Yoga Month is celebrated throughout all of September every year and aims to promote yoga’s health benefits and a healthy lifestyle. Yoga was originally practiced as a form of healing. National Yoga Awareness Month was created by the National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health (N.C.C.I.H.) along with the Office of Research Services (O.R.S.) to raise awareness of the benefits of yoga-like mental and physical well-being, less stress, and increased longevity of life.
- Yoga is over 5000 years old.
- Yoga is a physical activity that consists of maintaining isometric postures, followed by deep breathing and meditation.
- It is beneficial for people of all ages.
- Some yoga exercises are easy to perform and not hard on the body, and hence, they can be done by the elderly too.
- National Yoga Awareness Month was created to raise awareness of the benefits of practicing yoga among people all over the world.
- The word ‘yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit language and literally means ‘union’.
- It is said that once a person practices yoga, the person is united with the universe and the supreme consciousness.
What is the most famous yoga pose?
- In downward dog, your head is lower than your heart, so it has the benefits of inversions and improves the blood flow through your body
- Downward dog stretches and helps to relieve tension from the neck and back.
- The flow of blood to the brain helps to relieve headaches, mental fogginess, and mild depression.
- If this pose places too much pressure on the wrists or shoulders, you can modify by going down to your elbows.
- The person who practices yoga is known as a yogi
- There Are Over 100 Types of Yoga
- The Oldest Yoga Teacher In The World passed away at 101 years…a beautiful woman after my own heart, being the hippie in heals and believing – age is only a number on a birth certificate
Of her 101 years, Tao Porchon-Lynch spent 93 of them practicing yoga. That dedication made her the world’s oldest yoga teacher.
“I wear high heels because I climbed Machu Picchu … I climbed up into the atmosphere and I felt I was just one with the whole of nature,”
“It takes me on another level of consciousness.”
Every thought and action she put into the world was full of wisdom, but there’s one piece of advice that stands out:
Wake up every morning with a positive mindset
“Whatever you put in your mind materializes,” she told The Times. “Within yourself, there’s an energy, but unless you use it, it dissipates. And that’s when you get old.”
Tao Porchon-Lynch
Tao may have passed away, but she never got old.
“If you do postures without the breathing you will never change anything”
Tao Porchon-Lynch
“When people are known to breathe properly they can survive and do anything.
Nothing is impossible when you are in tune with your breath.”
People are fascinated that I can still do certain poses at 98. Why shouldn’t I? Remember there is no such thing as can’t.
Anything is possible. Nothing is impossible. When you wake up every morning say, ‘this is going to be the best day of my life’, and it will be.
It’s important for women to support each other. I had incredible mentors including Indra Devi who encouraged me to teach yoga, and Dr. Welthy Fisher who founded World Education. Find that person you can admire and look up to as a beacon of light.
No matter what is happening in your day, look up and your spirit will be lifted.
The joy of living is inside you. Live it. Believe it.
Even if you don’t have family, you can create your own community of love.
I turned 98 on August 13th and I STILL feel like I’m 22! Life truly is what you make it. Wake up every morning and KNOW that this IS the BEST day of your life!
There is nothing you cannot do if you harness the power within you.
Tao Porchon-Lynch
Why is yoga a self-awareness habit?
- At its core, yoga allows us to create long-lasting life change by getting to know ourselves better and taking agency of our emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing where we can.
- In combination with mental healthcare, yoga can help us improve our self-understanding and live empowered, healthier lives.
What are the ‘Eight Limbs of Yoga’?
One of the most interesting yoga facts is that it comprises “eight limbs”. These all act as guidelines on how to live life and provide guidance on how they should be practised.
Each is designed to help you achieve a meaningful and purposeful life.
The eight limbs are:
- Yama (moral discipline)
- Niyama (observances)
- Asana (physical postures)
- Pranayama (breathing techniques)
- Pratyahara (sense withdrawal)
- Dharana (concentration)
- Dhyana (absorption or meditation)
- Samadhi (enlightenment or bliss)
In late 2015, the USA Yoga Federation registered yoga for competitive purposes, getting approval from the Olympic committee the following year.
But how do you compete in yoga?
- During a competition, yogis will display a range of poses before a panel of judges.
- They will have a total of 3-minutes to present these and must include 5 mandatory postures.
- These are:
- Standing head-to-knee pose
- Standing bow-pulling pose
- Bow pose
- Rabbit pose
- Stretching pose
These types of postures are thought to demonstrate yogis flexibility, strength and balance.
The judges rate competitors based on these criteria plus their timing and breathing.
What is the discipline of yoga?
- Yoga is essentially a spiritual discipline which focuses on bringing harmony between body, breath, mind, heart and spirit for a holistic life.
- It is a science of healthy, peaceful and harmonious living with self and others.
- Yoga is a philosophical or spiritual discipline.
- It helps bring harmony to the body, mind, and spirit.
Though yoga is predominantly linked to Hinduism and Buddhism, it’s become a non-denominational practice.
A huge range of people and cultures now practice it, regardless of location or individual religious beliefs.
Despite this, it is still a prominent part of these religions globally.
Buddhists and Hindus share the sacred mantra ‘Om’ during their meditation.
- ‘Om’ represents the sound of harmony in the universe.
- It can be heard throughout yoga practice as it’s thought to bring harmony to flow.
NATIONAL YOGA AWARENESS MONTH ACTIVITIES
- Learn yoga What better way to celebrate National Yoga Awareness Month than to incorporate yoga into your lifestyle. Go to your nearest yoga coach and learn the fundamentals of yoga to lead a healthier and stress-free life. With social media, YouTube channels, and a variety of apps, yoga routines have been created in small, manageable sizes to suit everybody’s busy schedules. BoHo Beautiful is one of the most popular yoga YouTube channels, some of the videos being just 10-minutes long.
- Share on social media Let everyone know the importance of this day. Take pictures and videos of you performing yogic postures and share them on your social media page to inspire others.
- Read more about yoga There are different types of yoga. Some exercises are beneficial for the body, while others are good for the mind. Some exercises prevent or even to some extent cure certain illnesses. Use this month to research more on the topic and choose exercises that fit your needs.
– Leza Lowitz.
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