CULINARY
What is yoga and what are its roots?
The word yoga itself in Sanskrit means yoke, which can be understood as ordering the cooperation of body and mind so that they promote development, or union, which can be translated as the unity of the physical and mental spheres.
Yoga is a philosophical system that originated thousands of years ago in India, which focuses on achieving unity of body, spirit and mind through, among other things , self-improvement, meditation and asceticism.
The father of yoga is considered to be Patanjali, an Indian scholar whose work, the Yoga Sutras, consisting of 194 verses, is considered the basis for the practice of yoga . According to him, "Yoga is the restraint of the phenomena of consciousness."
In addition to the spiritual dimension and ethical principles, yoga is also about physicality, i.e. working on the body and mind, which is achieved through asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing technique). What counts in yoga is precision and synchronization of movement with breathing. The modern approach treats yoga as a training system that brings many benefits to the entire body.
Who is yoga suitable for?
Yoga is suitable for almost everyone , regardless of age, gender, weight or condition. It is perfect if you want to increase range of motion, work on flexibility, strengthen muscles and joints, reduce back pain (resulting from, among others , little exercise and a sedentary lifestyle), correct posture defects or gain a firm and flexible body.
Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to have a flexible body, be very flexible or be able to stand on your head to start practicing yoga. Yes, these features and skills help during the exercises, but they are not essential and no one will demand them from a beginner yogi/yogini
Yoga is recommended for people who want to change their passive lifestyle and start moving regularly , but are not necessarily interested in running, strength training or fitness classes. Yoga helps with digestion problems (specific asanas "massage" internal organs, improving their functioning, which helps get rid of heartburn or flatulence) and hypertension (controlled breathing and calm movements oxygenate the body and improve blood flow).
Practicing yoga can also be a great basis for practicing other sports, returning to physical activity after a long break, or diversifying training for a professional athlete.
Does yoga help you lose weight?
Yoga is not a form of activity aimed at burning calories, like aerobic training , so it will not bring spectacular effects in terms of weight loss in the short term. However, regular practice combined with a balanced diet ( including limiting the consumption of processed food) in the long term helps reduce weight, reduce the risk of the so -called yo-yo effect, slim the figure or give muscles a nice outline without fear of their excessive development.
Due to the fact that asanas activate large amounts of muscles, the metabolism is boosted, which helps burn fat tissue and lose weight. In addition, thanks to greater body awareness, calmness, achieving mental balance and reducing stress levels, yoga helps to achieve greater control over bad habits, e.g. over what and how much you eat when you are stressed.
What are the most popular asanas for beginners?
child's position – great for headaches, tension in the shoulders, cervical and thoracic spine;
cat back – helps relieve the spine, make it more flexible and lengthen;
Downward Dog Pose – helps strengthen your arms, back and legs.
plank position – used to strengthen the abdominal, back and wrist muscles;
upside down dog position – this is a good way to open the chest, and therefore better oxygenate the body and stretch the spine;
Tree pose – improves balance, opens the chest and hips, lengthens the spine and strengthens the leg and abdominal muscles;
chair position or Sun Salutation – has a positive effect on body posture and strengthens large muscle groups (legs and back);
Corpse Pose (Savasana) – is intended to relax the whole body, help get rid of tension and fatigue.