Practice of Yoga is Built Upon Five Basic Principles

The five principles are based on the ancient Indian science of health, life and longevity known as Ayurveda, which suggests that each of the principles be adhered to individually and within specific seasons to achieve health and well-being.

So what are the five principles? Simply stated, they are: proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, proper diet and meditation. Let's examine each one.

Proper exercise is based on the idea that our bodies require exercise and movement to achieve a healthy state. To maintain good health, the body must be put through special yoga asanas, or postures, that are designed to strengthen and maintain all parts of the body by enhancing flexibility, toning the muscles and improving circulation. In addition, the proper exercise also improves mental functions as well by relaxes the body and improves the performance of the systems within. By utilizing the proper exercise, the body and mind are taught to work in harmony.

Next, proper breathing (also known as Pranayama) teaches the body to maintain control of the prana, or life force, and in turn control its mental condition. By learning proper breathing, a yoga student can learn how to increase their mental clarity and energy by practicing slow, deep, measured breathing. Learning proper breathing can also allow a yoga practitioner to refresh their body and remove stress at times when tension may be high. In short, proper breathing can help created a more rested and focused mind.

Proper relaxation (Shavasana) involves teaching the muscles of the body to relax to alleviate stress and refresh the nervous system, leaving you relaxed and with a renewed sense of inner peace. This feeling of inner peace can have an impact on your entire life, as you learn to release tension more easily and eliminate the chance of wasting energy. When done in the right manner, proper relaxation involves the mind and spirit, as well as the muscles.

A proper diet can help achieve purity of body and mind and yoga promotes a pure or "satvic" diet that is comprised of food that is easily digestible, is pure and promotes health in the body and mind. Natural or organic food (grains, vegetables, fruit, nuts and dairy) are the most common components of a yoga diet and vegetarianism is not uncommon. Many yoga practitioners believe that eating meat and meat products makes the body sluggish and restless and that the process required to digest meat takes away energy from the body that could be used elsewhere. Eating in moderation is also part of a proper diet to yoga practitioners, as well as eating only when one is hungry. To yoga experts and students, diet is as equally important to maintaining a healthy body, mind and spirit as any of the other principles.

Finally, proper meditation is considered one of the most, if not the most, important principles. The mind controls every other aspect of the body and sustaining it involves practicing techniques that help keep it peaceful and relaxed. It may only involve a few minutes a day or regular 20-minute weekly sessions, but clearing your mind of stress by means of meditation is important to reaching a state of well-being and peace.

When combined into a complete yoga lifestyle, each of these principles can help the practitioner reach a state of mental and physical well-being that can have a positive affect on one's entire life. The five principles are the building blocks of a life of peace and harmony.

Linda Adams adores all things that have to do with health.

One of the most excellent health websites Linda has found is Kamloops Yoga Teachers, which is a special mix of yoga and health.

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