Yoga is an ancient art practiced to maintain and improve the physical, moral and spiritual well being. It is a combination of physical exercises, breathing practices and meditation. Yoga instruction helps individuals to overcome stress, anxiety and fears arising out of present day’s hectic lifestyles and advocates a disciplined way of life. Yoga instructions teach the ways and means of practicing yoga in a systematic manner. Basically, there are twenty yoga instructions that are considered to be very important in for acquiring Yoga Sadhana, Karma, Bhakti, Jnana and Raja Yoga. One who strictly follows these instructions derives the maximum benefits out of yoga physically as well as mentally.
Brahmamuhurtha refers the early morning between 4 am to 7 am. This is the ideal time for performing Sadhana.
Asana refers the postures for doing yoga. There are different kinds of asanas like Padmasana, Siddhasana, Sukhasana, Sirshasana, Sarvagasana, etc. Padmasana and Siddhasana are ideal for Japa and meditation, Sirshasana and Sarvangasana helps to maintain the health and Brahmacharaya.
Japa is repeating mantras or sacred syllable a number of times with full concentration. Japa can be performed from 108 to 21,600 times every day as per our convenience. People from different religions such as Christians, Muslims, Sikhs or any other religions chat their own mantras.
Dietetic discipline advocates good food habits. According to yogic instructions one who wants to get full benefits of yoga has to take Sattvic food giving up chilly, tamarind, onion, garlic, oil, mustered and asafetida. Mitahara prohibits over eating. Simple foods like milk and fruits are most preferred eatables as they prevent body stimulation. Non-vegetarian foods are not encouraged in yoga and those who intake these items can gradually reduce them and become full-fledged vegetarian over a period of time. Meditation is an integral part of yoga and a calm and quite place is needed for doing mediation. Svadhya refers to reading holy scripts like Gita, Ramayana, Bible, Koran or Granth Sahib.
A healthy practice of yoga helps in attaining maximum benefits for body and mind. Yoga postures and practices are designed with some specific goals. Unless one learns and performs them perfectly, benefits derived are very limited.
The best way for practicing yoga is performing under the instructions of a guru.
His knowledge and experience will help the learners to do the practices strictly according to yoga instructions.
Those who are unable to get a service of yoga guru learn yoga with the help of yoga DVD and books. There are many books and Video DVDs available in the market as well as online that contain yoga instructions. There are also many TV live programs beamed directly at our drawing rooms that can help us in learning and practicing yoga. There is also plenty of yoga software available with many software vendors. These yoga software programs provide detailed information about different yoga postures and various yoga instructions. One can find yoga instructions online also at several yoga related websites. Whatever methods one desires to learn the art of yoga, one has to follow and perform yoga instructions perfectly to achieve optimum benefits from yoga.