The air is a free source of energy that keeps us alive.  By breathing in air, we are supplying our blood with oxygen that keeps the cells of our body active.  Proper oxygen intake plays a big role in keeping us physically and mentally alert, and this is fully enhanced with regular practice.

Here are some of the known health benefits of pranayama yoga:

1. It helps to reduce your breathing rate which is beneficial to your heart and other major organs.

Pranayama yoga helps you to reduce your breathing rate by 30 percent.  Slow, deep breaths enable you to take in more oxygen which allows your heart to pump more oxygen at a lesser rate.  This is a way of protecting your heart from overwork which is one of the main causes of heart failure.

2. It helps to improve circulation.

Deep breathing helps the heart to maintain an adequate supply of oxygenated blood to all the body tissues.  This keeps all the cells of your body alive.

3. It helps to keep your heart in good health.

The heart is one of the most diligent organs of your body.  It has to keep working since the day you were conceived up to the final moment of your life.  You have to keep it in good health in order to enjoy long life.

With pranayama, more oxygen is supplied to your heart, which means that it doesn't have to work very hard to pump oxygenated blood to the other parts of your body.  This helps to protect your heart from overwork.

4. It helps to improve the functions of the other major organs of the body such as the lungs, diaphragm, abdomen, intestines, kidneys and pancreas.

5. It helps to improve the function of the digestive system.

6. It helps to reduce fatigue and lethargy.

7. It helps to ease the tensions in the body.

8. It helps to alleviate depression and makes your mind ready for meditation. 

9. It helps to promote better sleep and it improves memory and concentration.

Breathing is a vital sign yet it is one function that is underestimated by many people as far as its benefits are concerned.

Many yoga practitioners believe that longevity is dependent on a person's breathing rate.  They also consider deep breathing as one of the factors that can help to prevent the accumulation of uric acid in the blood stream which is one of the main causes of joint pains, backaches, rheumatism and headaches.

Here are some of the health benefits of yoga:

1. It helps to improve flexibility.

Yoga is not just a mental but a physical exercise as well.  It helps to strengthen your muscles and give your body a greater range of motion.  The regular practice of yoga can help to make many parts of your body flexible and these include your hamstrings, hips, shoulders and the upper and lower back of your body.

2. It helps to improve your strength.

Yoga helps to strengthen your body.  It's because the different poses involved in yoga sessions require you to support your body in a lot of ways.  Some of the yoga exercises even require you to move slowly when you shift from one pose to another.  These poses, however slow, can contribute to increase your strength and endurance.

3. It helps to tone your muscles.

The regular practice of different yoga poses can help to increase your muscle tone.  This is an added benefit to the strength and endurance that you can get from regularly performing different yoga poses.

4. It helps to alleviate muscles and back pains.

Yoga increases flexibility of your muscles and joints.  It also helps to improve the alignment of your body, and this can lead to the relief of pains in your muscles, back, shoulders and neck. 

Yoga can actually help to provide relief to people who are suffering from back pains due to prolonged stay in the same position, like sitting in front of a computer for hours.

5. It helps to promote proper breathing.

We may not be aware of it, but our breathing is sometimes too shallow that we are not able to provide our cells with sufficient oxygen to make us physically and mentally alert. 

Yoga helps us to focus on our breathing with its breathing exercises.  It helps us to use our lungs to the maximum.  This in turn benefits us because it can help to give adequate supply of oxygen to the blood which nourishes the cells of our entire body.

6. It helps to give you mental calmness.

With meditation and focus, yoga can help to bring you to the point of mental calmness.

7. It helps to reduce stress.

Yoga is an intense physical as mental activity.  We are all aware of the fact that physical activity like exercise can help to relieve stress.  As a physical activity, yoga can already help to reduce stress.  Add to it your great concentration and your troubles will melt away. 

Being free from stress can help you to gather yourself together and put things back into perspective. 

These are some of the health benefits of practicing yoga.  Practice it and be rewarded of a great sense of well-being and inner peace.

A person may only obtain pure and unwavering joy through wisdom, meditation and favor from the Supreme Being.  And we can only attain this if we truly search for it with a sincere heart. 

Yoga is about achieving real bliss through the realization of a union between individual consciousness and universal consciousness.  It is not merely a union of the physical body and the mind.

In order to fully understand and achieve this union, the ancient spiritual masters designed the four paths of yoga.  These were intended to overcome spiritual ignorance which can come in different forms such as selfishness, restlessness of the mind and no regard for truth. 

The four paths of yoga are:

1. Raja Yoga (Self-control)

Many yoga practitioners consider raja yoga as the "royal road" or the complete yoga because it centers on controlling the mind and body for the purpose of attaining enlightenment.

