YOGAYOGA

Yoga Practice GoalsYoga Practice Goals

Goals for this class: Find enjoyment and success in physical activity Improve physical fitness and health Develop self-awareness, self-control, focus and

concentration Develop self-esteem and understanding for

each other Enhance mental and emotional stability and

well being Inspire each other to establish and maintain a

lifetime of wellness Facilitate the transference of yoga education

and tools into life skills.

Objectives Objectives Basic body mechanics, alignment and proper posture Holding postures and stretches with grace Center, integrate, and balance themselves Regulate breathing in challenging situations Focus on a given task Slow down and connect with movements Balance effort and receptivity Release tension and stress Maintain and improve cardiovascular health Formulate and accomplish self-created goals Make positive choices that respect and support

yourself and others Tolerate conflicts and compassionately resolve them.

History

• Yoga is a profound system of holistic health which originated in India over 5,000 years ago.

• It was first put into written form as the Yoga Sutras.

• The author was Patanjali.

Statue of Patnjali

MAJOR BRANCHES OF YOGA Karma Yoga: the way of right action,

serving without the motivation of obtaining the results of labor.

Bhakti Yoga: the way of devotion, devotion to a supreme being absorbing the emotions and self in pure love.

Jnana Yoga: the way of knowledge, studying god and learning to discriminate between illusion and the reality that all is god.

Hatha Yoga: the physical path, using the body through asana and pranayama to control the mind and senses.

Tantric Yoga: the feminine path, worshiping the goddess energy and seeing the body as the temple of the divine.

Kundalini Yoga: the path of energy, arousing the energy stored in the chakras through breathing and movement.

Raja Yoga: the path of meditation, controlling the mind from wandering and obtaining mastery over thought.

HATHA YOGAHATHA YOGA

Outside of India, the term Yoga usually Outside of India, the term Yoga usually refers to Hatha Yoga and it’s various types refers to Hatha Yoga and it’s various types

Iyengar (physical alignment)Iyengar (physical alignment) Bikram (Hot Yoga)Bikram (Hot Yoga)

Astanga (set series of poses – intense)Astanga (set series of poses – intense) Power (vigorous – fitness based)Power (vigorous – fitness based)

Physical BenefitsPhysical Benefits

Yoga creates a toned, flexible, and strong body in order Yoga creates a toned, flexible, and strong body in order to improve respiration, energy, and vitality. It helps to to improve respiration, energy, and vitality. It helps to maintain a balanced metabolism, promotes cardio and maintain a balanced metabolism, promotes cardio and circulatory health and relieve pain. It also helps you look circulatory health and relieve pain. It also helps you look and feel younger than your age while improving your and feel younger than your age while improving your athletic performance. athletic performance.

Mental BenefitsMental Benefits

Yoga helps you relax and handle stressful situations more easily. It teaches you how to quiet the mind so you can focus your energy where you want it to go — into a difficult yoga pose, on the tennis court or golf course, or in the office. Yoga encourages positive thoughts and self-acceptance.

Spiritual BenefitsSpiritual Benefits

Yoga builds awareness of your body, your feelings, the world around you, and the needs of others. It promotes an interdependence between mind, body, and spirit and helps you live the concept of “oneness”. 

YOGA POSITIONSYOGA POSITIONSSit/Easy Position - SukhasanaSit/Easy Position - Sukhasana

Sit cross-legged with your hands on your knees.

Focus on your breath. Keep your spine straight

and push your sit bones down into the floor.

Take 5-10 slow, deep breaths. On the next inhale, raise your arms over your head. Exhale and bring your arms down slowly.

Repeat 5-7 times.

Dog and Cat Increases flexibility of spine. This is really two poses, one flowing into the

other. Begin on your hands and knees. Keep your hands just in front of your shoulders, your legs about hip width

apart. As you inhale, tilt the tailbone and pelvis up, and let the spine curve

downward, dropping the stomach low, and lift your head up. Stretch gently. As you exhale, move into cat by reversing the spinal bend, tilting the pelvis

down, drawing the spine up and pulling the chest and stomach in. Repeat several times, flowing smoothly from dog into cat, and cat back into

dog.

Resting PoseResting Pose

Child’s PoseChild’s Pose

If you need to take a break, child’s pose one If you need to take a break, child’s pose one of the resting poses you may use.of the resting poses you may use.

