Precautions Before Doing Yoga (Yogic Exercises)

Yogic exercises are very important for life. Theychanges. Italso proves beneficial in providing good
include Yogasana, pranayam etc. Pranayam can curephysical andmental health to the woman. Swami
several diseases but it is necessary to understandramdev products for women health.
pranayam before practicing it. Pranayam is made withFrom childhood to adolescence
the combination of two words, Prana + Ayam. PranaGirls undergo mental and physical changes
means life energy and Ayam means scope.duringadolescence. This period of sudden changes is
Therefore, pranayam means the activity thatideal forbeginning the practice of Yog and pranayam.
increases the scope of life energy.Yog prac-tice is like any other sport during childhood
It has four stages:and the childdoes different types of asana knowingly
- Poorak – filling in airand unknow-ingly. But, the child understands the
- Kumbhak – stopping air insidemeaning of Yogonly when he grows up. Yog and
- Rechak – throwing out airpranayam prove ben-eficial in maintaining the strength
- Bahya Kumbhak – stopping air outsideof girls during men-strual cycle. During this age, asana
There are certain rules for practicing pranayam.should be practicedthat strengthen emotional stability,
Ifpranayam is being practiced to overcome anycontrol mood swingsand regulate menstrual cycle. Yog
diseasethen the following precautions should be kept inproves even morebeneficial during the growing up
mindotherwise it could be harmful.stage, as it strengthensthe muscles and balances the
Rules:hormones.
- Air is extremely pure in morning time. Therefore, thisYog practice and pregnancy
time is recommended for practicing pranayam.Physical and mental health should be improved dur-ing
- Practice it on empty stomach. Drink glassful cold orand after pregnancy. Yog improves the health of
lukewarm water depending on weather.thewoman during this period and also helps in
- Do not practice it when sunlight is bright. There areovercominglabor pain and post pregnancy related
chances of getting Vayu, pitta or kapha doshas duringproblems.
this time.Benefits of Yog during pregnancy
- Wear loose clothes while practicing it.- Yog can be adopted depending on the changing
- Sit on a woolen mat or cotton mattress and practiceneeds and abilities of the body. It strengthens the
pranayam in some meditative pose.muscles of the uterus, supports the spine, and helps in
- Keep the eyes and mouth closed while practicingtolerating the excess pressure of back.
pranayam. Breathe in and breathe out through nose.- Yog makes the body capable of tolerating many
- Increase the duration of Poorak, Rechak, and Bahyaphysical problems arising during pregnancy.
Kumbhak etc. gradually.- Yog practice after delivery increases oxygen
- Pranayam can be done in the evening also (sunsetconsumption and thereby increases breast milk.
time).- Practicing light yogic exercises after one or two
- Pranayam should not be done in case of fever, loosemonths of delivery strengthens all the fibers and
motions, tuberculosis, chest pain, high blood pressureincreases breast milk.
and extreme weakness.Old age and menopause
- Finish daily chores before doing pranayam.Yog practice is especially beneficial during old ageand
- Do not take solid food or cold water etc. till 30menopause. Many physical changes and
minutes after practicing pranayam.mentalproblems are seen between the age of 45 and
- Do not practice pranayam in case of swelling in55 yearsdue to hormonal changes. The symptoms
stomach or kidney or wound, which moves thoseinclude – ex-cessive perspiration, high blood
organs. Otherwise it could cause pain.pressure, chest relatedproblems, headache, obesity
Practice pranayam in open airand insomnia. The diseasefighting capacity also
Pranayam is beneficial for the health, but it should bereduces. The chances of infec-tion in the body also
practiced in open air instead of closed room. Practicingincreases, especially urine infec-tion. During this age,
pranayam in closed room is not that beneficial as inproblems like diabetes, bone de-generation, anger,
open air. Oxygen is available in sufficient quantitystress, restlessness, lack of will power,lack of
outside. The benefits obtained from practice ofself-confidence and dissatisfaction arise in mind.
pranayam and asana in open air increases as oxygenRegular Yog practice helps in maintaining mental,
is obtained in more quantity. If Yogasana andphysi-cal and emotional health. Padottasana,
pranayam are practiced in garden, near plants andSuptavajrasana,
greenery then the benefits increase to a great extent.Paschimottasana are beneficial in controlling
Practice Yog to reduce weightweight,maintaining hormonal balance during menopause.
- Yog reduces weight. It increases internal strength andYog practice during old age
rejuvenates the body. Yog is a sure shot for obesity.Both men and women have to face lot of
- Maintain regular daily routine while practicing Yog andphysicalchallenges between middle age and old age.
do it with full faith.This is trueespecially for women. The common
- Brahmari and Nadishodhan reduce obesity. Simpleproblems are bonedegeneration, poor metabolism,
Bhastrika and simple Kapalbhati improve metabolismimproper blood circula-tion and poor mental abilities.
and reduce fat, therefore overweight people shouldDuring this stage, Yog practice helps in controllingblood
practice it.circulation and maintains the health of the ner-vous
- People suffering from over work and stress shouldsystem, and thereby keeps the body healthy andfit.
practice Yognidra daily for ten minutes. It is the bestYog controls both physical and mental health duringthis
remedy. It gives miraculous benefits if done beforeperiod.
meals.Yog removes side effects
- Meditation practiced for 10 to 20 minutes daily helps inYog can overcome the problems faced by
maintaining mental and emotional balance. Stress,cancerpatients after radiotherapy and chemotherapy. It
disappointment and sadness increase weight.im-proves the disease fighting capacity. Patients also
- People experiencing disappointment or distress, andim-prove their mental health. Central Council for
those habituated to overeating should follow the pathResearch
of karma i.e., work.Yog (New Delhi) has found in this study that Yog
- Obese people should develop the habit of eatingisindeed a blessing for human life.
nutritious food – chapatti made with whole wheat,Practice Yog as per physical capacity
seasonal fruits, vegetables, soups, salad etc. inYog practice is useful for the body but it should
sufficient quantity.bedone depending on one’s physical capacity. It
- Food should be chewed properly. Maintain fixed timehas a goodimpact. Which asana should be practiced
for meals. There should be an interval of five to sixfor how muchtime is best decided by a Yog teacher?
hours between two meals.Take the adviceof a Yog teacher and follow the
- Do not take sweets, sugar, fat, spices, milk and milkprecautions before be-ginning the Yog practice.
products, products made with refined flour, fried food,Neti is also important
cold drinks etc. in excess quantity.Asana and pranayam are considered to be
- Practice the following asana along with the aboveincom-plete without netikriya. The objective of Yog is
mentioned precautions, Pavanmuktasana, Vajrasana,to es-tablish physical and mental strength, which keeps
Paschimottasana,  Vakrasana,  Trikonasana,thesoul, mind and body healthy and cheerful. Yog is
Bhujangasana, Tadasana, Dhanurasana, Naukasanacon-sidered to be the basis of spiritual achievements.
and Surya Namaskara. Repeat each asana five toBut,these achievements are obtained only through the
seven times but Trikonasana is the best asana out ofbodyonly. It is necessary to keep the body active and
all.dis-ease free. Purification is necessary and that too
Yoga practice is necessary for women alsointer-nal purification. Shatkarma plays an important role
Today, every woman requires Yog practice. Ainthis case. Patanjali Yogpeeth has excellent
womanundergoes lot of physical and mental changesShatkarmatreatment facilities. Here patients are
duringher lifetime. Yog can prove very beneficial inreaping healthbenefits and curing incurable diseases.
overcom-ing the problems undergone during thesePeople are benefitting from natural cure at Yog Gram.