Yoga classes are all about breathing since they teach you that breath is life and with the exchange of electrons and energy flow in which air is the foremost nutrient, survival without air would only last a few minutes. The aim of a yoga class is to teach the student that he or she should learn to breathe without thinking and that the breathing is their spirit's voice having a good deal of depth, smoothness, sound as well as reflects the person's mood.
Becoming aware of the breath and breathing helps in staying calm and is the gateway to the spirit. When we are inattentive, the spirit tells us of the state of our body - however, no one is home to notice. When one is attentive, the breathing changes and the conscious mind speaks with the spirit inside the body and this is how healing occurs.
Classes are Taught at an Ashram
The yoga class teaches breathing techniques of yoga which form a vocabulary instrumental in communicating between the mind or brain and the lower limbs and hind-brain autonomic structures. The yoga class would also teach a number of yoga postures, workouts, and chants and the place where it is all taught is called the ashram.
Asanas or yoga postures have been designed so that the body can orient itself to the changing gravity and in order to learn the perfect posture, there is a certain amount of extreme stretching involved, which needs regular practice. Asanas are central to the health of the body.
A yoga class would also teach many different types of yoga workouts that are instrumental in keeping the body fit and is mainly the harmony between mind and body. It is the mind that perceives or diagnoses and guides or heals the body and does not in fact control the body and is not used under any circumstances to force the body but is more of a healing process. There is a great deal of therapeutic effect of the yoga workout which involves the mind and totally inspires breathing, to help the body evolve better.
Also taught at a yoga class is relaxation that is often characterized as being yoga and involves meditation which is a widely disparate technique having the ultimate goal to get the student to relax. Finally, the yoga class may teach chants and the therapeutic value of chanting lies in the resonance of vibrations through the body and especially the nervous system and chanting is a special form of controlling one's breath.
People attend and organize retreats to get in touch with themselves, with nature and with God. Jesuits are famous for their spiritual retreats where they take off for a fixed period of time to shut themselves away from the world and connect with God through prayers and inward retrospection.
What Are Yoga Retreats and What Do They Involve?
Yoga retreat as the name indicates could be the time period when one detaches themselves from all earthbound problems (job, children, spouse, money, etc) and connects with oneself through yoga. Yoga is equally responsible for mental health and well being as it is for the health of body. Hence, yoga retreats would be a great way to allow the mind to relax and renew itself. Yoga retreats, far from being a religious experience, cover the concepts of the connection between mind, body and soul. Yoga has answers for any type of ailment whether it is mental of physical, and it is during such types of yoga retreats that you find out the depth about this popular ancient Indian exercise regime.
The yoga retreat usually involves groups of 15 to 25 people who come to an ashram (simple shelter - usually attached to a temple, but also used as a loose term of free and charitable shelter organizations) and commit themselves to this trip inwards with the help of specific yoga exercises. The effects of such an exposure can have an extraordinary impact on people; and hence, it is highly commendable that everybody during their life time try to at least once enjoy this experience.
Pre-requisites
The yoga retreat can be organized by anyone, anywhere. There is only one need and pre-requisite that during the retreat, there would be total abstinence from non-vegetarian food and alcohol consumption as this would defile the body and interfere with yoga teachings and practices. Another important pre-requisite is that once the people have entered the ashram and are part of the yoga retreat, the 'students' close the doors to the outside world for whatever time span the retreat is. There would be no cell phones, no TV, no news papers. Only you, yoga and the Providence (or by whatever name you know God).
This is, generally speaking, how the yoga retreat makes the spiritual inroad into your soul, even if it is not a religious retreat. This experience will leave you feeling connected with the rest of the universe, re-charged, and content with life as it is.
No comments:
Post a Comment