Yoga Enjoy – Page 5 – All About Yoga: Poses, Types, Benefits, and More

Types of Pranayama: How To Master The Art of Yoga Breathing

December 26, 2022

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Do you struggle to stay focused and present? Do you find yourself getting tired quickly? Or do you simply seek learning about a more meditative practices? If so, it’s time to learn about the types of pranayama and meet the fourth limb of yoga.

Pranayama is a vital tool for controlling the fluctuations of the mind, finding presence on the mat, and inner peace in the soul and there is more than one type of pranayama. In fact, there are many.

Pranayama connects us to the most vital energy within us, our breath. Practicing pranayama also teaches us how controlling this life force can regulate our energy, improve our mental well-being and deepen our spiritual connection.

But what exactly is pranayama, and why should you practice breathing techniques? Read on to discover everything you need to know about the different types of pranayama you can try today!

The origin and meaning of pranayama

The Sanskrit term pranayama is a combination of two words; ‘Prana’ and ‘Ayama.’ ‘Prana’ means life force, as our breath keeps us alive. ‘Ayama’ translates to extending or stretching but can also mean controlling. Thus, “Pranayama” means lengthening or controlling the life force.

In simple terms, pranayama means actively breathing as you control or extend the inhale and exhale. However, how you do that depends on the specific technique, which we will explore in more detail below.

Pranayama does not necessarily mean slow, deep breathing that is a misconception. Sometimes, it can mean breathing fo[……]

Power Yoga

Did You Know Of These Benefits Of Power Yoga?

November 15, 2022

The words ‘power yoga’ refers to a robust, fitness-based approach to vinyasa-style yoga and it has many benefits for the human body. Though many people dismiss power yoga as ‘gym yoga’, it was based on the Ashtanga method at its inception.

With its emphasis on strength and flexibility, power yoga is a type of yoga that focuses on increasing muscle strength and endurance. The poses are difficult, and you move swiftly from one to the next.

It’s a good physical workout, and unlike some other types of yoga, where the same series of positions are repeated every time, power yoga lessons are rarely the same.

What Is Power Yoga Exactly?

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Power yoga is described as a type of Vinyasa yoga, which has its origins in Ashtanga yoga, a well-established practise that dates back to the early twentieth century.

Rather than treating each position individually, power yoga focuses on the flow from one to the next and that yields many benefits for the human body. Unlike some other types of yoga, the poses aren’t separated from one another. It is a high-intensity, fast-paced workout which requires shifting from one position to the next quickly while syncing your breathing to your body’s various motions.

Power yoga is more energetic than meditative, even though it demands mindfulness and attention to your breathing.

1. Keeps Your Heart Healthy

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Increasing your heart rate during exercise allows your body to better circulate blood and oxygen to your muscles and organs. As a result, your fitness, stami[……]

Kundalini Yoga

How does Kundalini Yoga work?

October 8, 2022

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For the most part, Kundalini Yoga is practiced with the eyes closed. Rhythmic movements, co-ordinated with the breath, are interspersed with rest periods and self observation. As self-awareness increases, the mind begins to drop it’s constant chatter, the nervous system changes gears and this stimulates an endocrine response.

The cascade of electrical impulses and hormone messages triggers the brain to switch from Beta, stress response brain waves, to healing Alpha and even Theta brain waves. Within this state of mind, one becomes present. The mind becomes clear, relaxed and focused and states of deep inner wisdom and peace become the norm.

What are The Benefits from this Yoga?

Helps to reduce anxiety and depression

Improves mental health and feelings of wellbeing

Helps to promote a positive self image

Increases emotional awareness and helps one process negative emotions and experiences

Reduces overwhelm and promotes resilience

Balances the nervous system to promote healthy sleep and improve energy levels

Balances the endocrine system and regulates hormones

Improves mental clarity, focus and cognition

Promotes a strong sense of self, promotes healthy decision making and boundaries

Improves general health, fitness and vitality and reduces pain

Who can practice it?

Many people imagine that they are not flexible or fit enough to attend a yoga class, however, this is rarely an issue with Kundalini. Although the practice can often be physically challenging, each individual goes a[……]

Karma Yoga

September 13, 2022

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Karma moves in two directions. If we act virtuously, the seed we plant will result in happiness. If we act non-virtuously, suffering results.

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Karma Yoga emphasizes on selfless action and service, while being detached from any reward or result. It states that once you achieve selfless acts, your mind becomes pure. The word Karma means to do and the word Yoga means union. Therefore you’re on a path of union by action. This includes your will and the way you act.

Karma is like an active bank account of actions. Many proverbial sayings are based on this: you will reap what you sow, what goes around comes around and you get what you deserve. Your past karmas will affect your future.

