What is Ashtanga Yoga and Its Benefits?
Yoga is today famous in all the corners of the world. But very few people know Yoga in-depth and as a knowledge of life. The knowledge of Yoga leads back almost 5000 years.
Truly no one knows the exact date of its origins. The Indian continent has one of the oldest manuscripts ‘Veda’ that mentions Yoga very importantly. No older yoga scripture has been found in any other corner of the world. Alongside the proof, Yoga has always been in the holistic culture of India. Thus we can easily state that India is the origin place of Yoga.
Yoga means unification. It teaches you to connect with the higher one. Yoga is an important aspect of spirituality. There are several types of Yoga as follows.
- Karma Yoga
- Bhakti Yoga
- Gyana Yoga
- Hatha Yoga
The world today especially practices only Ashtanga Yoga which deals with physical exercises, Dhyana, and Pranayama. Ashtanga Yoga boosts your physical, psychological, and emotional health. Also, it helps you to grow your body’s flexibility and strength.
We will discuss Ashtanga Yoga and its benefits in this blog in detail so that you can get all the information you need about modern Yoga today. Read the blog completely.
What is Ashtanga Yoga?
Ashtanga is a result of the conjunction of two Sanskrit words ‘Astha’ & ‘Anga’. As the means eight and Anga mean parts. Thus Ashtanga Yoga is a branch of Yoga that deals with eight segments of Yoga. It unifies all the eight limbs of Yoga into one complete which gives you control over your psychological, physical, and emotional health.
These eight limbs of Yoga are the foundation of the Yoga Sutra. Ancient Indian civilization had a philosophy school of Yoga. These eight limbs are as follows.
- Yama -Morale Code
- Niyama- Self-Control
- Asana- Posture
- Pranayama- Breathing Exercises
- Pratyahara- Sense Withdrawal
- Dharana- Concentration
- Dhyana- Meditation
- Samadhi- Oneness with the self.
Ashtanga Yoga is a dynamic yoga division that deals with both physical and spiritual areas of life. This is further divided into many divisions such as Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Power Yoga, and many more. Hatha Yoga completely deals with the physical exercises of Yoga. It includes postures or Asana of Yoga. Most countries deal only with this type of Yoga.
Ashtanga Yoga includes many postures and sets of postures followed one by one in order. You also need to focus on breathing exercises and counting to keep track of the efficiency of your act.
Benefits of Ashtanga Yoga:
Ashtanga Yoga deals with the psychological, physical, and emotional aspects of one’s life. Hence it benefits your life in its aspects. Below are some major benefits of Ashtanga Yoga that you will gain while practicing this yoga.
1. Physical Strength:
Ashtanga Yoga, especially the division of Hatha Yoga, deals with physical exercises. Ashtanga Yoga postures or Asana require strength and balance. It trains your body muscles including your arms, legs, core, and back muscles. Your body loses weight and gains muscles and flexibility. Also, it gets toned with time.
The sets of Ashtanga Yoga cover each part of the body. While practicing it, you perform exercises from head to toe. Your core becomes stronger and your body gains flexibility. Other than these, it improves your stamina & endurance. You can perform all these at your own pace.
2. Effective Cardio Workout:
If you are in search of an easy weight loss process, your next goal should be Ashtanga yoga. In general, it is more effective than gym training—the very postures of Ashtanga yoga demand balance and strength from its practitioner. You need to balance your weight evenly on your legs and arms during practicing the Asana.
The pranayama which is a breathing exercise makes it more effective. The combination fasters your heartbeats. The Ashtanga yogic set of Asana leads you to a state of intense burning of body fat. As a result, your body comes to shape very early.
3. Good Coordination:
Our fast-paced modern lifestyle leads our bodies to many physical ailments. Our daily walking, sitting, and sleeping postures create pain and imbalance in our bodies. Ashtanga Yoga improves it by giving your body balance and strength. The sequences of Asana bring your body into one rhythm. It makes your body flexible and balanced. You will become more aware of your body movements.
4. Emotional Stability:
Ashtanga Yoga is not limited to your body only. The poses help you to gain emotional balance. Along with the body, it also offers flexibility to your mind. You can think more clearly. Your emotions will be under your control. It will feel like a purification of your emotions.
With time, you will gain harmony between your life situations and your emotional response to them. After achieving this, you will be able to deal with the tough & complex situations of your life with patience. Your emotional wounds will be healed. You may also be able to find heights of wisdom to live a good life.
A balanced mind also improves your organ functioning. Each of your organs and your whole body will make you stronger and smarter with each passing day.
5. Mental Healing:
As I mentioned, Ashtanga Yoga does not end at physical boundaries. It goes to the mind and spirit of a person. Ashtanga yoga teaches you Dhayana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, and Samadhi. All of these lead you to the mental healing stage. Keep focusing on your breathing style. You must count while practicing the Pranayama. It will help you to attain deep meditation. There you will find your mind relaxed, still, and aware of things. Regular meditation helps you to break unwanted behavior chains in your mind. It relaxes your mind and energizes your body. Through regular practice, you become calm, focused, fun-loving, and joyful.
6. Spiritual Uplifting:
Ashtanga Yoga has eight divisions. The first four are 1. Yama 2. Niyama 3. Asana and 4. Pranayama helps you to understand and improve your relationship with your surroundings. This includes people and your own physical body around you. The other four 5. Pratyahara 6. Dharana 7. Dhyana and 8. Samadhi focuses on your withdrawal from this world. It channels your energy to your internal self. Through meditation, you cleanse your internal body and mind.
You will face your sore points during its progress. But through practicing daily, you will pass all those. You will gain a better understanding of life around you and yours also. Your mental clarity will help you gain benefits from any situation.
Conclusion:
Ashtanga Yoga is an important part of Yoga. Not only it develops your body but also improves your focus and your relations with others. Ashtanga Yoga is also helpful in starting your spiritual journey.
In this blog, We have discussed some of the significant benefits of Ashtanga Yoga. I hope this blog has been helpful & full of knowledge for you. Thank you for reading. Keep doing Yoga and be healthy.
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