Yoga, A Beautiful Way of Life
I was always fascinated with the idea of yoga and a yogic lifestyle since my childhood days. As a teenager, I would read about yoga poses in magazines and watch yoga programs on TV and try to copy them. I thought of it as an exercise form which would keep me fit.
It was not till much later in life, when I understood what yoga really is. In my 30’s I was a regular visitor to the gym. I also took up running and ran the Silicon Valley half marathon. Around the same time, I started developing stiffness and pain in my neck and back area. After numerous visits to physical therapists and chiropractors, I was barely able to manage the pain but not totally eliminate it. My neighbor, who was a yoga and meditation teacher, advised me to try her class. After taking the class, I started realizing that my pain subsides when I focus my breath and attention to the pain area. It was a revelation to me that yoga was not just about physical fitness. It provides a holistic approach to life which heals the whole body, mind and spirit complex.
It was not till much later in life, when I understood what yoga really is. In my 30’s I was a regular visitor to the gym. I also took up running and ran the Silicon Valley half marathon. Around the same time, I started developing stiffness and pain in my neck and back area. After numerous visits to physical therapists and chiropractors, I was barely able to manage the pain but not totally eliminate it. My neighbor, who was a yoga and meditation teacher, advised me to try her class. After taking the class, I started realizing that my pain subsides when I focus my breath and attention to the pain area. It was a revelation to me that yoga was not just about physical fitness. It provides a holistic approach to life which heals the whole body, mind and spirit complex.
Excited by my new discovery, I started practicing simple yoga poses with attention to breath and problem areas in the body. Within a month my pain had totally vanished. My doctor was surprised and curious about what had healed me. After this point I continued my practice, adding Sun Salutations and more advanced poses. Slowly I started feeling more energetic, peaceful and happy. I felt I had become more dynamic and youthful. This gave me a new zest for life, which people around me also started noticing.
In addition to poses, I also started adapting a holistic lifestyle, adding meditation and breathing practices to my daily routine. I started eating more fresh, natural foods, reduced unhealthy habits such as sleeping very late and watching too much TV, specially violent programs. By changing these habits, I felt more and more peaceful and was able to focus on my work and other enriching activities such as singing, spending quality time with my family and creative writing.
Today I feel that Yoga is a beautiful way of life, which makes life a celebration. I see so many of my friends go through life with stress, ill-heath, and many other related problems. I was lucky to discover yoga and change my life. It has really put me in touch with myself and changed my whole outlook towards life.
- Manisha Verma
In addition to poses, I also started adapting a holistic lifestyle, adding meditation and breathing practices to my daily routine. I started eating more fresh, natural foods, reduced unhealthy habits such as sleeping very late and watching too much TV, specially violent programs. By changing these habits, I felt more and more peaceful and was able to focus on my work and other enriching activities such as singing, spending quality time with my family and creative writing.
Today I feel that Yoga is a beautiful way of life, which makes life a celebration. I see so many of my friends go through life with stress, ill-heath, and many other related problems. I was lucky to discover yoga and change my life. It has really put me in touch with myself and changed my whole outlook towards life.
- Manisha Verma
My asthma disappered with yoga
As a teacher of yoga, I witness several healing experiences in people who learn and practice yoga. I am sharing one such incident.
I lived in Plano, a quaint new city in the north of Dallas, Texas. Plano has plenty of action with new businesses as well as with large companies like IBM, Frito-lays, Pepsi and EDS. I lead the technology consulting at an Indian IT services company. As with any consulting work style, there is plenty of travel, late nights and stress.
This area of Texas has excessive pollen dust in the air. People with respiratory ailments find it particularly difficult. And even healthy people are prone to attacks of asthma and the likes of it. My son was on "Albuterol" - an inhaler - for several years, so I understand the pain.
Given my passion for yoga I used to teach yoga in various forums - shelters, chambers of commerce, company get-togethers, yoga studios. Once a group of colleagues expressed their desire to learn yoga. We met every weekend early in the morning at a public park in Plano.
Weekend after weekend ..."breathe in... take your left arm up.... breathe out.. bend like an arch towards your right ... keep the stretch... face and neck remain relaxed... come back to the upright position..."
After several weeks, one of my colleagues exclaimed at my class -
"Hey man, my asthma disappeared... "
He shared that he experienced better and a more free breath. He felt more relaxed. I did not know he had asthma. And he did not necessarily come to my yoga class to get relief from asthma. But the experience of yoga had given him a deep and natural relief from asthma.
- Manu
I lived in Plano, a quaint new city in the north of Dallas, Texas. Plano has plenty of action with new businesses as well as with large companies like IBM, Frito-lays, Pepsi and EDS. I lead the technology consulting at an Indian IT services company. As with any consulting work style, there is plenty of travel, late nights and stress.
This area of Texas has excessive pollen dust in the air. People with respiratory ailments find it particularly difficult. And even healthy people are prone to attacks of asthma and the likes of it. My son was on "Albuterol" - an inhaler - for several years, so I understand the pain.
Given my passion for yoga I used to teach yoga in various forums - shelters, chambers of commerce, company get-togethers, yoga studios. Once a group of colleagues expressed their desire to learn yoga. We met every weekend early in the morning at a public park in Plano.
Weekend after weekend ..."breathe in... take your left arm up.... breathe out.. bend like an arch towards your right ... keep the stretch... face and neck remain relaxed... come back to the upright position..."
After several weeks, one of my colleagues exclaimed at my class -
"Hey man, my asthma disappeared... "
He shared that he experienced better and a more free breath. He felt more relaxed. I did not know he had asthma. And he did not necessarily come to my yoga class to get relief from asthma. But the experience of yoga had given him a deep and natural relief from asthma.
- Manu