How does yoga work ?
Yoga uses asanas (postures), focused concentration on specific body parts, and pranayama (breathing techniques) to integrate the body with mind and mind with soul.
The body
Yoga asanas (postures or poses) help condition your body. There are thousands of yoga poses , and in Sanskrit, these poses are called kriyas (actions), mudras (seals), and bandhas (locks). A kriya focuses on the effort necessary to move energy up and down the spine; yoga mudra is a gesture or movement to hold energy or concentrate awareness; and a bandha uses the technique of holding muscular contractions to focus awareness.
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The mind
Yoga focuses on the mind by teaching you to concentrate on specific parts of the body. For instance, you may be asked by the instructor to focus deeply on your spine, or let your mind go and have your body sink into the floor. This awareness keeps the mind-body connection sharp and doesn't allow a lot of time for external chatter . An example is savasana (the corpse pose), which is practiced by virtually all schools of yoga. During savasana , you lie on your back with your eyes closed and just let your entire body sink into the floor. The idea is to not fight any thoughts you have, but to let them come and go while the instructor leads you through visual imagination to help you focus on how your muscles feel. The result is to drift into a peaceful, calm, and relaxing state. Savasana is generally the final pose of a yoga session before final chanting and/or breathing exercises.
The Spirit
Yoga uses controlled breathing as a way to have proper coordination in mind,body, and spirit. The breathing techniques are called pranayamas. prana means energy or life force, and yama means social ethics. It is believed that the controlled breathing of pranayamas will control the energy flow in your body. It is my experience that controlled breathing helps me focus on my muscles that are working. During savasana , it slows down my heart rate, calms my mind, and leads to a deep, inner sense of relaxation.
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