According to Hindu philosophies, certain individuals are born with certain karma abilities, both negative and positive. This stems from past lives and push towards performing actions in the present. This process is said to continue until no more karma remains, (zero balance), then you can achieve pure liberation. Rebirth, with your karmic bank balance, is what Hindus call reincarnation. This will be the basis of your future life. That’s why one child may be born in poverty and one may not.

Karma can also be created in your current life. Your soul records an imprint of every action taken. Since karma is one of the things we take with us when we die, depending on your actions in this life, you can take good or bad karmas with you to the next life.

We must work in harmony with the greater[……]

Jnana Yoga

What Is Jnana Yoga? Meaning, Benefits & How to Practice the Yoga of Knowledge

August 16, 2022

Yoga is a path to many things, whether you’re striving for peace, the perfect posture, or a more balanced life. But, one of the most important (and challenging) paths found in yoga is Jnana Yoga. Known as the Path of Knowledge or Gyana Yoga, this powerful practice is about courageously examining our inner world—flaws, worries, emotional triggers and all—so we can live with eyes wide open. Unlike passing highs from scrolling on Instagram or shopping at the mall, Jnana Yoga offers us the kind of radical self-awareness and peace we are all seeking deep down.

While practicing and even pronouncing Jnana Yoga can be challenging, you don’t have to be a revered guru or experienced yoga instructor to understand it. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll explain the meaning of Jnana, its benefits, how to pronounce it correctly, as well as simple ways you can walk the Path of Knowledge in your daily life.

What Is Jnana Yoga?

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Unlike Vinyasa or Hatha Yoga, Jnana Yoga isn’t a physical asana practice. It’s one of the Four Paths of Yoga which were designed to lead spiritual seekers to enlightenment or true self-awareness.

The four paths presented in yoga philosophy are:

Karma Yoga (the Path of Duty)

Bhakti Yoga (the Path of Devotion to Purity)

Raja Yoga (the Path of Self-control)

Jnana Yoga (the Path of Knowledge of Self)

Also known as Gyana Yoga, Jnana Yoga is defined as the practice of shedding the ego and gaining knowledge of the true Self through self study and analysis. With this deep aware[……]

Jivamukti Yoga

10 of my favorite Jivamukti Yoga photographs

July 3, 2022

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I recently finished creating this image of Sharon Gannon, founder of Jivamukti Yoga. It is one of my favorite portraits of her, combining elements of the past and present.

I took the photograph of her in February of 2013, when I had been working as the Jivamukti Yoga Web Editor for less than a year. Sharon told me she was planning to cut her hair, and wanted to create an image of her flowing locks. She laid on a white backdrop and spread out her hair while I climbed a ladder to photograph her from above. The results were fun, but got set aside as other work came in.

A couple months ago I was going through my archives and found them again. I immediately thought it would be fun to add an interesting background. At the time Sharon was getting ready for the June 23rd release of her book The Magic Ten and Beyond.

An out-of-body experience.

She had previously traveled to Egypt with her partner, Jivamukti co-founder David Life. During the trip she laid in a sarcophagus in the Kings Chamber of the Great Pyramid and had an out-of-body experience. Later in the trip a museum Egyptologist showed David and her a photograph of a cartouche with ten Egyptian hieroglyphs, which he thought would be of interest to them as spiritual seekers. The mystical symbols on the cartouche, along with Sharon’s experience in the pyramid, inspired the sequencing of 10 spiritual practices that became her daily ritual, and the basis for the book.

Blending Egyptian hieroglyphs to the background of the image of[……]

Iyengar Yoga

5 Reasons Why You Should Try an Iyengar Yoga Class

June 14, 2022

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Many times at the end of my Iyengar yoga class I thank my yoga teacher for saving my life. Most of them, including my most cherished, long time Iyengar Teacher, Scott Hobbs, simply smile and acknowledge. As someone with a high stress job that involves lots of heavy lifting, my Iyengar practice has many a time healed my back and saved my sanity. I’ve asked Scott to weigh-in on some key benefits about Why You Too Should Try an Iyengar Class.

About. Grounded in a deeply mind-body-soul spiritual belief system, Iyengar Yoga was created by yoga master B.K.S. Iyengar who began teaching in Pune, India in 1936 at the age of 18 until his death at age 95. Today, his daughter, Geeta, and his son, Prashant—both accomplished teachers themselves—continue his teachings at the Iyengar Institute in India. Therefore, according to Scott, unlike many other yoga practices, Iyengar is a living, constantly evolving, progressive yoga method.The Iyengar family’s teachings are deeply grounded in the yoga sutras of Patanjali, an ancient summation of the path and philosophy of yoga considered to be at least 2,500 years old. B.K.S. Iyengar’s intense practice and over seventy years of teaching have produced significant innovations in the teaching of the art and science of yoga.

The Iyengar method develops self-awareness, intelligent evaluation, and profound inward reflection. The attention to detail and cultivation of awareness is meant to maintain physical safety in the practice, AND also to develop the[……]