Author: Anastasia Love

Yoga is more than just physical exercise it is a way to unleash the full potential of the mind body organism. Through regular practice of yoga asana a practitioner is blessed with many benefits, these are not the goal of Yoga but rather side benefits. The true aim and goal is that of inner peace and divine communion known as “Self –Realization”.

There are many paths that lead to the divine destination, Yoga is one. No matter what faith our spiritual background a practitioner has regular practice of Hatha Yoga Postures will aid in the capacity of the aspirant toward the goal while also bringing benefit to the whole life. Traditionally the best time for Yoga is Early morning near sunrise, as this time of day is both calm and energizing, and it tunes one to the natural Rhythm of life.

The following 12 benefits are only some of the amazing gifts that cultivating a regular morning Yoga practice brings

1. Positive new habit to start day- Move the body, connect to breath, calm the mind, then start your day prepared for what will come.

2. Health for body and mind- The result of the physical postures and breath exercises has a calming effect on the mind, and a greater sense of peace and contentment.

3. Improved Flexibility-Good Flexibility can help prevent injury, reduce strain on the joints and allow for more graceful movement..

4. Increased vitality- Regular practice of Yoga will increase your pranna or vital life force energy ,making you feel more energy and enthusiasm .

5. Improved strength- Yoga strengthens and tones all of the muscles and connective tissues of the body.

6. Greater endurance- Get more done without feeling tired .

7. Calm the mind- Feel clear and refreshed in the mind enabling you to plot the course of each day easily and effectively.

8. Reduce stress – yoga promotes the production and retention of the stress relieving neuorchemicals of the brain naturally assisting you in staying calm, even in the storms of life.

9. Knowledge of the science of Yoga- Experience the best and most profound teacher and regular practice is the best way to gain experience.

10. Sleep better- Regular practice of yoga asana will help you sleep better.

11. Solid foundations in Yoga- Practice makes perfect, the more you practice the better you will get.

12. Become more productive- With a healthy body and happy mind you can do more things productively and joyfully.

This Autumn at Balanced Body Studio you have the opportunity to start this practice for yourself with the Loving Spirit One Month Yoga Intensive. We call it an Intensive because intensity is required for great things to happen. Coal can only become a diamond through the intensity of pressure from the earth. You can only become the Yogi you are meant to be through intensity of practice.

Join now to find out what you are made of.
http://s647632814.online-home.ca/one-month-yoga-intensive/

Mantra  has been an integral part of yoga from the beginning. The utterance of these sacred sounds is said it have invoked all of the things within creation. Sanskrit when sung creates a vibrational effect that physically resonates within your body. To chant a mantra is more the just saying and affirmation (which are effective in there own way), but rather it vibrates at the frequency of creation allowing us to resonate with the what we desire.

The most powerful of all mantras are moksha mantras. These mantra are attuned to bringing the practitioner to the state of Enlightenment. Moksha mantras have been used by masters in the past known to have obtained enlightened state through the use of the mantra and have then passed it on to others.

The practice of using mantra for meditation is known as Japa yoga. This practice is considered to be the easiest for obtaining higher consciousness during this current age know as the kali yuga. Kali yuga is the iron age when humans become more materialistic and less spiritually inclined, by using japa we can focus the mind on spiritual aims and guide our minds towards transcendence.

Wikipedia defines mantra as

“A “Mantra” (/ˈmæntrə, ˈmɑːn–, ˈmʌn–/ (Sanskrit: मंत्र);^[2]) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit believed by practitioners to have psychological and spiritual powers.^[3][4] A mantra may or may not have syntactic structure or literal meaning.^[3][5]

The earliest mantras were composed in Vedic Sanskrit by Hindus in India, and are at least 3000 years old.^[6] Mantras now exist in various schools of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.^[4][7] In Japanese Shingon tradition, the word Shingon means mantra.^[8] Similar hymns, chants, compositions and concepts are found in Zoroastrianism,^[9] Taoism, Christianity, and elsewhere.^[3]

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The use, structure, function, importance, and types of mantras vary according to the school and philosophy of Hinduism and of Buddhism. Mantras serve a central role in tantra.^[6][10] In this school, mantras are considered to be a sacred formula and a deeply personal ritual, effective only after initiation. In other schools of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism or Sikhism, initiation is not a requirement.^[9][11]

Mantras come in many forms, including ṛc (verses from the Rigveda for example) and sāman (musical chants from the Sāmaveda for example).^[3][6] They are typically melodic, mathematically structured meters, believed to be resonant with numinous qualities. At its simplest, the word ॐ (Aum, Om) serves as a mantra. In more sophisticated forms, mantras are melodic phrases with spiritual interpretations such as a human longing for truth, reality, light, immortality, peace, love, knowledge, and action.^[3][11] Some mantras have no literal meaning, yet are musically uplifting and spiritually meaningful.^[6]“