Experience of regular practice of yoga

Believe it or not, Yoga is much more than an ancient form of discipline that stems from India. Today, it has spread amongst various cultures and countries and has changed the lives of thousands of people, including mine. The ‘Happy Yogi’ is not just a phrase; it is an actual, existing entity and all of us have the ability to become one. It is believed that as a child, everyone was familiar with the asanas (poses) of Yoga, but as we grow up we forget about it and hence, need to be taught again.
Practicing Yoga on a daily basis does not only bring unbelievable changes to our body but it also cleanses our mind. I was always aware of the benefits of Yoga but the lazy devil in me always took over and I never really got to practicing it until Art of Living. Being a little on the heavier side, I always thought that my body is not flexible enough to do the various poses of Yoga and this is a myth that many of us have. Yoga depends on flexibility, yes but it is also based on the state of mind. Yoga is a confidence booster and allows us to control our body and mind instead of the other way round.
The Surya Namaskar (Sun salutations) is considered to be one of the best forms of Yoga because it consists of excellent postures that are very beneficial. Doing a particular number of rounds of Surya Namaskar daily brought about a change in my health; reduced weight, purified mind and a healthy soul. Yoga can be tiring at first, but after I gave myself that initial lift, it inculcated itself as a part of my routine.
Yoga has cured many ailments of the knee, spine, hands etc. In my case, it helped me get over my almost-insomnia type condition. Due to the body movements, I could fall asleep easily instead of my regular habit of staying up till 3-4 am. Mainly, it washed over my whole body and I felt calmer and happier than before. At a point, when my leg was injured due to a fall, it was due to Sudarshan Kriya, Yoga and Meditation that I could move it again.
Yoga brings with itself complete peace of mind and subtlety. A number of studies and research theories by excellent universities prove that Yoga compliments science, personal experience proves that Yoga can change our whole lifestyle and our Master is the proof that Yoga is not an art or performing asanas, but it is a way of life.

Yoga and the gym workout

       

Doing yoga or hitting the gym - too difficult a choice to make? Let's make things easier and look at both not as rivals but close allies. Yes, yoga can be a perfect complement to your body workout and actually add to the benefits you derive from it.

The best part is, you can continue with your daily workout routine just the way it is now and simply add a few minutes of yoga practice to it for better results.

Yoga and gym workouts both have their own set of benefits and you need to decide what you require for your body. Yoga asanas or postures are slow graceful controlled movements while gym workouts involve rapid movements with force. Your muscles are strengthened from deep within in a systematic manner that improves your muscular endurance. In gym workouts the tension on your muscles increases a lot due to the forceful movements. Since yoga asanas or workouts are done in a slow systematic and controlled manner they prevent any kind of injury. Whereas in the gym workouts there is a greater risk of injury and muscle strain due to the rapid and forceful movements. If your weight gain is due to stress and you are trying to lose weight then yoga is a preferable option as it reduces your stress to a great extent and that in turn reduces your appetite. So you consume lesser calories. Gym workouts also help to reduce stress but not as much as yoga so your appetite is not reduced as much and in some cases since you strain yourself so much in your gym you actually tend to eat more and consume more calories. Yoga does not tire you out but helps you to relax totally and gets rid of your stress fully so you feel more at peace with yourself and others and you feel more energetic and refreshed after a yoga session. Gym workouts drain a lot of your energy so you feel exhausted after your gym sessions and your body aches due to the excessive strain on your muscles.