... meditation.

People who commonly practice yoga see it as beneficial because it leads to better health, emotional well-being and mental clarity. yoga is expressed differently in different cultures. In Hinduism, yoga can be seen as a practice intended to bring people closer to God. In Buddhism, since they don't perceive there being a god, yoga helps people gain wisdom, compassion and insight. In western nations, where there more of an emphasis on individualism, so yoga practice may be used more as a way to become one with themselves.

yoga helps master the body, mind and emotions. It is said to slowly gain knowledge of the true nature of reality. yoga can be a way of increasing one's spiritual awareness and insight. While the history of yoga strongly connects it with Hinduism, it is said that yoga is not a religion itself, but has steps which can help people of all religions, as well as those who do not see themselves as religious.

Common to most types of yoga is the practice of concentration...more

Teaching Hatha yoga: Methods for Focus, Concentration, and Tranquility

...Even though many yoga instructors have the right mindset, it is part of human nature to be distracted by the problem of the day. No matter whom you are, you are still human and no one is immune from losing focus, not even a yoga instructor.

When I was giving a motivational talk about Yoga, one gentleman raised his hand and stated, If Yoga really worked, all Yoga teachers would be immortal.

My answer was that Yoga can promise better mental, physical, and spiritual health, but nothing yet has been developed for immortality. This plane of existence is for a limited time, but we can make the most of our time here, through Yoga practice.

Lets look at a few methods, which will aid Yoga instructors and Yoga students find focus, concentration and tranquility.

Create your own ...more

Hatha Yoga

...e has its own name, but it is only a matter of stress rather than substance. They are Ashtanga Yoga of Pattabhi Jois, Iyengar Yoga of B.K.S. Iyengar, Vishnu Yoga of T.K.V. Desikachar, Bikram Yoga of Bikram Choudhry, Sivananda Yoga of Vishnu Sivandandam, Integral Yoga of Swami Sachidananda and Ananda Yoga of Swami Kiriananda.

Yoga as an exercise is vastly different from calisthenics or aerobics. In yoga the body does not do any movement, but holds different postures that are designed to direct the life energy to all parts of the body. The respiratory and pulse rate drops. The end...more

Different Stages of Yoga

...th i.e. India.

Pratyahara (withdrawal) is the fifth stage, which involves control of the senses, whereby one can centre all of ones senses from outward objects to the mind. The first five stages of Yoga are considered external aids, while the remaining three are purely mental or internal aids.

Dharana (holding on) is the ability to focus awareness of externals to one object for a long period of time, such as, focusing the mind on an object of meditation e.g. an image of a deity or some such. Dhyana (concentrated meditation) is the uninterrupted contemplation of an object of meditation, beyond any memory of ego. Samadhi (self-collectedness) is the final stage and a pre-condition for attaining moksha or being released from the cycle of life and death. This stage, allows the meditator to perceive or experience the object of his meditation and himself as one entity.

Though, the pre-history of Yoga is not clear, however, early Vedic texts speak of ecstatics, who may well h...more

Iyengar Yoga Positions