YOGA AND

LIFESTYLE
THE WORD YOGA HAS BEEN DERIVED FROM THE SANSKRIT WORD YUJ WHICH MEANS TO UNITE
ADD OR BIND . IN BHAGVAD GITA YOGA IS DESCRIBED AS SKILLFUL COMPLETION OF A TASK IN
OTHER WORDS YOGA IS THE UNION OF THE BODY, MIND SOUL .PRACTICING YOGA ENABLES US TO
WORK EFFICIENTLY AND LEAD A DISCIPLINED LIFE.
YOGA ENHANCES PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STRENGTH, INCREASES FLEXIBILITY ,CORRECTS
POSTURE,RELIEVES STRESS AND ESTABLISHES INNER PEACE
• THE PRACTICE OF YOGA EVOLVEDD IN THE INDIAN PEENNISULAR REGION OVER 5000 YEARS AGO . HOWEVER , NOW A DAYS
• IT HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY THE WESTERN CULTURES TOO.
• PEOPLE OF ALL AGE GROUPS BE IT CHILDREN , ADULTS OR SENIOR CITIZENS SHOULD REGULARLY PRACTICE YOGA ASANAS.
TO RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE OF YOGA ,EVERY YEAR 21 JUNE IS CELEBRATED AS THE INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY
• YOGA CONSIST OF EIGHT BRANCHES OR ELEMENTS WHICH ARE

• PRATYAHARA DHARNA
• DHAYANA

• ASANA YOGA PRANAYAMA

• NIYAMA YAMA SAMADHI

• MAHARISHI PATANJALI HAD DESCRIBED ALL THESE ELEMENTS IN HIS BOOK YOG DARSHANA
• ASANA--- ASANA IS ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF YOGA , TO REMAIN STILL IN A COMFORTABLE POSITION FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF
TIME IS CALLED ASANA.
• Pics of Asanas

• BHUJANGASANA DHANURASANA HALASANA NAUKASANA

• DEFINITIONS OF ASANAS – ACCORDING TO BRAMOPANISHAD “TO SIT IN A COMFORTABLE
POSITION OR POSTURE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME IS CALLED ASANA
• ACCORDING TO PATANJALI “ STHRIM SUKHAM AASANAM “ THAT MEANS ASANA IS A POSTION THAT IS
COMFORTABLE AND STEADY
• CLASSIFICATION OF ASANAS
• ON THE BASIS OF THEIR EFFECTS ASANAS ARE CLASSIFIED IN THE FOLLOWING THREE
CATEGORIES
• ASANA

•
•
• MEDITATIVE RELAXTATIVE CORRECTIVE
• MEDITATIVE ASANA---These asanas helps in improve environment for meditation.
Padmasana and sidhasana are mainly performed during meditation hence these asanas are
known as meditative asanas
• PADMASANA SIDHASANA
•
• RELAXATIVE ASANAS --- These asanas are used for relaxation purposes , shavasana and makarasana are
known as relaxative asanas. These asanas are practiced after heavy workout to bring our body back to
relaxed position

• SHAVASANA MAKARASNA

•
•
 CORRECTIVE ASANAS---These asanas are used to correct postural deformities .Lilke kyphosis
and lordosis
Practice o these asanas make body movements graceful . Halasana, bhujangasana,
dhanurasana, mayurasana, shalabasana and chakrasana.

HALASANA BHUJANGASANA DHANURASANA

MAYURASANA SHALABASANA CHAKRASANA
BENEFITS OF ASANAS
1.PERFORMING ASANAS REGULARLY IS THE BEST EXERCISE TO STRENGTHEN AND REGULATE
2.FUNCTIONING OF THE INTERNAL ORGANS
3.THEY DEVELOP DIFFERENT ASPECTTS OF OUR BODY AND MIND
4.THEY IMPROVE FLEXIBILITY OF OUR MUSCLES OF OUR SPINE ,MUSCLES AND JOINTS
5.THEY HELP IN PURIFYING BLOOOD AND CONTROLLING BLOOD PRESSURE
6.THEY HELP IN CURING MANY DISEASES LIKE BLOOD PRESSURE , CONSTIPATION AND DIABETES
7. THEY ARE BEST FOR CORRECTING POSTURAL DEFORMITIES
8. ASANAS RELAX THE BODY AND MIND AND REDUCE STRESS AND THUS HELPS US TO FOCUS
9.THEY BOOST IMMUNITY
10. THEY HELP TO DISCIPLINE OUR MIND