Begin in table – kneeling positionBegin in table – kneeling positionFrom table. widen knees, bend forward at From table. widen knees, bend forward at

the waist with arms stretched forwardthe waist with arms stretched forward

Sun SalutationSun Salutation

The Sun Salutation Pose, also The Sun Salutation Pose, also known as known as Salute to the SunSalute to the Sun and Surya Namaskar, is a and Surya Namaskar, is a flowing series of 12 poses flowing series of 12 poses which help improve strength which help improve strength and flexibility of the muscles and flexibility of the muscles and spinal column.and spinal column.

This pose also warms up the This pose also warms up the body and tones the body and tones the abdominal muscles. So take abdominal muscles. So take your time and learn how to your time and learn how to perform the perform the Yoga Sun Yoga Sun SalutationSalutation Pose with the Pose with the help of our easy-to-follow help of our easy-to-follow steps. steps.

Mountain - TadasanaMountain - Tadasana

Stand with feet together, hands at your sides, eyes looking forward.

Push into the floor with your feet and raise your legs, first the calves and then the thighs.

Breathe. Hold the posture, but try not to tense up. Breathe.

As you inhale, imagine the breath coming up through the floor.

Reverse the process on the exhale and watch your breath as it passes down from your head, through your chest and stomach, legs and feet.

Hold for 5 to 10 breaths.

Hands UpHands Up

Inhale and raise the Inhale and raise the arms upward. Slowly arms upward. Slowly

bend backward, bend backward, stretching arms stretching arms above the head.above the head.

Head To KneesHead To Knees

Exhale slowly bending Exhale slowly bending forward, touching the forward, touching the

earth with respect earth with respect until the hands are in until the hands are in

line with the feet, line with the feet, head touching knees.head touching knees.

LungeLunge

Inhale and move the right Inhale and move the right leg back away from the leg back away from the

body in a wide backward body in a wide backward step.step.

Keep the hands and feet Keep the hands and feet firmly on the ground, with firmly on the ground, with the left foot between the the left foot between the

hands. hands.

Raise the head.Raise the head.

Downward DogDownward Dog

While exhaling, While exhaling, bring the left foot bring the left foot together with the together with the

right.right.

Keep arms straight, Keep arms straight, raise the hips and raise the hips and

align the head with align the head with the arms, forming the arms, forming an upward arch.an upward arch.

StickStick

Exhale and slowly the Exhale and slowly the body as if coming body as if coming

down from a push up.down from a push up.

Only your hands and Only your hands and feet should touch the feet should touch the

floor.floor.

Upward DogUpward Dog

Inhale and slowly Inhale and slowly raise the head and raise the head and bend backward as bend backward as much as possible, much as possible,

bending the spine to bending the spine to the maximum the maximum

Downward DogDownward Dog

While exhaling, While exhaling, bring the left foot bring the left foot together with the together with the right. right.

Keep arms straight, Keep arms straight, raise the hips and raise the hips and align the head with align the head with the arms, forming the arms, forming an upward arch an upward arch

LungeLunge Inhale and move the Inhale and move the

right leg back away right leg back away from the body in a from the body in a wide backward step. wide backward step.

Keep the hands and Keep the hands and feet firmly on the feet firmly on the ground, with the left ground, with the left foot between the foot between the hands . hands .

Raise the HeadRaise the Head

Head to KneesHead to Knees

Exhale slowly Exhale slowly bending forward, bending forward,

touching the earth touching the earth with respect until with respect until the hands are in the hands are in line with the feet, line with the feet,

head touching head touching knees. knees.

Hands UpHands Up

Inhale and raise the Inhale and raise the arms upward. Slowly arms upward. Slowly

bend backward, bend backward, stretching arms above stretching arms above

the head.the head.

Mountain - TadasanaMountain - Tadasana

Stand facing the direction of the sun with

both feet touching. Bring the hands

together, palm-to-palm, at the heart.

Corpse Pose - SavasanaCorpse Pose - Savasana

To get to corpse pose, sit To get to corpse pose, sit with fee flat on the floor. Lay with fee flat on the floor. Lay

back and hug knees into back and hug knees into body. Gently rock side to body. Gently rock side to

side. Release the arms to the side. Release the arms to the floor and stretch legs out. floor and stretch legs out.

Turn the palms up and Turn the palms up and breath breath