Yoga Enjoy – Page 11 – All About Yoga: Poses, Types, Benefits, and More

Sivananda Yoga Opening and Closing Prayers

May 19, 2019

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If you’ve ever been to a yoga class at one of the Sivananda Ashrams or Centers around the world you probably remember the opening and closing prayers that the teachers chant at the beginning and at the end of each yoga class.

I have tried to find the text of these prayers online without any success. So I decided to write them down and include them here for anybody who might be interested in learning these prayers.

It doesn’t matter which yoga tradition or lineage you follow, you can use any of these mantras to start or end a yoga class, or during your own yoga practice.

The Sivananda Yoga opening prayer, the Dhyana Slokas, is very specific to that tradition, and it’s a bit too long. So I have also included a shorter Sanskrit prayer (sahanaa bhavatu…) that is commonly chanted at the beginning of every yoga class.

To help you with the Sanskrit pronunciation I have additionally included some YouTube videos with the recording of these prayers.

I’m sure this will be very useful for both, yoga teachers and yoga students.

If you do find this helpful then you can show your support by subscribing to my newsletter here so that you can follow me on my yoga journey. Once you subscribe you’ll be able to download my free meditation e-book.

Sivananda Yoga Opening Prayer –– Dhyana Slokas (Gajananam)

In the Sivananda Yoga tradition, at the beginning of every yoga class, lecture or personal sadhana the practitioner chants the Dhyana Slokas (Gajaananam Boota Ganaadhi Sevitam…).

The purpose[……]

Restorative Yoga

Why A Restorative Yoga Practice Is ALWAYS A Good Choice

April 11, 2019

I’ve written before about the importance of rest, but as we head into the winter months after a long period of uncertainty, this has never been more important.

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Speaking to several students over the past few months, it feels as if things are very busy for many of us.

This isn’t surprising, as this is the first time in a while that we have been ‘back to normal’, while at the same time, living in a country that currently has the highest rates of Covid in Europe. This is on top of the usual coughs, colds and seasonal bugs that are starting to do the rounds.

The beauty of Iyengar yoga, and having a yoga practice, is that our practice can be a perfect fit. It can change according to your mood, the season, the time of day, your energy levels and so on.

And interestingly I have been choosing a predominantly restorative practice for the last few weeks.

A Bit More about Restorative Yoga

BKS Iyengar is credited with having ‘invented’ restorative yoga as a concept. Due to the ill-health he suffered in his formative years, Iyengar had to fashion props from bits of wood or everyday objects in order to get into yoga poses. His inventive use of props meant that the benefits of poses could be felt without over-straining the body.

Restorative yoga is about allowing the pose to do you, rather than you doing the pose. You have to allow the body to inhabit the pose, and then let the breath inhabit the body, and the mind inhabits the breath. When you become fully passive in the pose there is a se[……]

Prenatal Yoga

Pregnant? Prenatal yoga could be the best way to stay active

March 17, 2019

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If you’ve got a bun in the oven, you may be looking for a new way to exercise during pregnancy. Here’s why prenatal yoga could be the answer.

Whether you’re expecting your first baby or your fourth, pregnancy marks the start of a new phase of life – including how you move your body.

And when it comes to staying active, prenatal yoga offers an array of benefits, for both mum and bub.

What exactly is prenatal yoga?

Prenatal yoga is a light form of yoga designed specifically for pregnancy.

Prenatal yoga teacher and Yogababy founder Suzanne Swan says it offers a gentle and safe way to move your body while pregnant.

“Some of the postures used in regular yoga classes – such as deep twists and backbends – as well as some of the more vigorous practices such as hot yoga, aren’t recommended during pregnancy,” Suzanne says.

A prenatal yoga class offers safe modifications of what would normally be offered in a regular yoga class, she explains.

Classes focus on gentle stretching, strengthening and breathing exercises designed to help women adapt to the bodily changes that come with growing a baby, both physically and mentally, Suzanne says.

They often involve elements of meditation too, she says, helping women to tune in to the mind-body connection, which can help relieve stress and maintain a sense of calm throughout pregnancy.

Benefits of prenatal yoga

Prenatal yoga is an antidote to many uncomfortable pregnancy moments.

“It can help women stay fit during pregnancy, which can help alle[……]

Pranayama Yoga

5 Easy Yoga Poses & Pranayama For High Blood Pressure & Hypertension

February 2, 2019

High blood pressure is a condition that has no symptoms but can put you at risk of developing heart disease. Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, should not be ignored. Patients with high blood pressure are at a higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

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Sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, obesity, smoking, stress, family history, and other factors can all contribute to high blood pressure. A healthy diet and regular exercise can help you keep your blood pressure under control. Yoga is another natural and safe way to control hypertension.