The main focus of the raja teaching is meditation, breathing and absolute mental control. 

But it also has a physical aspect which teaches control of the body through asanas or yoga postures, breath control, and relaxation.  This aspect is called hatha and it aims to give you complete control of your body and subtle life force called prana.

2. Karma Yoga (Action)

The teaching of karma yoga is centered on the causes and effects of a person's acts.  Its principles are focused on living a life of selfless service without aiming for a gain or reward.  Karma is the path to union with God through acts of kindness or selfless service.

3. Bhakti Yoga (Devotion)

Bhakti means to serve the Divine.  This path of yoga teaches an individual to open his/her heart to the Divine.  It is a way of personal devotion which involves complete surrender to the Supreme Being through prayer, worship and chanting. 

4. Jnana Yoga (Knowledge)

Most yoga practitioners often consider jnana yoga as the most difficult path.  One of its goals is to seek knowledge through meditation, questioning and contemplation. 

It is also important for jnana yoga practitioners to undergo the lessons of the other yogic paths that can home them to achieve selflessness, love of god, and strength of body and mind. 

According to Hindu tradition, the seven chakra colors represent the balance of the body's energy centers.  This is one of the reasons why these are used in color therapy – to re-balance and enhance the body's energy centers and to stimulate the body's own healing process.

This article aims to unravel the seven colors of chakra and their meanings.

1. Violet

This governs the crown chakra which is located at the top of the head.  It is closely related to the brain and it symbolizes beauty, creativity, inspiration, and ability to connect with our spiritual self.

2. Indigo

This color represents the third eye chakra which is positioned at the center of the forehead.  It symbolizes intuition, mysticism, understanding, imagination and our ability to think and make decisions.

It relates to our responsibility for our own lives.  It also allows us to see things from a perspective other than self-satisfaction or material success. 

3. Blue

It represents the throat chakra and it is the symbol of self-expression, communication, speech, hearing, and truth.

Blue is the color of the spirit.  It has a pacifying effect on the mind and it helps to relax the nervous system.

4. Green

Green is the color that governs the heart chakra and it symbolizes our capacity to give and take love unconditionally.  

5. Yellow

This color represents the solar plexus chakra and it symbolizes our ability to control our destiny.  It is also associated with our sense of self-worth, self-esteem and self-confidence.

Yellow energy has the power to connect us to our mental self.

6. Orange

It represents the sacral chakra and it symbolizes our creativeness, sexuality and self-respect. 

Orange gives us the energy to connect to our personal senses.  It has the power to set us free from inhibitions and enable us to socialize and make friends with other people.

7. Red

Red governs the base chakra which symbolizes a person's innate need for survival.  It is characterized by vitality, courage and self-confidence.  It gives us the energy to connect us to our physical self.

Each of these vortex or spirals of energy emits a different light that represents seven different parts of the body.  It is important for a yoga practitioner to achieve a balance of these chakras in order to obtain inner peace.

The seven chakras are:

1. Root Chakra (Muladra)

This energy center is located at the base of the spine, at the tailbone in the back and the pubic bone in front.  It is symbolized by the color red. 

The root chakra is the center for a person's basic needs for survival.  It is also considered as the source of a person's energy to succeed. 

A blocked root chakra may contribute to a person's fear, anxiety, insecurity and frustration.  It is also associated with illnesses like anorexia nervosa and obesity.  The body parts involved in this chakra include the hips, legs, sesual organs and lower back.

2. Sacral or Belly Chakra (Svadhistana)

The second energy center is located in the abdomen and about one or two inches below the navel.  It is associated with the creative and reproductive aspects of a person and it holds the basic needs for sexuality and self-worth.  It also regulates a person's ability to make friends with other people. 

The sacral chakra is represented by the color orange.

3. Solar Plexus or Power Chakra (Manipura)

The solar plexus chakra is located in the upper abdomen and around the belly.   It represents our power and ability to be confident and to be in control of our lives and destiny.   This energy center has a connection with our self-esteem, self-confidence, and with the element of fire. 

The power chakra is represented by the color yellow.

4. Love or Heart chakra (Anahata)

Located at the center of the chest, the love chakra represents and regulates our power and ability to love.  This energy center involves the heart, lungs and arms. It is also connected to love, joy and inner peace. 

The love chakra is represented by the color green.

5. Throat or Communication Chakra (Visuddha)

The throat chakra is located in the throat and it represents our ability to communicate with others and our inner self.  It is associated with self-expression, our sense of hearing, and truth. 

The love chakra is represented by the color blue.

6. Third Eye or Intuition Chakra (Ajna)

It is located at the forehead and in between the eyes.  It represents our ability to focus or see the big picture.  It is connected to our imagination, wisdom, and our capacity to think and make decisions.

