Author: bajiThe many practices of yoga are designed to help the body and mind meet every situation that arises in life from moment to moment.
The purpose of Yoga and Meditationasanas is to keep the body healthy and supple enough to sit comfortably and practice pranayamas (breathing) and meditation practices that calm and still the mind.
Yoga often begins with the body because most people can identify with the body very easily. Most of our awareness, in fact, revolves around physical conditions and desires. As such most yoga today is done with physical outcomes in mind. People tend to identify with the body in the initial stages of yoga and work with the body using asanas, pranayamas and other Hatha Yoga practices.
There are two types of meditation active and passive.
Active meditation relates to activities of everyday life such as walking, working, eating etc.
This in fact is the aim of Yoga, to experience a meditative state in everyday life which has the effect of increasing performance manifold as the work is done with more efficiency and energy.
To achieve active meditation, passive meditation is required which involves taking time out to be seated and perform Meditation Techniques or practices. This is called passive as it involves withdrawing ourselves in calm, sitting postures to achieve a meditative state that can help us in our active life.
The aim of all passive meditation techniques is to still the mind from wavering and distracting thoughts and gradually make it one pointed.
Passive Meditation Techniques though of many kinds, essentially have the same modus operandi:
Stage 1: Introversion: Involves seating postures and awareness on an object. This has the effect of calming the mind and making it receptive to see what's inside.
Stage 2: Introversion leads to the free flow of thoughts, visions, complexes, memories etc. from the lower mind. Our passions, fears, doubts and desires arise and we are now in a position to observe these and remove the undesirable content from our minds forever.
Stage 3: Having observed the lower mind, we are now in a position to explore the subconscious realms. It is here that real meditation begins. Our limitless storehouse of energy and knowledge starts manifesting itself.
Stage 4: Self realization: As these stages are transcended, supreme bliss is attained.
The practices of yoga gradually evolve from the body to the mind and eventually to the spiritual realms, developing awareness of different aspects of life and utilizing yoga to harmonies various dimensions of life. Yoga is ultimately concerned with development of the total human personality.
Techniques in a typical hatha yoga class are often the physical postures or asanas, which help heal and maintain the body by increasing flexibility, strengthening various muscles and helping to detoxify and tone many of the body systems. It is important to know about all the physiological systems and then begin to feel them working, changing and balancing in the body. For more details http://www.ayurvedasbeautycare.com
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