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How Yoga Can Actually Make You Happier?

The daily hectic lifestyle, tremendous workload, stress, illness, and uneven schedule are making life gloomy and messy. It is getting difficult to find a time to stay without any tension or worry. Yoga is the one finest reason that helps in keeping you happy and calm.

Happiness is the finest state of life. What we feel directly affects our mind and eventually affects our health and well-being. So, it is advised to stay happy and positive. 

Continuous practice of yoga can help improve your health, as it is an activity that combines physical exercise with meditation. It may not be the definitive solution to happiness, but it is a good solution to try. This will at least make you feel calm, keep the disease away from you and energize the body.

Some of the asanas that will help an individual to stay happy are:

1-Muktasana (Liberation Pose)

The Sanskrit word, “Mukta” means “Liberation”, and “Asana” means “Pose”. The asana is thus also known as the Liberation Pose. This asana helps in promoting happiness and reducing depression.

Apart from the mental benefits, it helps in strengthening the muscles around the arms, wrists, legs, buttocks, abdomen and spine.

The asana is also proven to be the best one in reducing problems like asthma, back pain, infertility and osteoporosis.

2-Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

“Bhujang” is the Sanskrit word meaning “Cobra”. That’s why the asana is also known as “Cobra Pose”.

If you- have much stress and want to recharge your inner energy, then do Bhujangasana. It improves mood. Apart from this, it stretches the muscles of the shoulders, chest and abdomen.

It further improves irregularities in the menstrual cycle and keeps the heart active.

3-Padmasana (Lotus Pose)

“Padma” is the synonym of “Kamal”. “Kamal” is the Hindi name of the flower “Lotus”. So, Padmasana is also known as the “Lotus Pose”.

One of the best asanas for improving circulation to the spine, nourishing the abdominal organs, strengthening the ankles and the feet, and increasing the flexibility in the hips is Padmasana. It also helps in reducing stress.

4-Shavasana (Corpse Pose)

Shavasana is also known as “Corpse Pose”. Stress is linked to many health problems. Shava means corpse i.e. to make one’s body like a corpse. Because of this, the posture is also known as Shavasana.

It is beneficial for people suffering from neurological problems, asthma, constipation, diabetes, and indigestion. In addition, this pose brings you into a state of deep meditation, which can aid in the repair of tissues and cells and release tension.

5-Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

Sanskrit words “Tada” means “Mountain” and “Asana” means “Pose” making the meaning of Tadasana, the “Mountain Pose”.

By doing this yoga, the length increases. Along with this, the digestive system is strengthened, the blood circulation in the body is done properly, and the knees, ankles and arms get strong.

Although this is a simple asana, which is very easy to do yet offers many benefits. It releases stress hormones and keeps the mind healthy and happy.

Content Source: https://aatmyogashala.com/blog/how-yoga-can-make-you-happy/

Children today are under a lot of stress. Homework, pressure to compete with other children, endless after-school activities, over-scheduling — it all adds up. And just like their parents, kids today are turning to Yoga to help them relax. Teaching Yoga to children, I’ve seen how Yoga helps them develop better body awareness, self-control, flexibility, and coordination. I’ve also seen how they can carry these skills beyond class and into their daily routines. For example, one of my students, Liza, a 10-year-old, asked me what to do when she gets frustrated, like when her computer doesn’t work properly. First, I asked her what she thought would help.

“Sometimes I do the child’s pose when I’ve had a bad day,” she said. I told her that was an excellent idea. We then talked about breathing exercises, such as the three-part breath, that could help her stay centered and calm in difficult situations throughout the day.

Yoga has also been shown to help the hyperactive and attention-deficit child. These children crave movement and sensory/motor stimulus. Yoga helps channel these impulses in a positive way. Yoga poses that seem to work especially well are the warrior pose and tree pose. They help instill calm, confidence and balance. The trick is to get beyond just “doing” the posture. I try to get them to think about what the postures mean, to become like the postures — strong and confident like a warrior.

I use partner poses to develop trust. Working with each other on poses, the children develop team skills. It also fosters bonding. When it comes to relaxation, some children have a difficult time closing their eyes while others can’t get enough. I once had a 10-year-old boy ask me if we could have an extra long relaxation session as he wanted more time to relax. One technique that encourages relaxation is visualization. At first, I may have them focus on belly breathing and listening to relaxing music. Then I may ask them to imagine that they are at the beach, playing their favorite sport, or doing some other activity that they like. At the end of the relaxation exercise, I encourage the children to share their own experiences.

Another approach is to create a guided visualization or story with a calming theme of some kind. For example, I may ask them to imagine themselves walking in a green pasture. “Notice the beautiful trees and the butterflies flying overhead,” I may say. “Smell the fresh air. Listen to the bluejays calling for their mates.” The idea is to instill a sense of peace and feeling of oneness with nature.

Yoga could be a 'science' yet as AN 'art of living' for a healthy, happy and prosperous life; therefore its effects are principally internal.