3 Common Mistakes by Yoga Newcomers

Whenever we start something new we have a certain feeling of trepidation and uncertainty of the unknown and in most cases it is completely unfounded and we get on with things very quickly and easily. Sometimes it isn't and a simple little thing can cause us to have an entirely negative first impression and perhaps even never want to try that activity or passtime again. Yoga has so many health benefits, on both a physical and spiritual level, that it would be a tragedy for anyone to miss out on them because they made a silly avoidable mistake on their first day. With that in mind this article addresses the 3 most common mistakes of new Yogi, and how to make sure they don't happen to you.



Mistake One: Not knowing what you want from Yoga.



The reality is that there are numerous different styles and forms of Yoga and each has it's different attractions. Ask yourself what it was about Yoga in general that attracted you and then you can investigate a style that caters more specifically to that. You may like to set goals, be they physical, mental or spiritual. If you do then it's a good idea to discuss them with the instructor of your class before you begin. Yoga instructors are usually very approachable and happy to talk about their passion. They will be able to talk to you about your goals for the class and let you know if you are being realistic, aiming too high or too low. Make sure you goal includes a timeframe so it becomes something that is measurable.



Mistake Two: Jumping in Feet First.



Having decided that they will give this Yoga thing a try many people take a running leap and jump in to a 12 month stage by stage class. These classes are usually an upfront payment arrangement and progress from one level to the next as the weeks progress. They are a fantastic way of learning Yoga and becoming very good at it, but it's quite possibly you will choose a class that is not ideal for you.



The best way around this is to join a Yoga beginner class, also known as a drop in class. If you do these classes for a few weeks you will notice a high turnover of students as new people join and old people move on. These classes are designed to give you a very broad feel for the different types of Yoga. The level of the students in the class usually varies greatly so you can expect the instructor to keep the classes quite tame. The other key benefit of doing this is that the classes are pay as you go so there is no big financial outlay for you while you decide the type and style of yoga that best suits you. You are also not obliged to attend every class. With the longer courses you can fall behind quickly if you miss a week or two in a row. With the pay as you go classes you will find that while each class is different the level stays quite low to cater for the newer people joining in.



Mistake Three: Choosing the wrong teacher.



Traditionally a Yogi had to be an apprentice to a skilled Guru for many years before he could teach even the simplest of Yoga technique. Nowadays a 3-day course over a long weekend is considered enough by some people. There is a big difference in what you will achieve depending on the skills and abilities of the person teaching you. Yoga is starting to make a regular appearance on the sports injury list and a large reason for this is instructors who have been taught just enough to be dangerous. A qualified teacher won't necessarily be fantastic and an unqualified teacher won't necessarily be terrible - but the odds are certainly cast in that direction, so it's a good idea to check your instructors background and qualifications before you begin studying with them.

Kundalini Yoga and the Awakening

The most powerful yoga is known as the Kundalini Yoga. It is powerful that it was called the mother of all the Styles of Yoga. This type of yoga awakens the base of our spine which is known as the Muladhara Chakra.



The word Kundalini was derived from kunda which means “pot”. Kundalini Sadhna is described to be the coiled energy that looks like a serpent which has three and a half coils which are resting at the bottom of the spine. The three coils in Kundalini Yoga are known as the three Gunas which are the Sattva, Rajas, Tamas. The VIkritis represent the half coil.



In anatomy, the kundalini is found in the perineum region of our body. For the males, it is found between the testicles and the rectum. For the female, it is found between the clitoris and the vagina.



Kundalini Yoga is also known as the symbol of equality and power for both genders. The masculine power is known to be Siva and Sakti for the females. They become the elemental source of power and energy when they are united. The union of Siva and Sakti occurs in the brain which gives us the sense of feeling and affection, energy, love. This means Kundalini Yoga is good to eliminate the feeling of sorrow, depression, anger and jealousy.



