Holistic Approach to Yoga

https://www.rishikeshyogisyogshala.org/holistic-approach-to-yoga/ Holistic Approach to Yoga: An Overview Today yoga is very much in the news and there are a lot of teachers and traditions. But are they all teaching authentic yoga? Are they teaching the classical yoga, as envisaged by the seers and sages? How does one know which one is the correct yoga? Correct and classical yoga can only be taught by a tradition, whose founder is a sage who has experienced the higher dimensions of the mind and see the entire situation in a holistic way. A traditional and authentic yoga is culmination of years of intense search and practice by the founding seers. At Rishikesh Yogis Yogshala, our team of the teachers has lived for more than 10 years in an ashram environment developing the experiential aspect of yoga. A few decades ago yoga was the subject of only philosophical debates and study, very few people knew the practical side of it. It was our Paramguru Sw. Sivananda (of Rishikesh) who completely changed the approach towards yoga. He presented before the people the practical and more scientific aspects of yoga. Indian culture has always been rich in terms of philosophical ideas, but teachings of Sw. Shivananda equipped the people with certain techniques and modalities through which they could lead a life full of health, creativity and mental, emotional as well as spiritual fulfilment. Sw. Sivananda gave a very clear mandate to his disciples to propagate yoga in society. Later on his disciple Swami Satyananda established Bihar School of Yoga and systematised the entire system of yogic practices and made them easy and graduated so that any person could benefit from the practices regardless of his state of health physical, mental or otherwise. Yoga became established as a therapeutic tool, as an aid in training, as the ideal lifestyle, as a means for total education. He made the practices easily intelligible to the modern mind. At Rishikesh Yogis Yogshala, we incorporated the teachings from most authentic and traditional schools in India such as Sivananda Yoga and Bihar School of Yoga. Salient features of a Holistic Yoga Tradition   Yoga as a holistic science Yoga has been known to be the science, which addresses the issues like awakening the dormant faculties and refinement of the human mind. Any person feels that he needs to improve in certain areas, but then he finds himself helpless when he does not find an appropriate technique or a way out. There is no one science in the present education scenario, which can take care of this requirement completely. There are exercises for physical fitness, which again address limited parts of the body. And in spite of recent advances in psychology, there are no standard practices to improve the quality of the mind. Yoga is the only system, which provides a “complete” methodology for the development of total human being. Yoga as a “need based” tool In traditions like Satyananda yoga which we follow closely, has developed a series of graduated practices, called the pawanmuktasana, which makes it easy for a beginner to start the practices. A beginner on the path will not be able to do complicated postures, because his joints are stiff and his body is not flexible. Pawanmuktasanas are a boon for him. It is this system of graduated practices that makes “Satyananda Yoga” accepted so easily worldwide. It does not mean that the system caters only to beginners on the path, (and there are practices which are very advanced), but it means that an aspirant has to go step by step and cannot really take jumps. Yoga as a means for developing awareness Our approach makes one develop “awareness”; a quality of alertness, which makes a person stand apart. A person who is aware is balanced, awakened to life experiences, has clarity of mind under all situations and acts efficiently. Developing awareness through yogic practices is the hallmark of our endeavour to teach traditional and holistic yoga. Yoga for eliminating psycho-somatic overload One very important complementary practice of Bihar School of Yoga which we teach at our centre, is the practice of pratyahara or a process to withdraw the mind from the senses. The gross mind is normally totally extroverted in the waking or aroused state and is always busy in responding to the input from the senses in the form of sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. In this way it gets overloaded and accumulates stress, because there is no knowledge of how to stop this process. In yoga there is a methodical process to stop this overloading so that the mind comes to a state deep rest and relaxation.  Bihar School of Yoga has founded a very simple and highly effective practice of mental relaxation called Yoga Nidra. This practice has been instrumental in helping psychosomatic problems like hypertension, diabetes, asthma etc. The modern medical science has not been effective in treating these diseases because there is no technique available to ease the mental tensions. The practice of yoga nidra is complementary to the package of practices and it makes it easier for the other practices of asana and pranayama to take root. Only when the deeper tensions are removed can the body mind absorb or assimilate other practices better. Cleansing of toxins Traditional Hatha Yoga accepts that there can be gross impurities in the physical body, which can bar one’s progress on the path of holistic and positive living. Modern life style and habit patterns are the factors disturbing the equilibrium of physical and the mental health. The accumulated toxins in the physical body can be removed through the hatha yogic process of shatkarmas or the six cleansing practices which cleanse the digestive tract, the sinuses, the frontal lobe of the brain, the inner and the outer vision, the prana vayus and doshas. Thus through the collective practices of the holistic yoga one finds the centre of existence within oneself as awareness grows and there is spontaneous flowering of “inner discipline or Anushashanam, our approach to yoga does not restrict the yogic practices to the practice room only but it believes in the principle of taking yoga into one’s life and living yoga and life with awareness and fullness. Read More...  Read Less...

