Yoga 11 Notes

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Yoga 11 Notes

• Yoga sanskrit word that means Yoke or Union
• Yoga is the uniting of the body/mind/spirit
• Sanskrit an ancient classical language of India

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A Brief history of yoga

• Yoga began 5000 years ago in India as a
  practice for young men in training to be wisemen.
  The postures strengthened their bodies so that
  they could sit for hours at a time in meditation
  and become enlightened beings.

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Benefits of Yoga Today

• Today, we practice yoga more for practical
  reasons
• Build core strength
• Be active
• De-stress
• Live more holistically (naturally)

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Tadasana(Mountain pose)

• General benefits
• Aligns the spine
• Helps develop proper standing posture
• Tones abdominal muscles and strengthens the legs
• Strengthens the arches of the feet, knees and
  thighs
• Fosters mental focus and clarity

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Tadasana Continued

• Enhances self-confidence
• Reduces mild anxiety
• Encourages deep breathing
• Mountain pose is the most important asana
  (posture) because every other posture stems from
  and contains aspects of this pose.

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Health Benefits of Surya Namaskar

• Provides all the primary health benefits of yoga
  in one package.
• Strengthens and awakens the body and mind
• It challenges the major muscles of the body,
  lubricates joints, ligaments
• Helps improve posture, flexibility and balance

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Surya Namaskar continued

• Stimulates and conditions every system in the
  body
• cardiovascular system
• digestive system
• lymphatic system
• respiratory system
• Relieves tension, stress, anxiety

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Prana

• Sanskrit word for breath
• Life-force energy that travels through the body
  by way of nadis or energy channels
• Known as meridians in Chinese medicine
• There are over 72000 channels of energy in the
  body and the three main nadis travel up the
  length of the spine

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Three Main Nadis

• The Ida nadi spirals up the spine on the left
  side and stops at the left nostril
• The pingali nadi on the right side and stops at
  the right nostril
• The sushumni nadi is the main energy channel that
  travels up the spine to the top of the head.

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Prana continued

• Yoga postures open these channels so energy can
  flow through the entire body
• When energy flows freely, we experience a deep
  inner connection
• In a healthy, balanced system, this energy
  travels freely, feeding all the cells of the body

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Start these notes on a new page Title this page
Vocabulary as we will add to it weekly.

• Sanskrit vocabulary
• Yoga Yoke or Union
• Asana Physical poses or postures
• Surya Namaskar Sun Salutation
• Udiyana Bandha - abdominal lock (pull your belly
  button into your spine)

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Sanskrit Vocabulary continued

• Tadasana Mountain pose
• Savasana relaxation
• Prana breath
• Uttanasana standing forward bend