... positive aspects of the behaviour as described by yoga:

Shoucha (Cleanliness): This includes the cleanliness of the mind and the body. Yoga has described a clean mind as the one free of any prejudices, false beliefs, ignorance and ego. Generally speaking, all the yamas come under this niyama since they deal with eliminating some or the other impurities.

Santosha (Contentment): a yogi is taught to be happy and satisfied with his lot. He does not need to achieve any ambition.

Tapas (Religious austerities) : This niyama describes the rituals like fasting needed to fortify the mind. Yoga believes that this increases the resistance power of the body and makes your body and mind stronger and thus you can face adverse conditions effectively.

Swadhyaya (Reading of religious literature): This practice is very useful for overcoming ignorance and facing the adversities of life calmly. It helps to fill your mind with peace.

Ishwarpranidhana (Devotion): this teaches you to rely on the divine will and to ascribe the effects of your action to the divine providence. This is a very useful habit to cultivate as you can accept everything as Gods will and can achieve peace of mind. This eliminates the fear and worry.more

Getting Started with Yoga Quickly And Easily

...as. It's possible to do yoga in the nude, which some people prefer, but generally it's accepted that you wear suitable clothing, particularly if it's a group yoga session.

Most yoga practitioners also recommend that you have an empty stomach when commencing a session. It's a good idea to wait a couple of hours after your main meal, so your body has had time to digest the food. Make sure you have clear nostrils and throat, as breathing exercises are a key element in yoga training.

Some people find that over time they develop a preference for practicing yoga at a particular time of day, but in fact there's no one time that is considered to be the best. If you practice yoga in the morning, you help to give your body and mind a good start to the day, as well as getti...more

Laughter Yoga - Laughter Heals Body, Mind, and Soul

..."Most people think they have to feel good first in order to laugh. But you can start from nothing, you can even start feeling unhappy and just laugh as a form of exercise, and happy feelings follow." Jeffrey Briar, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher

In 1995 an Indian family physician, Doctor Madan Kataria, started the first Laughter Club in a park in Bombay, India to put into practice what he aptly named Hasya or Laughter Yoga ("Hasya" means laughter in Sanskrit). Dr. Kataria was conducting research on the effects of laughter on health and was amazed by the number of studies showing the profound physiological and psychological benefits of laughter.

Armed with determination and a wish to help others improve their health and feelings of wellbeing through laughter, he went to a public park near his home and convinced four other people to start a Laughter Club there. This action was at first considered a bit bizarre by his friends and colleagues. However, little by little, more and more people joined in. Today, his friends aren't laughing at him anymore, now they're laughing with him: laughter is contagious, and Laughter Yoga has swept the globe.

Since the beginnings of Laughter Yoga in that park in Bombay, Dr. Kataria has taken Laughter Yoga to schools and orphanages, prisons, hospitals, senior homes, instit...more

Yoga Helps You Lower Blood Pressure

... All these lower blood pressure. Furthermore, these asanas slow down the pulse rate, so they lower blood pressure.

They are also helpful to lower blood pressure the sitting asanas, such as Upavista Konasana, which remove the tension from the ribs and the intercostals muscles, and also help you breathe easily. Many hypertensives have difficulties in breathing and these asanas help them in this matter and they also lower blood pressure.

Other helpful asanas are the supine poses, like Supta Baddhakonasana, which relax the abdominal region and have a calming effect...more

Yoga And Pilates Equipment