Kundalini Yoga gives reward to Yogis who maintain unity awareness and spiritual transformation. The Kundalini produces a hissing sound when it is awakened. It sounds just like a beaten serpent as it goes from the Muladhara Chakra to the Brahma Nadi and to the Sahasrara Chakra.



In the year 1969, Yogi Bhajan introduced Kundalini Yoga. It includes the practices of the common Mantra, meditation, chanting, breathing and the classic poses. This type of yoga actually focuses more on chanting and breathing. It does not really concentrate in the Kundalini Yoga Poses alone.



If you are curious about Kundalini Yoga, it is good to know the path it takes. One thing you need to understand is the Nervous System and the Spinal Cord. These two are the main focus of Kundalini Yoga. It targets your Spinal Cord and the Nervous System.



The Nervous System as we all know is the main control or the center of our body. The Nervous System is responsible for the imaginations, thoughts, intelligence and memory that we have. The Nervous System composes of the brain, the nerves and most especially the Spinal Cord which gives us posture and stand. The Spinal Cord is made up of delicate nerves and tissues that is why we need to take care of it. Kundalini Yoga will be the most appropriate practice for this.



The infamous Kundalini awakening is not that easy to learn. It is also something that we can find or learn in books. If there was, you might be confused or perplexed in learning the process. If you want to master Kundalini awakening, it should be based on experience. After series of trials and sessions, you will find out that Kundalini awakening took place and it was all because you were just too eager and concentrated to learn it.



Now what you have to do is grab that amazing concentration and start working on your Nervous System and Spinal Cord. If you want to stay healthy and maintain a good posture, Kundalini Yoga is just waiting for you to practice it.

Kundalini Yoga

The word Kundalini is a familiar one to all students of Yoga, as it is well known as the power, in the form of a coiled serpent, residing in Muladhara Chakra, the first of the seven Chakras, the other six being Svadhishthana, Manipuraka, A nahata, Visuddha, Ajna and Sahasrara, in order.



Less is historically known of the Agamas than the Vedas, because the latter provide descriptive poem-pictures of Vedic life. The original Agamas are twenty-eight in number. They are called Saiva Agamas as they focus on establishing a relationship with and ultimately realizing the Supreme Being Siva. They carry names like Vira, Hero. Siddha, Perfected and Swayambhuva, naturally revealed.



The Agamas are divided into four parts called padas, lessons. The first two padas - Chariya good conduct, and Kriya, external worship,- include all the details of personal home life, house planning, town planning, personal worship in temples, the architectural plans for temples and sculpture as well as the intricacies of temple puja. The final two padas - Yoga, internalized worship and union, and Jnana, enlightened wisdom, – vividly describe the processes and stages of kundalini yoga, and the Cod-like plateaus of consciousness reached when Sivahood is attained. In the actual texts, the padas are ordered with jnana first, yoga second, then kriya and chariya - unfurling from a God-state to a human state.



The Agamas contain tens of thousands of verses, much more prolific than the Vedas. Though the Vedas stayed strictly in Sanskrit, the Agamas proliferated across India and oilier countries through many languages. But they fared poorly over the millennia, particularly the Yoga and Jnana Padas - so high and powerful. The custodian Saiva priests neglected them. Many padas of entire Agamas were lost or destroyed.

The Evolution of Kriya Yoga

Kriya Yoga is a process of mental purification that teaches meditation through

techniques.



The fundamental belief of Kriya Yoga is that all of us are miniature version of the

whole cosmos, a microcosm or an evolution of a new world within the microcosmic

world.



The followers of Kriya yoga also believes that the most holy supreme creator is a

part of us hiding beneath our body, and activating every action through the breath.



The name Kriya is meant as any work “kri” is being done by the power of the

indwelling soul “ya”.



The different cosmic forces controlling, air, fire, water and earth also controls the

different activities that we do, namely, religious activities, relationship with everyone

and everything, food, pregnancy, and everything performed by the human body.



