dorling kindersley books

Relieve Stress
Yoga is the age-old lifestyle system that reconnects you with your real self. It then maintains that sensitive awareness of how things actually are, and what you really want out of life. Yoga works at all levels of the individual - through the body, mind, and spirit simultaneously.

Gentle, enjoyable stretches and asanas (traditional yoga postures) ease out muscle tensions and limber the joints, while at the same time maintaining the general health of the body. Relaxation techniques further help the body to let go of tension and become re-energised.

Boost Energy
The central purpose of yoga is to enable us to experience the limitless life energy that is the core of our being. Normally this is impossible as we are too emeshed in the web of our daily lives. We tend to be too preoccupied with our desires, our attachment to objects and people, our prejudices and dislikes, and with the physical, mental, and emotional stresses that flow from them.

The way to overcome this limited way of living is to be able to 'let go'. Patanjali, a great yoga sage who lived over 2,000 years ago, described it as being able 'to still the thought waves of the mind'.

Feel Confident
Kindness is the best first aid for a wounded self-image. Compassionate awareness gives you freedom from the dictates of negative self-image because it helps you recognise what really is the best and most comfortable way for you to be.

By consistent repetition of some simple yoga practices, you can effectively reinforce the habit of kindly self-awareness that will eventually eradicate the root causes of self-recrimination and poor self-esteem.