By Bhavan Kumar How can you increase happiness with yoga? Since yoga moved onto the world stage, asana, pranayama, meditation, and other Yogic stress-reduction exercises have been studied as possible alternative treatments for mood-related disorders. However, the body of literature on the therapeutic benefits of yoga was relatively limited until the Internet propelled it forward. …
When you are ready to practice Skull Shining Breath, come to a comfortable seated position on your Yoga mat. If your hips feel tight, you may wish to place a folded blanket or Yoga bolster underneath you for additional support. Before beginning your practice of Kapalabhati Pranayama, simply take a few deep breaths at your own pace. Notice if you are inhaling and exhaling fully and completely.
The child’s pose is specifically designed to relieve stress and remove worry from the inner reaches of the mind. With the buttocks planted firmly on the heels, students will be instructed to slowly bend forward until both the arms and head are planted on the floor. The position is normally held for several seconds and is meant to gently limber up the muscles within both the abdomen and the back.
The word art took on a completely different meaning when used as a verb. I realized that there is an artful way to approach life and yoga as a means of achieving happiness. It suddenly made sense that finding the way to live with happiness, mindfulness, and health is actually an art form that we can strive to develop.
Recent studies have shown that practicing Yoga can help nurture happiness in individuals. Some components of happiness are actually physiological, coming from the brain. Happier people have larger prefrontal cortexes than other people. Practicing Yoga encourages changing your consciousness to promote positive thinking and self-affirmations.