Yoga on the other hand is the conjoining of these correspondences between

microcosms and macrocosms. It is the full acceptance and belief behind the union

and interaction of the individual self and the supreme self.



The study and science of Kriya yoga has a divine origin and was not created by

human means and intellect.



The modernization for this ancient yoga meditation method has begun in the 1860’s

with Babaji and has been handed down to the present Kriya yoga lineage of masters

directly through the Master to disciple method of teaching.



The disciplined path of Kriya Yoga consists of many different kinds of teaching with

different angles to it. One looks at it as a process of beginning with self introspection

through breathing controls.



It is also believed in Kriya yoga that that by enlightening the three qualities of light,

vibration and sound simultaneously with proper concentration, posture and breathing

through application of a series of techniques, a Kriya yoga disciple is able to

penetrate the deepest levels of the unconscious mind.



Through this they can communicate with their inner gods and obtain a fulfilling

calmness within them.



The process of purification is attained through diligent practice. The first thing to do

is have the mind calmed and freed from any internal chatter by developing the

practice of feeble breathing.



Then secondly the very process of observation of pulse rhythm and vibrations in the body enables the

seeker to extract the bondage of subtle desires



A deeper understanding of the triple divine qualities leads to a chiseled concentration

or a focused mind, therefore preparing the seeker to explore thoughtlessness and

inner truth.



All people are mired in the delusion and illusion due to the duality of creation. We are

seeking liberation from the phenomenal suffering due to the miseries from

ignorance, desire and faulty actions. One should be able to realize that the supreme

creator is hiding within and as a self of all beings.



Kriya Yoga provides us with the easiest ways to unfold this lurking truth and unravel

the deepest mysteries of godhood from within us.



Kriya yoga teaches breath control and calmness and it aims for well self realization

within one lifetime.



Kriya yoga is a non-sectarian group and teaches that work is worship and whatever

you do is from and for the Supreme Being and creator. It teaches about the different

beliefs of the origin, destiny and evolution of souls.



A Kriya Yoga disciple believes in direct and immediate spiritual experience and is only

taught through direct contact with the teacher.

Is Yoga The Perfect Exercise?

Is Yoga the perfect form of exercise and relaxation? Let's make a list of what our ideal type of exercise would do. Firstly it would be simple enough that anyone could do it, but have enough variations and different methods that it would maintain the interest of someone who had been practicing it for years. It would need to be easy to learn so that people could pick up the basics quickly and stat seeing the benefits as soon as possible. To be a perfect form of exercise it would need to be capable of keep our body in good shape all by itself. It would help with weight loss, circulation and increasing the strength of the muscles. It would stimulate the lymphatic system as well as the blood flow and help the body dispose of waste products, improving the overall immune response system. It would also have benefits that went beyond health - the sharpening of the mind and an increased sense of well being and contentment. Ideally it would be an exercise form that required no expensive equipment and that could be practiced practically anywhere, alone or in a group.



This is quite a demanding set of prerequisites for a perfect form of exercise. Let's see if Yoga measures up to these standards.



Yoga is a discipline that has it's routes in India. The documents that modern Yoga is based on are hundreds of years old, and the principles behind these documents were practiced long before that. It is a low impact form of exercise that has been tweaked and customized by literally thousands of different teachers and enthusiasts. The are numerous resulting 'styles' of Yoga, but they all have the same core background and beliefs. What we refer to as Yoga in the West is usually the physical component of an entire life philosophy that has it's own beliefs and code of ethics built in.



The physical focus of Yoga is on poses and slow movements that are low impact and usually use nothing more than our own body. Sometimes props and supports are used to assist the body in achieving and holding a particular pose. The poses can vary greatly in their degree of difficulty and even the same pose can have many different stages or levels. The perfect example is a simple forward stretch. One person may be able to stretch out past their knees, another may be able to reach their ankles and somebody else may be able to touch the floor. This level of progression allows us to see a physical difference in our flexibility level as we practice Yoga more regularly. And because Yoga does not require any special equipment we are not refined to set class times and can practice Yoga anywhere and any time the fancy takes us. We can even do breathing exercises to clear the mind while sitting at a work desk.



