Peace Walker

Writer, Alchemist & Yogi

Boarspeare • Shakesprints • Yoga Alliance • REÅLEA® Rare Earth Alchemy•

Yoga Postures
Harmonize Body-Breath-Mind

Yoga is a beautiful moving meditation originating from classical and mystical ancient India. Practicing yoga poses develop the body’s flexibility, strength, coordination, and balance.  Its physical and mental health benefits are multifold. According to a report by Harvard Medical School in 2016:

• Yoga can help improve sleep

• Yoga can help undo the multiple harmful effects of stress on your body

• Yoga can reduce depression and anxiety

• Yoga can increase energy levels

• Yoga activates the brain to increase joy neurotransmitters

• Yoga can lower your risk for falling and help you regain your balance if you stumble

• Yoga can lower your risk of needing knee or shoulder surgery in your lifetime

• Yoga can help speed recovery from injuries, even serious ones

• Yoga can help lower dependence on Diabetes medications

• Yoga may even help to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and fight age-related declines in memory

• Yoga does so much for your health, studies show people who do yoga use fewer healthcare services and save money significantly on medical billsYoga boosts your immunity by raising levels of natural, disease-fighting antioxidants in your body

• Yoga can help alleviate arthritis pain

• Yoga can help reduce your risk of heart disease

• A study showed how yoga increased blood vessel flexibility by 69% and even helped shrink arterial blockages without medications

• Yoga may be the perfect way to relieve migraines and fight osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, IBS, or fibromyalgia

• Pain specialists are urging doctors to prescribe yoga for lower back pain

• Yoga can help treat Scoliosis in the spine

• Pre-natal yoga can increase the strength, flexibility and endurance of muscles needed for childbirth as well as decrease nausea and shortness of breath during pregnancy

• Yoga switches on genes that promote health (in as little as 8 weeks even if you’re a beginner)

For safety, it is important that people with arthritis, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, or glaucoma consult with a doctor before practicing yoga.

Over the past 100 years, yoga has had a vast resurgence and is much loved all over the world. Fortunately, yoga is accessible to everyone at anytime in their lives. With modifications, variations, adjustments, and the use of props (even chairs) enables yoga to be practiced by all. Yoga is expressed uniquely by each person. Substantial progress can be made quickly. Your yoga sadhana (practice) can simply be done from home and in short intervals. Your yoga can be a fractal of making global peace.

Yoga Philosophy
The Path of Knowledge

Yoga is often translated from the Sanskrit as finding Union with the Universe. To Yoke through earnest practice, the restless body and mind into Harmony. It involves intellectual and spiritual efforts, ethical principles, as well as physical agility. To inquire into these questions is a philosophical practice. Yoga seeks truth and peace. The famous verse in the Yoga Sutras by the Sage Patanjali, written down at least 2,000 years ago, “Yoga citta vritti nirodhah” translates as: Yoga is stilling the fluctuations of the mind. When the body is at ease and not in pain, the distractions from accessing enlightenment in this lifetime melt away. Determined concentration tempered by contentment is necessary to see optimal results. Development of superpowers are a pleasant byproduct and reward of diligence :-)

For guidance, you’d be wise to incorporate Yoga’s Ashtanga ‘eight limbs’ or ‘eight stages’ which are described in the ancient Yoga Sutras:

• Yamas (Restrictions) — ahimsa, nonviolence; satya, truthfulness; asteya, non-stealing; brahamacharya, non-wasting; aparigraha, non-greedy

• Niyamas (Principles) — saucha, cleanliness; santosa, contentment; tapas, determination; svadhyaya, self-inquiry; isvara pranidhana, surrender

• Asanas (Postures)

• Pranayama (Breathwork)

• Pratyahara (Sensory Control)

• Dharana (Concentration)

• Dhyana (Meditation)

• Samadhi (Enlightenment)

Aspiring yoga students can benefit from broadening their perspective to consider the wider teachings of yoga on the path to knowing the true nature of the Self and the Absolute. There are three Shariras (bodies) of the human being in yoga philosophy:

• Sthula (the physical, gross)

• Sukshma (the energetic, subtle)

• Karana (the eternal, causal)

There are three Gunas (qualities) of energetic forces in the Universe:

• Sattva (light, pure)

• Rajas (active, attraction)

• Tamas (heavy, dark)

There are seven Chakras (wheels) in the yogic energy body that can be in-balance or out-of-balance:

• Muladhara (Root - red)

• Svadhisthana (Sacral - orange)

• Manipura (Solar Plexus - yellow)

• Anahata (Heart - green)

• Vishuddha (Throat - blue)

• Ajna (Third Eye - indigo)

• Sahasrara (Crown - white)