Yoga is an ancient method of staying fit that can help you with a variety of health issues. Everyone is looking for which asana is helpful in maintaining normal blood pressure or best pranayama for high blood pressure ? Below we will walk you through one by one.

High blood pressure: Yoga asanas to control hypertension

1. Child pose or Balasana or shashakasana

Hypertension patients can benefit from the child pose. It can provide relief from a variety of factors that contribute to high blood pressure. This asana relieves stress while also improving blood circulation throughout the body.

Controlled breathing while performing this asana promotes relaxation and relieves stress in the neck and shoulders.

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Precautions For Child pose or Balasana or Shashakasana

Before you come to this asana, make sure you’re dressed comfortably. Because this asana puts a lot of strain on your stomach, a Diarrhea patient may have negative side effects. As a re[……]

Power Yoga

Swap from Yang-focused power yoga to Yin Yoga

January 7, 2019

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Yin and Sound is the perfect combination of healing instruments like Tibetan singing bowls, Koshi, Kalimba etc and longer holds of relaxing asanas to get into the deep fascias and release (emotional) tension without body and mind.

Many people use yoga as a workout tool to heat up, power out and sweat. And that’s what a yang-focused practice is. It is any type of Vinyasa, Hatha, Ashtanga practice, that increases our yang energy within our body. These practices keep our heart rate up through dynamic movement, strong flows and challenging asanas.

In a world where we constantly have stimuli from the outside, keeping our minds busy 24/7, we tend to have too much energy and/or be tired at the same time. But at some point, we need to process all the information that we are continuously gathering. Our body and mind are in constant fight or flight – our sympathetic nervous system – if we do not give it time to rest. The sympathetic nervous system is turned on in dangerous situations and helps us to survive. It is our flight or fight mode, where stress hormones like cortisol and noradrenaline are released. The parasympathetic nervous system regulates all important processes responsible for detox, cell renewal, and digestion. It’s our rest and digest mode.

Evolutionary this makes a lot of sense. Back in the days when we lived in the jungle/forest and the ‘only’ stress factors or dangers we had were wild animals like venomous snakes or bears, and our body needed to turn in the sympathet[……]

Kundalini Yoga

Kundalini Yoga: Everything You Need To Know

December 26, 2018

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Kundalini is a spiritual energy that exists in everyone. The purpose of Kundalini Yoga is to awaken this sleeping spiritual energy and allow it to rise through the central channel, located along the spine out the top of your head so that you can experience higher levels of consciousness.

Kundalini Yoga is the centuries-old scientifically proven Kundalini awakening technique that awakens your creative energies and gives you access to deeper states of meditation.

Kundalini Yoga Meditation offers many benefits like increased energy levels, improved strength, more mental clarity, balance, and improved health. Many yogis consider this form of yoga a powerful tool for self-discovery, helping them become their best every day.

Yogi Bhajan brought Kundalini Yoga to the West in 1969 after studying and teaching for many years in India. He felt Kundalini Yoga was the perfect antidote to combat modern life’s stress, tension, and anxiety.

The practice can be physically strenuous, but its effects are well worth all the effort! Here are some tips on how to get started with kundalini yoga.

What equipment will I need for Kundalini Yoga?

If you live near a studio willing to let you drop in occasionally or have friends who do kundalini yoga, attending classes will be great fun and provide invaluable instruction. However, if this isn’t an option, for now, you can begin your practice with the help of some instructional videos.

When should I practice?

For peak results, it’s best to practice early[……]

Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga is the path of selfless action

November 5, 2018

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Karma yoga basically consists of entirely selfless service, in which the Ego is given up to the desire to serve God in every thing, be it man, animal or plant. Karma Yoga is also the path of doing the right thing, of following ones’ personal Dharma and accepting destiny as it comes. If the Karma Yogi is a householder, he will accept that role as much as he would accept the role of a servant to any in need, without seeking any remuneration in the shape of wealth, satisfaction, name or fame.

Karma means action, including all acts done by the individual from birth to death. One who is not attached to his actions and performs actions because they are unavoidable, performs karma with a disinterested interest and does not adopt wrong means.

Karma performed by right means does not harm anybody and is in accordance with the law of dharma. That is karma yoga. Some people think karma has something to do with karma sutra, but such a thing does not exist. Only the kama sutra exists, with the Kama being the god of desires. That is an entirely different story.

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