YOGA. the Art of Living -5 pointers for healthier living & mindfulness

Transcription

1 YOGA the Art of Living -5 pointers for healthier living & mindfulness 1

2 Five Basic Principlesfor a healthy body and mind Yoga is a life of self-discipline built upon the tenets of simple living and high thinking. Please do not discount the value of the combined approach to Yoga self-culture. If you follow these five points, which compose a true holistic approach to our whole system of body, mind and soul, you will gain strength and balance to face this decisive world era. When body, mind and soul are healthy and harmonious, the higher mind can easily triumph over the vicious instinctive lower mind. Obstacles become stepping stones to success, and life is a school for the development of character, compassion, and realization of the Divine All-pervading Self. You will gain a new angle of vision of health and positivity. If you can heal your own body and mind, you will be capable of healing and taking care of the planet - Swami Vishnu-devananda 2

3 PROPER DIET VEGETARIAN-besides being responsable for building our physical body, the foods we eat profoundly affect our mind. Although being a vegetarian is not essential to practicing Yoga, for maximum bodymind efficency and complete spiritual awareness, Yoga advocates a lacto-vegetarian diet which is an integral part of the Yogic lifestyle. 3

4 CARNIVORE verses HERBIVORE -Meat-eaters: have claws Herbivores and humans do not have claws -Meat-eaters: have no skin pores and perspire through the tongue Herbivores and humans: perspire through skin pores -Meat-eaters: have sharp front teeth for tearing, with no flat molar teeth for grinding Herbivores and humans: do not have sharp front teeth, but flat rear molars for grinding -Meat-eaters: have an intestinal tract that is only 3 times their body length so that rapidly decaying meat can pass through quickly Herbivores and humans: have an intestinal tract times their body length. -Meat-eaters: have strong hydrochloric acid in stomach to digest meat Herbivores and humans: have stomach acid that is 20 times weaker than that of a meateater -Meat-eaters: have salivary glands in the mouth that are not needed to pre-digest grains and fruits. Herbivores and humans: have well-developed salivary glands which are necessary to predigest grains and fruits -Meat-eaters: have acid saliva with no enzyme ptyalin to pre-digest grains Herbivores and humans: have alkaline saliva with ptyalin to pre-digest grains 4

5 PROPER BREATHING PRANAYAMA-Yoga teaches us how to use the lungs to their maximum capacity and how to control the breath. Proper breathing should be deep, slow and rhythmical. This increases vitality and mental clarity. If performed properly and systematically any yogic technique will activate a greater pranic capacity and thus eliminate disorders and malfunctioning in the body. By proper practice of pranayama etc. all diseases are eradicated. Hatha Yoga Pradipika II, 16 5

6 PROPER RELAXATION SAVÂSANA-relaxation is Nature s way of recharging the body. Long before many of the inventions of todays modern world that are triggers of stress, the Rishis (sages or seers) and Yogis devised very powerful techniques of deep relaxation. In fact many modern stress management and relaxation methods borrow heavily from this tradition. By relaxing all the muscles deeply, the Yogi can thoroughly rejuvenate his nervous system and attain a deep sense of inner peace. 6

7 PROPER EXERCISE ÂSANA- Our physical body is meant to move and exercise. If our lifestyle does not provide natural motion of muscles and joints, then disease and great discomfort will ensue with time. Proper exercise increases circulation and flexibility and performed slowly and consciously, âsanas not only produce physical benefits (internal organs receive massage and stimulation and are toned into performing more efficiently), but are mental exercises in concentration and meditation. 7

8 POSITIVE THINKING MEDITATION-Here is the most important point of all, we become what we think. Thus we should exert ourselves to entertain positive and creative thoughts as these will contribute to vibrant health and a peaceful, joyful mind. The mind will be brought under perfect control by regular practice of meditation. 8

9 HATHA YOGA SYDNEY You can learn to implement one or all five of these principles into your daily life by contacting: 9