| If you participate in a Yoga practice, you hear terms | | | | be the source of all the physical tension. Granted, there |
| related to negative or positive energy. Negative energy | | | | are other factors that cause physical tension, such as |
| is most commonly seen as worry, anxiety, pains, | | | | the body alignment during sleep, genetics, lifestyle, |
| aches, pessimism, and doubt. Negative energy | | | | illness, and trauma. These factors can play a major |
| prevents progress and can bring your life to a standstill. | | | | role in throwing the body off balance. These factors |
| Positive energy is an arousal within the mind that | | | | can also wear on the mind. |
| causes action and creativity. Sometimes, | | | | This is why an optimist has a better chance at a |
| problem-solving skills are enhanced, due to a surge in | | | | quicker recovery, when he, or she, is struck by illness |
| positive energy. Religious theologians, of all faiths, call | | | | or trauma. A balanced state of mind is often taken for |
| positive energy divine guidance. Positive energy has | | | | granted by many of us. Those who suffer various |
| been the driving force behind creativity, positive action, | | | | degrees of mental illness are all too familiar with an |
| art, music, and writing. | | | | unbalanced state of mind. |
| During a Hatha Yoga training session, we can feel the | | | | In Yoga, the easiest way to cultivate positive energy |
| difference between negative and positive energy | | | | may be through pranayama (Yogic breathing) practice. |
| within the body. Do you feel muscles and joints that | | | | From the outside looking in, pranayama may look quite |
| are stiff? This is an area that needs work - in the form | | | | easy; but after ten minutes, one learns a state of |
| of massage, asana, and pranayama techniques. | | | | humility. Most Yoga practitioners experience the mind / |
| Muscular tension, inside the body, creates excessive | | | | body connection during pranayama practice. |
| tension on the joints. It may cause a delicate joint to be | | | | This mind and body connection creates a state, where |
| pulled out of alignment. Some of us get a massage, | | | | we are living in the moment, while competition is put |
| visit a chiropractor, or participate in a Yoga class, with | | | | aside. We may think clearly, during or after pranayama |
| a clear intention of purging negative energy and | | | | practice, because we are able to control the flow of |
| bringing the body into balance. | | | | positive and negative energy. Yet, this is only the |
| Yet, how often is the mind forgotten? The mind may | | | | gateway to a Yogic lifestyle filled with many rewards. |