finding benefits that include stress reduction, improved mobility and joint flexibility, increased strength, and a greater sense of calm, focus and being.  And there is a class that is the right fit for everyone to gather in the fruits.

When first starting out, if reasonably fit and able to get up and down from the floor, taking an introductory course or beginners yoga.  These courses introduce the breathing techniques, postures, and basic relaxation that are a part of all types of yoga.  A course like this usually last 6-8 weeks.  The course should be designed so that all body types and all levels of fitness can participate fully.  The changes and adjustments should be offered for positions that are difficult at first.  An experienced teacher who is able to explain clearly what, how and why the positions are important and ahead is a must.  The introductory class will give the student to begin an idea of what classes to take part in the next.

Most of the people who will then be able to continue to enter into an open class or all layers.  As the name suggests, this course is for all and proceed at a moderate level.  Some slightly more difficult positions can be offered with modifications.  One who finished an introductory course should feel comfortable on this course.  An advanced course level or higher, will contain even more postures and variations, more rounds of Sun Salutations-the flowing, aerobic series of postures, and inversions as Headstand, shoulder position, and vertical.

People with special health considerations: hip and knee replacements, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure, balance problems, along with others, should consider a gentle yoga class.  This class will proceed at a very slow and relaxed pace, with an emphasis on sweet and breathing postures that do not aggravate existing physical conditions.  Students can use a chair or wall for extra support.  Chair Yoga has been developed so that those who simply can not get up and down from the floor can participate in yoga as well.  The majority of the positions have been adapted so that they can be performed for the same benefit from a sitting position.  More of this type of courses are offered every day.

Ask your friends, neighbors, as well as a doctor, if they can recommend a good class or teacher for you.  Use the internet, look for ads on bulletin boards, and the newspaper, and seek Community Training courses, local churches, and studies to find a match for you.  Start yourself on a healthier path today.

Hatha Yoga - What to Expect in Yoga Classes

Yoga is everywhere.  The ads from McDonalds to mattresses, people are shown striking a pose of yoga.  Television characters escaped yoga.  Friends and family of their own yoga mats and blocks, and video.  Local studios offer classes are offered in churches and schools.  So, it seems that everyone is doing yoga, but what exactly is it that they do?

Class Hatha Yoga, usually contain three elements: breathing, postures and relaxation.  Different types of yoga will offer these items in various quantities and different orders, but most are always the three will be present in the classroom.  Breathing, breathing and consciousness really use it with awareness, is one of the most physically and mentally beneficial aspects of yoga.  There are many different types of breathing exercises, some of which create calm and balance, others that create energy and heat.  These exercises may seem strange and even uncomfortable at first, but simply afford to try them, and you will come to enjoy them.

Yoga postures in almost endless variety.  There is a core of between 15-30 positions, which are most often carried out in the classroom.  These include sitting posture, standing poses, balancing poses, twists and inversions.  The poses can be arranged in various forms, depending on what the teacher in the classroom emphasis.  Different poses can open the hips, extend the hips, stretch the shoulders, to build strength, increase flexibility of the spine, and even change the mood.  Breathing will be more pronounced during postures, as well as in the coordination between the movements of the body and the inhalation and exhalation of breath.

End of class time for deep relaxation.  As you lie on your back on the mat, the teacher will begin by leading the students through some type of controlled relaxation for body and mind, moves to silence.  Firstly, you can go to sleep, as the body relaxes completely.  But as you continue to practice and your body and mind become accustomed to release, you will find relaxation and this time, but do not sleep induction.  When the cool-down period is complete, usually indicated by a bell or chimes, you will slowly sit back and go to the cross-legged position.  Traditionally, yoga class ends with the chanting of Om three times.  OM Sound has no meaning in itself, but it is the cosmic vibration.  This sounds similar to the sound Amen.

After classes, students feel incredibly calm and relaxed, and the body is feeling awake and comfortable.  Students report having very good night sleep on the day they took yoga, feel more patient, less in a hurry, and in a good mood.  If all this sounds like a tall order, investigate for yourself: Registration for the introduction of yoga course.Stick to yoga once a week for several months.  See for yourself what yoga can do for you.

