Yoga for sleep, concentration and fitness

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hi all,

I work as a software programmer and am glued to my seat for more than 12 hours a day, 8 hours of sleep and 4 hours other chores (I walk for 1 hour ~5kms on an average day).

  1. I know that I could do with less than 8 hours of sleep. Is there any asana that you must have tried that helps you reduce the hours of sleep you require daily.

  2. I want to improve my concentration and memory, I am preparing for a fairly tough exam and need to make full use of my abilities… any tried and tested asana for concentration and memory?

  3. I recently ready that yoga can only help in toning the body but is not of much use when it comes to weight loss. As yoga is a passive form of workout. Is this true? If I could lose some weight and tone my muscles using yoga, is there any asana?

one you let me knwo the names of the asanas I will google out and try them daily and will let you know about the results in a few days.

Thanks in advance,
Deepak

#2

Namaskar.
Your body is wise enough to be giving you the amount of rest you need
at this moment.
The key to life in general is BALANCE. If you have not done so, I suggest
you read Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra.

#3

I am 56 and years ago tried to open my own fitness club. I knew a little about yoga and much more about other more ’ normal’ exercise modalities. I have exercised all my life and love it. Due to a couple of major health problems, a double hernaited disk and prostate cancer I swiched to almost 100% yoga instead of other things, that includes aerobics , which every Western expert says is fundamental to good health. I’ve done this for at least 8 years now and from where I sit ( not yet for very long in meditation ) yoga does it all and does it better. You can address any physical concern and make it better. You may not cure , for example a herniated disk, but you can make yourself stronger in core muscles and more balanced, and relieve stress imposed by poor posture with countering asanas. Also, the heart and lungs can be exercised better than with aerobics with various asanas that manipulate Blood Pressure like inversions and Halasana and breathing with ujayii and deep breathing. My vital signs have never been better : last time at the doctors the nurse said I had a 100/58 BP and a 62 pulse. I don’t any huffing and puffing either and have lots of energy. I am a vegetarian starting about 4-5 years ago, as well. Yoga is not just 'passive "; in fact Hatha yoga means : Ha = sun= active and tha=moon=passive, it’s a combination- if you do it you will understand immediately- it’s an active thing to reverse bad habits of posture acrued over a lifetime but it’s a passive thing to let natures goodness benefit you once you meet her half way. The advice to read Deepak Chopra Perfect Health is good advice- but you can learn yoga by reading or watching many things ( including yourself ) and youtube and the internet are great for that. There are many DVD’s. You seemed pressed for time or I’d say take a class- I’ll still say that-but there are alternatives until you get more time. My abs have never been better , as well, but yoga works better because it’s aim is at the insides which afects the outside better in the long run and in the shorter run your health and energy is set on the right path. Namaste.

#4

The amount of sleep one “needs” depends on their dosha or constitution. In our society we do not often respond to the calls of our body. When it is tired we force it to remain awake for one reason or another with one substance or another. The remedy for being tired is sleep - presuming one doesn’t have poor dietary combinations or a thyroid imbalance.

Asana is powerful much like digitalis is powerful. It can keep a heart patient alive or kill them. Asana is not a magic pill and should not (ideally speaking) be prescribed like one. Furthermore asana is only a half of a third of a healing protocol. It is a full third only when joined with safe pranayama. It is complete only when joined with emotional work and lifestyle/nutrition.

If it calls to you, if it appeals to you, if you see and feel the joy in it then please do it! But please consider learning it from an experienced teacher. Decades of improper practice of posture has lead several very senior teachers to joint replacement. Please give yoga it’s due as a powerful tool. Treat it like candy and you’ll wind up with dentures.

#5

if you know that you can do without 8 hours sleep then just get up earlier! my own experience of practising 1-2 hours yoga at about 6am has been that i have more energy and better mood throughout the day than if i stay in bed past 7 am. My yoga teacher actually suggests that we try to rise at 5 or 6 each day even if it is an effort sometimes. the results speak for themselves. that’s not to say we have to become a slave to that, but it might be worth trying. im not sure there is an asana that will reduce the hours of sleep you need(!), but will power to get out of bed would.

what you read about yoga not being any good for weight loss is interesting, they must have been referring to asana, which is not yoga in its entirety. Weight loss can be achieved by controling temptation and desire for lifestyle(foods etc) that contribute to weight gain or limit weight loss. Surely a balanced yoga practice that includes more than just asanas will increase ability to achieve any goal one wishes.

would be advisable to find a good teacher as just googling asanas and trying them out is not the best way to learn if you are serious about improvement in all areas of life. the support of a teacher with the correct knowledge of your particular constitution and requirements is vital to your success.

#6

if u can have 8 hrs sleep why bother to cut it short , due to heavy work i used to sleep late and get up early for regular yoga , i always hope one day i can have 8 hrs in bed, that’s nice.

#7

[QUOTE=deepsworld;19463]Hi all,

I work as a software programmer and am glued to my seat for more than 12 hours a day, 8 hours of sleep and 4 hours other chores (I walk for 1 hour ~5kms on an average day).

  1. I know that I could do with less than 8 hours of sleep. Is there any asana that you must have tried that helps you reduce the hours of sleep you require daily.

  2. I want to improve my concentration and memory, I am preparing for a fairly tough exam and need to make full use of my abilities… any tried and tested asana for concentration and memory?

  3. I recently ready that yoga can only help in toning the body but is not of much use when it comes to weight loss. As yoga is a passive form of workout. Is this true? If I could lose some weight and tone my muscles using yoga, is there any asana?

one you let me knwo the names of the asanas I will google out and try them daily and will let you know about the results in a few days.

Thanks in advance,
Deepak[/QUOTE]

i’ll just answer # 3 :

i lost 11 kgs in 5 months only doing Yoga Asanas, how’s that ? try google Yoga Sun Salutation.

#8

“Seven Pranayama Package” by Swami Ramdev ji is the best for those people who are in sitting jobs like computers, software development etc.

One of those ‘Kapalbhati Pranayama’ is miraculous ‘Breathing Exercise’ which takes care of whole body. This pranayama completely cures even those diseases which can not be controlled by medicines.

Daily practice of ‘Kapalbhati’ cures even diabetes, blood pressure, asthma and even initial stages of cancer. This has been proved in India by yoga guru ‘Swami Ramdev ji’, in his ashram situated in Hridwar, India.

#9

Kapalbhati is not for high blood pressure practitioners , theory was taught by Indian teachers

#10

Fun fact: sufficient sleep is very good for concentration and memory. You might put off the sleep reduction experiment until after your exam.