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これはヨガの理念について書かれたものです。

When people think about yoga, they most often think about women on mats bending in weird positions. If you start taking yoga classes, you surely are going to see this. However, yoga is not just about positions and flexibility. It’s about how we live our lives when we’re not in front of the instructor because yoga, when practiced properly, is a lifestyle. Just to give you a quick idea, I’m going to explain the five principles of yoga.

The first principle is exercise. Whether we work at an office or a restaurant, our bodies only move in limited ways. Even if we exercise on the weekends, many parts of our bodies remain stiff and hold tension. But daily yoga practice—bending the body in various positions, or asana, can release tension from the muscles and ligaments, and give us better blood circulation.

The second principle is relaxation. Our daily lives are filled with anxiety and mind chatter. But yoga can put an end to this. Various yoga positions and proper breathing will relax all the muscles and rejuvenate the nervous system. It will help us achieve inner peace and the resilience to maintain it.

The third principle is breathing. When we are under stress, we don’t breathe right. It means that we don’t take in enough oxygen. Deep slow yoga breathing will help us send oxygen all over the body, especially to the head, and give us clarity.

The fourth principle is diet. Although food is what fuels our bodies, our eating habits tend to be unhealthy. Yoga advocates a balanced, nutritious diet to avoid health problems. Vegetarianism is desirable, however, less meat consumption will suffice.

The fifth principle is meditation. Our minds never rest because we constantly think too much even when we are exercising, which is why we need to calm our minds. The answer is meditation. But you don’t need to sit in the lotus position and spend an hour like a monk. All we have to do is lay down in the most comfortable position for five to ten minutes and meditate daily. It will boost our confidence and help us maintain a peaceful state of mind.

asana　　　    アーサナ（ヨガのポーズ）

mind chatter　 心のなかのおしゃべり

lotus position　蓮華坐（ヨガにおける座り方）

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