5 Points of Yoga

5 Points of Yoga
(As summarized by Swami Vishnu Devananda)

1) Proper Exercise: Asana (Yoga Poses)

+ The physical body is the house of the soul. Your body is your temple.
+ Asanas were invented to keep the physical body strong, open and well.
+ Open our subtle energy body, so our prana or chi can flow freely within us.
+ Yoga postures focus on the health of the spine, bringing the spine into flexion, extension, side flexion and rotation. A large part of our nervous system is contained in the spine. We are as young, as our spine is flexible.
+ Allows the body to sit for periods of time in meditation.

2) Proper Breathing: Pranayama

+ Control & regulation of prana, subtle energy
+ Practice our ability to use our breath more efficiently, to bring in more oxygen into the body, and remove more carbon dioxide.
+ Many of us don’t breath properly or efficiently, our tissues starve of oxygen and we wonder why we feel tired.

3) Proper Relaxation: Savasana

+ Physical & mental relaxation; resets nervous system, metabolism, flushes cellular waste, reduces stress hormones, balances blood pressure, reduces pain perception.
+ We all know the importance of relaxation.

4) Proper Diet: Typically vegetarian

+ We are what we eat!
+ Pure, simple, natural foods that are easily digested and nourish the body.
+ Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, herbs, herbal teas, and fresh water.
+ Processing, refining or chemically/genetically modifying our food lowers nutrient content
+ Listen to your bodies innate intuition.

 5) Positive Thinking & Meditation

+ Focus the mind, exceed the Ego, deepen our experience, reach the ultimate goal of yoga; Samadhi (enlightenment, bliss.)