

# Yoga to stretch the entire body 

## **What is Yoga ?**

Yoga as a word means Union, it has existed for thousands of years already, and it has been used as a way to bring into fruition just about anything that can be achieved within human beings: health, peace, love, joy, ecstasy, compassion, wellbeing, bliss, heightened perceptions, dissolving the ego, purifying the body, etc.

Yoga practices most commonly include using the Body to align it to a specific geometry that provides benefits. As a practice, it can turn your body into a completely friction-free machine, which means that you'll waste less energy, and you'll be able to do things with your body more efficiently.

Least amount of friction means that your body won't be a hurdle to you anymore, it's going to be a platform for you to do just about anything that you want to do.

It may be percieved on the surface as stretching and twisting into impossible postures, but in reality it's about trying to unite with reality, through geometry. 

_Sidenote:_ Yoga is an entire world by itself, so below is a very quick and dirty get started quick guide, it's not a complete exploration by any stretch.

## **For Beginners - Yoga Namaskar**

If you never did yoga so far, i recommend trying out this one first:

The main focus here is on stretching the spine, as this will allow you to think more clearly, and to be able to sit straight for longer periods of time.

I recommend only doing the standing up posture for beginners, but if you're flexible enough, try out the squatting down posture which is much more tricky.

Once completed, your spine should be stretched fully, and you'll see that you can think more clearly afterward.

If you are a beginner, I recommend doing this once a day, as soon as you wake up. Before having your morning cold shower

## **For Advanced users - Yoga Angamardhana**

Isha has an other yoga practice they keep hidden for their advanced users, which revolves once again around the spine. It's called "Angamardhana", literally meaning killing the limbs. It is a complete fitness practice in itself. In terms of health, the aerobic exercise that this practice brings, the muscle tone it brings about, without bringing rigidity, it is a great system of preparing the body for optimal performance, and maintaining health, especially on the cardiovascular level.

The goal of that practice is to stretch everything that can be stretched in the body, so that only the user feels in the end, is his spine.

It is definitely an improved version over the previous yoga practice we've looked at, and i recommend doing it only if you are a seasoned yoga practicioner.

Skipping the meditation parts, it should only take 20 to 30 minutes to complete. And by then you'd have already worked out some sweat with your own bodyweight, along with having stretched just about everything in your body.

Once done, you should be able to sit at absolute ease. The body shouldn't be a problem anymore.

If you are a seasoned yoga practicionner, I recommend doing this once a day, as soon as you wake up. Before having your morning cold shower.

