By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
The
practice of Yoga goes far beyond simple physical exercises. The term “Yoga” is
literally translated to mean union or yoke to the divine. In order to become
one with the divine energy that pulsates through all of creation, we must go
through a process of releasing and purifying the heavy, negative emotions that
can naturally accumulate over time through difficult life experiences. As we
let go of negative thought patterns and behaviors that keep us separated from
the wonderment and joy of life, we will be able to embody and radiate peace,
contentment and fullness to those around us.
One of the
primary stumbling blocks that prevent many of us from experiencing the love and
joy of the divine presence in our own beings is an inability to forgive both
ourselves and others for transgressions of many sizes and degrees. When we hold
onto negative life experiences, we frequently embed these experiences
somatically in our bodies. If we keep rehashing the same event over and over
again in our minds, we will keep recreating the same negative emotional states,
such as anxiety and anger that were the hallmark of the original
experience.
On one
hand, thinking about the experience over and over again gives us the
opportunity to possibly find the key error that may have created an unpleasant
situation. More likely than not, repetitively analyzing the situation only
keeps us in the same loop and lodges the negative emotional states associated
with the event more deeply into our body and mind, creating a lot of muscular
tension and stress. Yoga poses that help to release deeply held tension, reduce
anger, and relieve anxiety will allow us to move out of the denseness of a
painful and upsetting experience.
Yoga poses
that are particularly effective for releasing tension from unresolved emotional
experiences include heart-opening backbends, twisting poses, hip opening poses
and a variety of standing asanas. In addition, incorporating Bhastrika and
Ujjayi Pranayama techniques into your Yoga practice will help to relieve
anxiety, reduce anger and balance your parasympathetic and sympathetic
nervous systems. These breathing exercises will also help to free you from the
repetitive cycle of negative thoughts and beliefs. As you release and resolve
painful issues in your life, a new found freedom and ease will allow joy to
naturally arise from within, bringing you closer and closer to the experience
of expansive oneness with the divine energy that pulsates in your own heart.
© Copyright 2012 –
Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.
FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga
Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in
Practice.”
FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga
Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of
quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be
sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!