The third eye chakra is represented by the color purple.

7. Crown or Divine Chakra (Sahasrara)

This energy center is positioned at the crown of the head and it represents our ability to spiritually connect with divinity.  It is associated to inner and outer beauty and it establishes a connection with the soul. 

The crown chakra is represented by the color white.

If your mind is peaceful, you will also attain inner peace.  If there is peace within each person, the world will be a better place to live in.  

We need to live with the aim of achieving peace of mind by understanding our selves and by allowing our souls to radiate positive energy.  You can do this by maintaining a flow of positive reflections towards yourself and others.  The soul is the spring of energy that creates thoughts.    

Engaging in Raja Yoga meditation is one way to achieve inner peace.  Doing this mental exercise for just 15 minutes everyday is sufficient to energize you throughout the day.

This article intends to let you know the steps to perform Raja Yoga meditation.  Here's how you can do it.

1. Assume a comfortable sitting position and close your eyes.  Take slow but deep breaths and sit still with your mind focused on your breathing. Other thoughts might enter your mind at this point.  Just let them come and go without focusing on them, and when you are ready, say these to yourself:

2. "I am a peaceful soul and my mind is at peace. I am sending this peace into the world.

As I concentrate, I am now living in silence and peace and thoughts of the outside world is slowly drifting away from my mind.  My burdens are lifted and my worries are fading away.  I am slowly changing into a beam of light, a light of positive energy that I can share with people around me.  I am energy and I continue to fuel my soul with light that drives negative thoughts and emotions away. 

As I concentrate, I see myself as a being of light. I begin to realize that my physical body is not me, for I am energy that carries my soul and I shine like a star to bring peace and love to the world around me.  And I shall find peace within."

3. The words above serve as an example of what you should say to yourself to obtain inner peace.  Just feel free to change them for your ease and convenience.  You can either utter these to yourself or say them out loud, and you can incant them anytime of the day, especially in times when you feel stressed, frustrated, angry or worried.

4. Conclude each Raja Yoga meditation session by uttering these to yourself:  "My soul is peaceful and today I will send that peace to each person I see."

These are the four important steps of the Raja Yoga meditation. Meditation is an important aspect of self discovery.  You should learn to meditate because it can help to keep your mind healthy, peaceful and teeming with positive energy.

When we come face to face with real situations that can pull us down, we cannot help feeling stressed out and anxious.  Some of these factors include the loss of a loved one, divorce or loss of a job.  The experience could be too much of a burden that we can't let it out of our minds no matter how we try to reassure ourselves that time can heal us somehow.  This can lead to sleeplessness.

If this happens, we need to make important steps to help ourselves to find rest and sleep.  This will help to restore our energy and mental clarity so that we can look at our situation from a better perspective. 

This article intends to give you some tips to treat insomnia with yoga and other methods.  These can help to keep you from falling apart especially during stressful days.  You can try them out and determine which one suits your lifestyle.  But remember, these techniques can only help to treat insomnia; they can't heal your grief.

1. Yoga

Engaging in gentle yoga postures before bedtime is a good way to relax your body and mind and to reduce the stress that's stealing your sleep away.

Find a good yoga teacher who can teach you controlled breathing, relaxation techniques, and meditation.  Each one of these techniques can work effectively to relax you before bedtime.  They can even make you fall asleep in the process.

2. Exercise

Engaging in regular exercise routines is a natural way to stimulate your body to find rest and sleep.  It is also a discipline that helps to make you aware of what's good for your body to keep it in shape.

Exercise and sleep are related in some way.  But many people have eliminated exercise in their daily routines.  They might be too busy with work, social activities or computer games that they have ignored exercise as an important part of staying fit.

Morning is the best time to exercise as this can help to energize you for the rest of the day. It also allows you to get some fresh air and early morning sun to provide you with natural vitamin D.

But if you can't find time to do it in the morning, you can exercise later in the day.  Just be sure to stop at least two hours before bedtime to allow your body to cool down.

3. Avoid caffeine and alcohol.

For some, alcohol is a way to sleep.  They just don't know that alcohol-induced sleep is a poor quality sleep.  It can also cause dehydration that can interfere with your systems.

Caffeine is one of the most potent factors that can cause insomnia.  It is found in coffee, tea, and in many beverages and energy drinks. 

If you have trouble finding sleep, you should avoid caffeine and alcohol altogether.  Drink plenty of water instead.

4. Write your problems down.

Many people find sleep very elusive when they are confronted with problems which often haunt them during bedtime.

One solution that many people find effective in solving problem-triggered insomnia is to write that problem down and leave it on the kitchen table where you sit each morning.  You will be surprised to see that the problem becomes less and less important to you day after day.  Its effects are a mystery but many successful people claim that they use this technique because it works.