Hatha Yoga for Beginners

There are many benefits of yoga.  The practice of yoga benefits the body and mind.  Some of these benefits occur after only one class.

Hatha Yoga is a form of yoga that emphasizes physical postures that can improve your memory and help improve your attention, and relieves stress.  Hatha is derived from the Sanskrit ha (sun) and Tha (moon).  Hatha is a unifying principle of opposites: the sun and the moon, for example.

Hatha yoga is a good practice for beginners.  All types of yoga are derived from Hatha.  It consists of the basic poses and terminology along with breathing techniques that you will learn and use in their daily practice.

All you need is comfortable clothing that will allow you to move freely, a yoga mat, a little water, and you are ready to begin.  You can use other supports, such as blocks or bands that may be useful in certain poses.

There are many types of yoga mats are available from the small, 1/16 inch thick mats to about ¼ inch thick.  They are also made of different materials, of which the most common PVC, which is vinyl.  The most common mat is used, about 1/8 inch thick.  You can buy an eco-friendly mat that does not contain any phthalates, heavy metals or latex.

The first thing you need to be aware of your breathing.  If your instructor advises you otherwise, inhale as you stretch and exhale as you fold or contract.Breathe, keep your posture.  Do not hold your breath.

Ten of the most basic posture you probably know as a beginner are:

Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)

Staff Pose (Dandasana)

Cat and Cow (Chakravakasana)

Warrior I (Virabhadrasana)

Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)

Pose shoemaker (Baddha Konasana)

Child's Pose (Balasana)

You can find a description with photos of the item online through various websites and yoga video.  Remember that our bodies are different.  Some of us are more flexible than others.  Some of them are stronger, and some have a greater equilibrium.  Regardless of capacity, improvement comes from practice.  Do not be discouraged if at first you can not do lean forward and touch the floor with straight legs.  The main thing is to do what you are capable of.  I do a little better each time.  That way you will not interfere, and better appreciate and benefit from your practice.

5 Easy Hatha Yoga Poses That can be Performed at Home

Hatha is composed of a variety of asanas or postures, breathing techniques and is recommended for beginners, doing yoga at home.

Here are 5 easy Hatha Yoga is you can learn:

1.   Lotus

One of the easiest postures of Hatha Yoga, this posture teaches awareness, meditation and patience.

How to do it:

Start in a seated position, legs stretched out in front of you.  Slowly bend your right leg and bring your leg closer to the left groin.  Then bend the left leg and slide it gently on the top right.  Keep your feet perpendicular to the floor.  Bring your hands to prayer position at the chest, take a few deep breaths, then relax.

2.  Plow Pose

This pose stretches and strengthens both your back and leg muscles.  It's a good position to know, to help improve flexibility when performing yoga at home.

How to do it:

Start by lying on your back with arms at your sides.  Bend knees slowly, causing the foot closer to the buttocks.  Raise your heels toward the ceiling with your arms and back pressed to the floor, lower your legs over your head as close to the floor as you can.  Hold for 4-5 breaths before returning to its original position.

3.  Staff  Pose

This yoga Hatha represents portions of the rear legs, opens the chest and lengthen the spine.

How to do it:

Start this pose in a sitting position, legs stretched in front of you.  Put your hands on the thigh with your fingers pointing away from you.  With your back straight and your shoulders relaxed, slowly push the chest forward.  Pull the hands pull your fingers to yourself.  Hold this position for 3-6 breaths.

4.  Standing Forward Bend

Another easy pose to learn when doing yoga at home Standing Forward Bend.  This helps to stretch the legs, hips, and spine, keeping the knees bent.  It is also known to help improve circulation.

How to do it:

Stand with your feet apart to the width.  Pull the spine as you inhale and then lean forward as you exhale.  Put your hands in the front of each foot.  Hold this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then inhale to return to starting position.

5.   Bridge Pose

Bridge pose helps to strengthen the back, buttocks, neck, spine and hips.  This is one of Hatha Yoga postures, which helps improve circulation.

How to do it:

Start by lying on your back with arms at your sides, knees bent.  Moving the heel as close to your buttocks as much as possible before lifting the hips up slowly.  Press down the blade and gently lift the chin.  Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

When you perform yoga at home, practicing these simple HathaYoga is, before moving on to more challenging poses.