Guidelines and Glossary

The Yoga Lotus

• Practice yoga very regularly.
• Yoga combines physical poses (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama)  and meditation (dhyana). This is the general order also.
• The real yoga is your union with the divine. Find your spirit.
• The best time to practice yoga is in the morning, after clearing bowels. 
• Drinking a glass of warm water is recommended half hour before doing yoga.
• It is recommended never to eat heavy atleast half to one hour before beginning yoga. Yoga should never be done on a full stomach.
• Non-skid mats are recommended to be used for yoga asanas. Wear comfortable clothing and avoid belts, jewelry, clips before beginning yoga.
• Always do warm ups before beginning any yogic exercise. It helps you prepare your body and mind for the upcoming session.
• Never stretch yourself beyond your body's natural limit at any given time.  The limit will stretch and extend as you practice yoga regularly. Yoga is always done up to one’s physical capacity.
• Women should not practice yoga during periods or pregnancy unless guided by an experienced yoga teacher.
• Always breathe through the nose, never through the mouth. Try to hold your breath while the body is moving. Inhale or exhale when the body is still. Never hold breath in yoga asanas if you keep High B.P.
• Keep a regular routine of sleep, work, recreation, and diet seven days a week. Wake up & sleep at the same time and eat at regular hours.
• Eat natural raw food or freshly cooked food made from scratch as much as you can. Avoid reheated, processed, canned or microwaved food. 
• Eat to live; do not live to eat.  Don't eat until hungry; eat slowly; chew food before gulping it. Overeating is bad.  Eat a balanced diet.
• Yoga experts say’ Even chew your water’. Drink water slowly.
• Inhale deeply and exhale deeply. Breathe slowly. Save your breaths.
• Yoga does not instantaneously give an hour glass figure. It’s a very slow process, but much more beneficial than any other exercise form.
• Never be ashamed of your body. Respect it. Any shape or form does not really matter in practicing yoga. Remember it’s the flexibility which matters, not the size.
• In Yoga, it is said, the more "knotted" the body is in a posture, the calmer the mind becomes. The more yoga you do, the quieter and calmer you become.
• The most important 'Mantra' in Yoga is 'OM'. Split in A-U-M, it is the sound of the universe.
• Don’t just sit there, DO YOGA!

YOGA AT HOME:

Yoga is not an exercise, it's a practice. Try to build a 20 minute yoga routine in your life. You do not need any expensive yoga equipment. Infact, you have what's most important, your desire!

Let's look at what all you need to begin:

1. A Yoga Mat: is useful, but not essential. If you are practicing outside in the open grass, a plastic sheet with a non-skid rug on it is useful. If you have carpeted floors, just put down a towel, and use that for your practice. If you have wooden floors, a non-skid small rug would work. Try and do yoga without socks, to avoid sliding.

2. Rolled cotton towel or a folded blanket: help in sitting and prone poses.

3. Yoga Clothes: are tight fitting, to enable you, to get in to the poses without coming in way. But some items from your wardrobe, like track pants, tees, jogging suits or leggings, make simple but effective yoga outfit.

4. Box of tissues: to help in breathing techniques, if needed.

5. Bottled water: for hydration between or after the yoga practice.

BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE:

1.    Yoga Practice increases strength, flexibility and concentration. It increases
balance and co-ordination.

 2.    Yoga Practice affects our body, mind and soul.

3.    The physical body benefits of Yoga Practice include, neuromuscular development,
encouraging midline crossing, developing motor skills on both sides of the
body, increasing body awareness and reducing injuries, improving performance
and body posture, improving digestion, strengthens the immune system, affecting
the internal organs, improving the blood circulation, relaxing the body and
promoting better sleep.

4.    Yoga Practice benefits the mind in various ways. They include, relieving tension and
stress, increasing focus and attention span, promoting thinking process and
memory, stimulating auditory processing and responsiveness, calming and
quieting the mind, reducing anxiety and balancing energy level.

5.    The complete yoga is finding the spirit and connecting it with the Divine.
Practicing meditation as part of yoga regime, builds confidence and self
esteem, enhances team skills and social interaction, develops discipline and
self control, inspires respect for others and self, enables social interaction
and self expression, encourages fit healthy lifestyle, balances energy levels
in the body, calms and relaxes the mind and body, makes us enjoy the present
moment, teaches thoughtless awareness and makes us pure, fresh beautiful human
beings.


GLOSSARY


A
Asana- pose or a taking comfortable seat


B
Balance-holding body still, forming symmetry
Breath-living force essential for being


C
Chant-classsic words repeated rhythmically in meditation
Counter pose-poses that follow a pose to allign body


D
Drishti-gazing focal point for a yoga pose


E
Exhale-breath taken out


F
Flexibility-your ability to bend body in different ways


I
Inhale-breath taken in
Inversion-an upside down pose


M
Meditation-silence within
Mantra-vibrational words hummed or chanted  together


N.
Namaste-greeting position


O
Om-vibrational sound of the universe at peace. It contains A,U and M


P
Pose-position that boday takes to stretch, balance or rest
Pranayama-breathing techniques, 'Pran' means breath or the living force


R
Rest-relaxing the whole body


S
Sanskrit-ancient Indian language
Savasana-corpse pose or rest position, 'sava' means 'corpse' or dead
Stretch-extending body parts to loosen muscle
Surya-sun


U
Ujjayi-a breathing technique, resembling sound of ocean


V
Vinyasa-flowing sequence fluidly linked with breath, viz, The Sun Salutation


Y
Yoga-union with the divine
Yogi-student or practicioner of yoga