Some of the most common physical symptoms of anxiety include headaches, insomnia, muscle tension, fatigue, excessive sweating and concentration difficulty.

What are the Causes of Anxiety and Panic Attack?

The exact cause of anxiety and panic attack is still a subject of study and research by medical and health science.  But based on observation and experience, these factors appear to play a role in the development of the disorder.

1. Genetics

People with a family history of anxiety have higher chances of acquiring this condition and passing it on down the line.

2. Stress

This includes the death of a loved one, loss of a job, divorce, pressures at work or school, bill payment deadlines, credit card debt, and other stressful situations. 

3. Drug Addiction

Addiction to drugs and other substances like caffeine, alcohol and nicotine is known to contribute to the development of anxiety.  Withdrawal from these can also trigger the same condition.

There are many ways to combat anxiety, but one of the safest and less expensive ways to alleviate it is through yoga.  Instead of using drugs which carry the possibility of side effects, people practice yoga to find relief. 

Here's the way to treat anxiety with yoga:

1. Lie on your back.  Put a pillow under your knees and place your arms at your sides with your palms facing up.

2. Close your eyes.  Relax and release the tensions from your entire body.

3. Slowly inhale and imagine that you are surrounded by air that's full of energy.

4. Imagine that your body is absorbing the energy that surrounds you.

5. Exhale slowly.  As you release air, imagine the tension draining away from your body as you breathe out.

6. Repeat the entire process for at least five minutes.

But you can also feel positive energy when people gather in one place for the common good.  These places include your home, a church, temple, shrine and other places. 

You can use this positive energy for the benefit of humanity.  You can exude this by doing acts of kindness and making your contact with other people a positive experience.  This includes treating everyone as special regardless of their economic and social status, avoiding emotional outbursts such as anger and refraining to take advantage of other people's respect.  

Most people desire positive energy but many of them think that attracting it is a mystery.

There is really no specific method for attracting positive energy.  But according to yoga teachings, it is something that comes from within. 

To attract positive energy, you have to realize that you have an unlimited potential to do it.  You only need to engage in daily meditation and prayer as it can positively charge you.  This will enable you to help others and be concerned of their welfare.  This is positive energy at work.

Some of the ideas that help to make you cultivate positive energy include:

1. Meet each new day with excitement. Be warm to everyone you come in contact with;

2. Stop criticizing people around you especially your loved ones, friends and colleagues;

3. Treat everyone with importance regardless of their social and economic status;

4. Make everyday a time to tell your family that you love them;

5. Help other people by giving. You don't have to be concerned of the price.  The most important thing is the sincerity of your desire to give;

6. Establish trust by becoming trustworthy yourself;

7. No matter what your age or stage of life is you have to establish goals to reach.  Your goals are seeds that attract positive energy.  This will also help to attract positively charged people towards you.

8. All people can fail.  When you fall down, you must not remain stuck to the ground.  Pick yourself up and don't blame life for your obstacles.  Find solutions instead.

9. Appreciate yourself for your past achievements and learn from your past mistakes;

10. The way you deal with your life's challenges is the determining factor of your success or failure; it's just a matter of choice.

In this article, we will identify four of the basic qualities of a good yoga teacher.  You should know them in order to pick the right one for you.

1. Communication

A good yoga teacher should be able to establish an open line of communication with his students.  It does not only involve giving away of instructions but their manner when they talk to you.  A good yoga teacher talks to his students with respect to get respect in return.

He should also show compassion to his students and lead them through guided meditation and relaxation – these are two of the most important aspects of yoga.

2. Assistance

A good yoga teacher should be concerned about your form when you perform yoga poses.  He should be willing to offer assistance through verbal and physical guidance during your yoga classes. 

3. Listening

A good yoga teacher takes time to listen to his students' feedback.  He is always ready to give answers to their questions and his mind is focused on the well-being and learning of his students.

A yoga teacher that seems to run a show about his yoga prowess is not a competent one.  You will not learn anything from him. Instead, he will put you and the other students at risk for trying to keep with him.

4. Modification

A good yoga teacher should be flexible and open-minded.  He should allow his students to include modifications and props in their practice.  People have different sets of capabilities and limitations, and there are individuals who might need props for life because of their limitations. 

If a yoga teacher can perform a yoga pose without props, it doesn't mean that every one of his students can.  If you happen to join a yoga class that discourages props, you need to go somewhere else because you are in the wrong place.

These are the four most basic qualities that you need to look for in a good yoga teacher.  You should make sure that your yoga teacher has these attributes; these can help to make your yoga learning a worthwhile experience.