Whether we accept it or not, our ancestors’ knowledge of the world and its workings was far superior to ours. Ancient texts contain philosophies that were lost somewhere in time only to be reinstated in intellectual debates today. Besides the world, our ancestors also knew the human body better than us. They have been using yoga and mind power techniques to heal incurable diseases long before we even thought of it.
Yoga has both physical as well as psychological aspects. It helps balance our body’s systems in a way that modern science can never dream to with the help of chemicals and drugs. Using yoga to cure both physical as well as mental ailments is called yoga therapy.
Though many people would like to believe that yoga therapists preaching its effectiveness are mostly phony, it is not true. When practised correctly with devotion and diligence yoga can do wonders. It helps you become better acquainted with your own body and thus helps your mind heal it on its own without any outside help at all!
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The theory of yoga believes that our illnesses’ are caused by some sort of blockage of energy. By yoga therapy, yoga masters or gurus remove that blockage, thereby allowing your energy or life force to flow unhindered once again. Sceptics might say that these are illogical theories based on ancient tales of magic. However science today has finally agreed to the presence of some form of energy connecting everything in this universe. This energy is agreed to be the fuel of our lives.
Yoga with its various asanas seeks to improve the strength of this energy which is your life force.
Yoga also helps calm or soothe your mind. It gives you the peace of mind which we all crave in our fast paced lives, but which always manages to elude us. The various breathing exercises and meditation techniques allow you to empty your mind of all its tensions and worries for a few seconds. It is like switching off your body system for a few seconds and then restarting it, once it gets too crammed. Yoga therapy when practised properly works wonders. It is used to cure simple problems like muscle pain, stiffness etc as well as difficult ones like cancer or AIDS.
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Yoga has several different branches within it, each having a different objective or goal. Yoga therapy combines the knowledge of all these branches and then using the principles that is required to treat your condition. Most yoga masters first estimate your general strength and abilities. They then judge your condition and devise a plan for its treatment. The yoga therapists then prepare a ‘sadhna’ or routine for you.
With regular practice, you improve at this sadhna and your therapist shall keep updating it. Soon you shall have mastered not only the highest level of your sadhna, but also the ailment that had been troubling you.
While yoga involves extremely difficult exercises, it has more to do with the spiritual realm than the corporeal one. It treats your body at a much higher level. Yoga is a form of cleansing process that helps you understand your body and thus gives you the ability to cater to its needs better. Yoga therapy uses this aspect of yoga most.
People have been practicing Yoga with therapeutic intentions for a long time now and it has amassed quite a large number of followers. So one thing is clear – yoga is as effective as medicines and doctors. If that wasn’t the case, so many people wouldn’t be willing to undergo the taxing but liberating regimes.
Yoga is not just a form of treatment. It is a form of lifestyle. It is an addiction that once you get a taste of, you won’t be able to let go.
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