what is yoga for?

[Logic]

Many different things. Insight, health, peace, enlightenment, etc, it just depends what kind of yoga you are doing.

[blakera]

What kind raises energy (if there is one).  I thought it might be a nice supplement to my NEW, because I'd also like to increase flexablility.

[halfphased]

Logic speaks true.  I have been doing yoga for the past half year for 1 - 2 hours a day.  The yoga I do is a synthesis of excercises that my instructor has learned durring his lifetime.

It has helped me in all aspects of my life.  I have become a more balanced person and my insight, health, peace of mind, etc has increased.  My awarness of energy has definately become more developed and I would say my energy level has increased significantly.  

Yoga helps you become more flexible.  It is designed to fix the body and balance the mind.  It is amazing how much more flexible I have become in the little amount of time that I have been doing my stretches.  My body feels better as I am learning to fix my body and use all of my muscles in the way they were meant to be used.  

It would probably be benificial to find a good teacher.  I let my intuition guide me and I was very pleased with the instructor that I was lead to.
An excellent yoga manual is one that is put out by Bihar's school of yoga.  It is called Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha.  [urlhttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/8186336141/qid=1088483028/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-2006342-2975837?v=glance&s=books[/url]

It gives very detailed instructions and excellent pictures.  It also breaks down the excercises into beginner / intermidiate / advanced.  

I would check out a couple of books though.  That one is just the most useful one that I have found that best suited me.  The only thing I don't like about it is that it doesn't offer much advice in the way to procede.  For the most part you are left to pick and choose.  Since I have started taking a yoga class, I have for the most part stopped using the book.

[Mistic-Idan]

quote:Originally posted by blakera

What kind raises energy (if there is one).  I thought it might be a nice supplement to my NEW, because I'd also like to increase flexablility.

It's so easy, you don't need real and hard training to be flexible, you can just train at home with strains.
But if you want the best thing then learn Kung-fu cuz it's also powering you up, strenghtens you and develops your energy body and your mind. Learn kung fu Shaolin or Tai chi Chuan.

[blakera]

Thanks for the replies[]  I used to do some standing qi-gong postures, but I have a shoulder that gets really irritated, that's why I'd like to see what yoga would be like.  I'm not sure if I'll find anything (besides NEW) that won't aggravate my shoulder, but if you all have any ideas, let me know.  Anything that requires endurance in the shoulders bothers it, and it gets worse and worse with continued training.

[Nay]

I started watching this guy that came on early in the morning and I tried one thing.  The stance where you're on one foot with one arm stretched out in front then the other arm grabbing the other leg behind you.  LOL..did ya get that?  Anyhoo, I then heard that once you get better at Yoga you ummmmmm...have gas because you're so relaxed.  I then stopped all pratices..[] So is that true?

Nay

[bluejay]

quote:Originally posted by Nay

I started watching this guy that came on early in the morning and I tried one thing.  The stance where you're on one foot with one arm stretched out in front then the other arm grabbing the other leg behind you.  LOL..did ya get that?  Anyhoo, I then heard that once you get better at Yoga you ummmmmm...have gas because you're so relaxed.  I then stopped all pratices..[] So is that true?

Nay

Is that why I hear people say it smells in yoga class? []

[halfphased]

Hehe  gas.

Well, you shouldn't be straining to hold in the gas if it is there.  You just want it to go.  Once you start balancing your system you learn how to avoid having excessive gas.  If your gas is excessively foul smelling then maybe you are eating bad foods or your digestive system is not functioning optimally.

If you have toxins in you, you want to breath it out, sweat it out, and crap it out.

If you want to fix your shoulder, do yoga.  You'll learn how to fix your entire body.  Find a good teacher and explain to him/her your problem.  They'll help fix you up.

[blakera]

Is it for energy raising like tai chi and qi-gong?  Or is it just for flexability and strength?  If it raises energy, can it still give results if you're not flexible?
Thanks
Blake