...As Yoga has grown, outside of india, so have the many contemporary styles. Among the contemporary styles is Christian Yoga. Just mentioning the words, Christian and Yoga in the same phrase, could start a controversy, depending upon who is listening.

Some fundamentalist Christians will state that Yoga and meditation are evil. To go a bit further on this issue, they point to the traditional roots of Yoga, in india, and the connection to Hindu beliefs. They claim that the millions of Yoga practitioners in the world are being indoctrinated into the Hindu faith.

Let's look at Christian meditation. This practice began when monks read from the scriptures. In fact, many ministers, monks, brothers, and priests, continue to meditate. So, is meditation evil?

Some point to the meaning of the word Yoga. Yuj is the root word for Yoga, and there is a much deeper meaning. The Yuj, or Yoke, was used to tie two wild horses together to a chariot. To think about this a little deep...more

hatha Yoga 101

...ical exercises, moral values and meditation, if one would view it as a way of life. Since hatha Yoga is one of the more popular forms of Yoga in the Western World, it has transformed and found for itself new definitions.

It is said that the basic objective of hatha Yoga is to pave the way towards the subsequent phases in Yoga such as sense-withdrawal, concentration and meditation.

Asana

One of the main elements of hatha Yoga is body posture. Exercise posture or Asana is greatly emphasized in hatha Yoga. Posture is believed to be a key towards achieving true meditation. If one has already mastered his postures, then can be able to achieve higher levels of meditation and concentration. Proper posture is the way towards achievement of sense-withdrawal and true meditation.

Pranayama

Breathing exercises through Pranayama is also essential towards achievement of balance. "Prana" means life force and "Ayama" means to prolong- to prolong one's life force. hatha Yoga is based on the belief that mastery of one's breathi...more

Staying Fit with Yoga Exercises

...Yoga exercises are the best way to free your mind and to concentrate deeply. After you have experienced a stressful situation, your mind, body and spirit is worn out and fatigued.

The cause of these might have been from the interaction with other people or something that have caused a frustration, anger, depression and disappointment in you. These feelings created out of these circumstances should be released so that you will live a happier life.

One effective way and method to express your outpoured feelings and emotion is by doing yoga exercises.

When you feel like shouting out loud or cracking the television, you can instead release your tension through yoga exercises that are effective and helpful.

This type of strategy has worked in ...more

The Healing Power of Yoga

...commended for those who are very fit or very well versed in the practice of yoga. I found the Bikram yoga to be challenging, but after I emerged from the room after the two hours of posing, I felt a sense of empowerment and clarity that continued on for the rest of the evening.

It is said that Bikram yoga may actually help rid the body of toxins through the sweat that is produced during the practice. And believe me, sweat you will. There was not a person in the room that had anything less than soaking wet clothes.

Since I've started regularly practicing yoga about three times a week, I find my stress levels are down, my back hurts me less while I am working at my desk, and my muscles have taken on a longer, leaner look.

I feel that I am more intuned with my breathing, and I use my breath now to get me through stressful situations that usually would leave me breathless and anxious. I have found yoga to be a true blessing to my life, and will be a lifetime devotee of this empowering and enriching practice.

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Surfing Yoga Excercise Ball