Yoga has some incredible health benefits which stem from controlled breathing and increased blood flow. Our bodies organs simply do not operate at peak efficiency unless they are receiving the oxygen and nutrients that they need. The waste products from our muscles and organs are carried away by the lymphatic system. Both systems can develop chokepoints and blockages that different Yoga poses will address and correct. The result is a better more regular blood pressure, a more efficient immunity system and a optimal digestive process.



Because Yoga movements are slow and simple, the focus on correct breathing has a pronounced mental affect on the body. It provides us with an enhanced ability to focus, and to un-clutter our thoughts. This is a valuable edge in modern life and its importance should not be under estimated.



Finally many regular Yoga enthusiasts will tell you that there is a spiritual side to Yoga, how far this affects an individual will probably depend on their beliefs before they begin practicing Yoga, but it can perhaps be thought of most accurately with a greater comfort and connection with your own body. The increased acceptance of yourself, and comfort with your own being results directly in more happy people.



So, it looks like Yoga does indeed check all the boxes and can be thought of as a perfect exercise form.

Instant 10-minute Yoga: New Form of Yoga

Do you drag yourself out of bed on Monday mornings, exhausted before you've even begun the week. Or maybe you can't enjoy your evenings, because work drains you of every ounce of energy.



Don't worry, you can boost your energy levels and balance your body with a new form of yoga - dynamic yoga.



Its simplicity and almost instantaneous benefits have made it one of the most fashionable alternative exercises of the new Millennium. Normally known for its relaxation benefits, dynamic yoga can boost your energy levels in just 10 minutes.



It includes some of the most basic yoga postures. You can try each of them individually, or in succession, but none of them should be rushed. However, you should feel the benefits after just ten minutes.



The deep stretches and graceful movements help to unblock energy, improve muscle tone and increase your general stamina. When practised regularly, say enthusiasts, you will experience improved energy levels, greater sexual vitality and better self-discipline. In the long-term, the breathing and body exercises will help detoxify your mind of tension and strain, creating calm and an inner peace.

Insomnia

Sleep is an essential part of good health. A good night's sleep can help you feel good, look healthy, work effectively and think clearly.



But sleep is not always so easy to come by. If you sometimes have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, you're not alone. A 1991 Gallup study found that more than one-third of all Americans suffer occasional or chronic insomnia.



People often are surprised to learn that daytime drowsiness is not an inevitable, harmless byproduct of modern life, but rather a key sign of a sleep problem that could be disastrous if not treated.



Recent figures show that nearly a quarter of the population regularly cannot go to, or remain asleep, and every year doctors write out more than 14 million prescriptions for sleeping tablets.



The causes of sleeplessness are many and varied. 'It can be due to a medical condition, such as chronic pain from rheumatism or arthritis,' says Professor Jim Horne, who runs the Sleep Research Laboratory at Loughborough University. 'Or it can be chemical, as a result of drinking tea, coffee or alcohol. Chronic or long-term insomnia is often associated with depression or anxiety, and environmental factors certainly contribute.'



And sleepless nights, staring wild-eyed into the darkness, are worse than bad dreams,



For too many people--an estimated 9percent of the American population--a good night's sleep is an elusive goal. The consequences of fatigue from chronic sleeplessness include accidents in the car and at work, a dramatically increased risk of major depression, and worsening physical illness.



Immediate relief is available, in the form of hypnotic agents, for persons who have difficulty in falling or remaining asleep or who cannot obtain restful, restorative slumber. However, long-term improvement usually involves behavioral therapy. These therapeutic approaches must be integrated if the patient's short- and long-term needs are to be addressed.