7 Major Benefits of Yoga for Stress Management

https://www.rishikeshyogisyogshala.org/7-major-benefits-yoga-stress-management/ We all come across stress, anxiety, and depression; these issues have become evils in our daily life. Due to changing lifestyle, a lot has changed in human life. Many new forms of stress management techniques have arrived today. Despite this fact, the roots and practice of ancient yoga have remained consistent. Yoga has helped many people overcome various issues related to their life. It is undeniable that stress brings a lot of physical and mental issues; you become drained and exhausted. Some more common problems that arise out of stress are; Migraines Depression Lack of sleep Hypertension High and Low blood pressure Heart issues Weight gain Spondylitis and more... Issues are many but the solution is one – Yoga! Yoga is the answer to all the above issues and much more that could disrupt your life from living normally. The technique of yoga is not magic but practice. Both men and women can avail various benefits out of Yoga and live a stress-free life. The question is, how does yoga help in getting rid of stress? The postures, techniques, and exercises in yoga comprise of asanas, pranayamas, relaxation, meditation, and breathing exercises that help you overcome stress. Due to more number of people coming forward to experience the benefits of Yoga, a world Yoga day is celebrated on 21st June every year. It’s a fascinating sight to notice a massive number of people joining hands to get rid of their painful issues in life. How can yoga help to overcome stress? Regular practice and belief are the key points before you expect any positive result. You must believe in yourself and the fact that you will get rid of stress with the help of regular practice. Some postures in yoga help you to feel relaxed, at ease and relieved from all that has been running in your mind. Notice the children in your family or around you; they often forget their worries by playing and cracking jokes with their friends. The like-minded kids around them and the body movements while they play help them ease down the stress. That is exactly what yoga does to you! As we grow, our responsibilities increase and we forget to be cheerful. It adds to our stress and we often fall into negative ways of overcoming stress such as alcoholism, drugs, and antidepressants. Some even take catastrophic steps. Yoga helps combat this by managing the stress for you. Let’s understand the different advantages of yoga for stress management. Benefits of yoga for stress management: Union of mind, body, and soul: A combination of breathing exercises and asana unites the mind, body, and soul. Imbalance of these three gives birth to health issues and unwanted mental stress. Health experts and yogis have confirmed that yoga has relieved people from stress to a great extent. Improved sleep: Some forms of exercises in yoga help you sleep peacefully. Most people complain of the inability to sleep properly due to various issues troubling them in and out in their life. People bring more focus in life with regular yoga practice. Increased energy: Breathing exercises are extremely important in yoga for stress management. The slow breath patterns along with inhaling and exhaling techniques bring more positive energy to your body. Scientifically, it helps the oxygen to pass through your organs by making you feel relaxed. Increased concentration: Yoga asanas relax your body by overcoming stress. We all must have noticed forgetfulness when we are worried about something that’s disturbing us. It leads to a confused state of mind. Yoga brings an improved concentration to deal with situations with a calm mind. Experience deep Relaxation: Meditation is an important factor in yoga for stress management. One of the essential things expected during stress management is the ease of mind. Yoga with meditation balances those alpha waves that are needed to relax your mind. While you do the breathing exercises, your heart rate tends to become normal and blood pressure normalizes. Boost in Confidence: Stress often breaks us and tears us apart from taking decisions in life with confidence. We start feeling confused and indecisive in everything and seek others’ support. Yoga for stress management is the best alternative for bringing back inner confidence. Inner healing: Our healing process gets shattered when we are stressed. We fail to react to situations with a calm mind and break down most of the times. Those who practice yoga postures will realize how it helps to build strength and utilize energy at the right channel during crisis or period of extreme stress. Lastly, yoga isn’t a magic wand to eliminate stress permanently from life; stress is a parcel that you will receive every day. However, with the practice of yoga, you build a positive personality and a confident approach to handle situations in a better manner. Start learning the different poses of yoga for managing stress from today! Located in the beautiful valley of Rishikesh – the ‘Yoga Capital of the Globe’, Rishikesh Yogis Yogshala is one of the most renowned schools for Yoga Instructor Training in Rishikesh, India. In addition to recognized Yoga Teacher Training Certification Courses, we also specialize in conducting highly invigorating, Yoga and Meditation Retreat Programs in India.   Read More...  Read Less...