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One of the major reasons for poor diet and over-eating is anxiety. If we will experiment by doing yoga prior to eating, we will discover that our unnatural appetites will abate. If the mind and emotions are calm, there will be less urge to gulp down the wrong foods and in the wrong amounts. "Hunger" is natural. It is nature's signal for us to eat. "Appetite: is unnatural. It is a wish or craving to satisfy the over stimulated palate. The yoga makes a distinction between the two by increased mastery of mind and senses. He eats only when hungry. Although food is enjoyed, less of it is eaten. There is no over-burdening of the various body systems. The proper attitude towards food, therefore, is all important. The attitude of gratitude for the life and sustenance provided to us by nature is helpful in allowing us to eat with discrimination and moderation. The food should be eaten slowly and masticated thoroughly. The environment should be one of cheerfulness and ambiance. If we are overtired, angry or upset, we should eat little, if at all, until the body and mind are restored to normal. If this article has encouraged you to be interested in learning yoga, I would suggest the following: 1. Take lessons in yoga, in a group or, better yet, on an individual basis. 2. Find a good teacher and learn exclusively from him or her for an extended period of time. While under the guidance of the teacher, do not study or take cues from other teachers, either on TV, in literature or otherwise. Each teacher, based on his own perspective, experience and background, will have his or her own style. By learning from various sources at one time we are likely to become confused and discouraged. 3. Give yoga a chance to have its effect upon you through regular practice and perseverance. Going to class once a week is not enough. We must practice daily on our own as well, to reap the benefits. 4. Don't let your age or physical condition deter you. In the last analysis, yoga is a process, a method of alternation between non-movement, of breath and mind control, and of relaxation. The body is simply the medium through which this is done. Notwithstanding this, if one has a serious physical ailment, one should check with his physician before doing certain asanas and in breathing techniques. 5. Realize that yoga is not a competitive sport. In fact, it is a release from competition with the outside world, a process of self-knowledge and discovery. Do not look for results or power. Changes in body and mind will happen to you at the right moment. 6. Don't necessarily refrain from you home yoga practice because you are tired, fatigued or bored. Yoga exercises will give you new energy, vitality and enthusiasm. 7. Do yoga on a fairly empty stomach. A good time is early in the morning, before meals and before sleeping at night. 8. First involve yourself in yoga by doing it under supervision, as stated above, rather than reading about it. Yoga is an experiential process, not an intellectual endeavor. When you are sufficiently advanced in yoga, so as to be personally convinced of its positive effects, you might want to purchase some books and tapes on yoga. Yoga is not only for those with beautiful bodies and for youth. There is yoga for older people, for children, for the obese, for multiple sclerosis, for rheumatoid arthritis, etc. 9. If you undertake yoga long enough, together with aerobic exercises, do not be surprised if the following occur: Problems of overweight and underweight correct themselves. Certain physical ailments and conditions that you had learned to "live with" and bear, have disappeared. Your visits to the doctor, pharmacist, and other health professionals will be reduced, if not eliminated. The sense of physical well-being and mental calmness experiences while doing yoga and immediately thereafter will filter more and more into your daily life. You will draw closer to a desire to meditate. Your sleep will become deeper and you need less of it. At your work you will be accomplishing more with less expenditure of energy. You will become less susceptible to irritation with yourself and others. The increased power and energy will enable you to do more things outside of your workday, that you had always wanted to do - to read that extra book, undertake that new hobby, and to generally expand your horizons and your consciousness. In summary, hatha yoga is beneficial because it concentrates on learning to relax, strengthening the area around the spine, increasing the air into the lungs, and strengthening the abdominal area. When one does yoga properly, he or she incorporates strength and growth in all three elements of holistic health - physical, mental, and spiritual. Physically there is a strengthening of the internal organs of the body affecting all the key systems, such as the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, nervous, and endocrine systems. Mentally, yoga slows down the body and mind. This leads to a quiet, calm, and peace allowing the inflow of more nutrition and creativity. One is often lead to meditation, a state of consciousness, where one can put aside distracting thoughts and feelings and become mindful and absorbed in the present moment. <<<<Page 3 |