Silverm00n
03-20-2006, 09:58 PM
by: Flame Ravenhawk
The physical practices of yoga are an integral part of achieving the unity that is sought between the body, mind, and spirit. The asana practice of postures and poses has many different positive effects on the body, including improving flexibility, easing arthritis, reducing migraines, lowering blood pressure, and detoxifying, as well as correcting the chronic body misalignments that come from the poor ergonomics present in many of our modern working conditions.
The health benefits that can be realized through a regular yoga practice are well documented and extensive. Many people make their way to their first yoga class hoping to find relief from a variety of health conditions that are brought on or make worse by our modern lives. Poor diets, sedentary lifestyles, and lack of attention to the body lead to muscle stiffness, joint pain, digestive problems, headaches, lethargy, and a variety of other related complaints. Yoga can have an immediate and dramatic effect on all of these conditions.
Redwing affirmed that a regular practice of yoga also helps support that idea that our bodies are sacred. Within Wicca there is the notion that our bodies are temples that become vessels for the God and Goddess. There is the implied obligation that we should attend to our bodies to ensure that they are fit dwelling places for the spirit within. Yoga helps build a strong and sound body, cleanses it, and consecrates it as sacred space.
The beauty of asana practice is that a practitioner can begin wherever he of she is. Yoga is a gentle practice, and very accessible to people with a wide range of physical skills. You donŐt need to be slender and flexible to practice yoga. It is not a competitive sport, and its only goal is to help the individual to achieve greater unity between body, mind, and spirit.
The physical practices of yoga are an integral part of achieving the unity that is sought between the body, mind, and spirit. The asana practice of postures and poses has many different positive effects on the body, including improving flexibility, easing arthritis, reducing migraines, lowering blood pressure, and detoxifying, as well as correcting the chronic body misalignments that come from the poor ergonomics present in many of our modern working conditions.
The health benefits that can be realized through a regular yoga practice are well documented and extensive. Many people make their way to their first yoga class hoping to find relief from a variety of health conditions that are brought on or make worse by our modern lives. Poor diets, sedentary lifestyles, and lack of attention to the body lead to muscle stiffness, joint pain, digestive problems, headaches, lethargy, and a variety of other related complaints. Yoga can have an immediate and dramatic effect on all of these conditions.
Redwing affirmed that a regular practice of yoga also helps support that idea that our bodies are sacred. Within Wicca there is the notion that our bodies are temples that become vessels for the God and Goddess. There is the implied obligation that we should attend to our bodies to ensure that they are fit dwelling places for the spirit within. Yoga helps build a strong and sound body, cleanses it, and consecrates it as sacred space.
The beauty of asana practice is that a practitioner can begin wherever he of she is. Yoga is a gentle practice, and very accessible to people with a wide range of physical skills. You donŐt need to be slender and flexible to practice yoga. It is not a competitive sport, and its only goal is to help the individual to achieve greater unity between body, mind, and spirit.