Yoga has been in practice for over five thousand years and is a timeless tradition. Hindu scriptures speak of yoga having evolved from Lord Shiva, who initiated this practice to his consort, goddess Parvati. The guru-disciple tradition thus has its roots from this interaction and transfer of knowledge, from a teacher to a student. An aspirant is initiated into the nuances of yoga with the help of a teacher.
Yoga means union of the spirit or consciousness, with the cosmic consciousness. Yoga is known to cleanse from within. The journey through yoga is dotted with rewards and transformation. In fact, it is said that even a little effort brings about transformation, though the degree would vary depending upon the duration of practice. Nevertheless, yoga infuses positive consciousness within an individual.
Hatha Yoga
Yoga has many forms, yet Hatha yoga occupies a place of pride, due to its manifold benefits on the physical and mental health. Yogi Swatmarama introduced this system of yoga during the 15th century in India.
The components of traditional hatha yoga practice include asanas, pranayama and meditation. Hatha yoga focuses on shatkarmas- which means purifying the physical body through asanas and then purifying the mind and prana or life force.
Yoga and Cold
Common cold is caused due to virus. Symptoms associated with cold are running nose, sneezing, sore throat, headache, and dry cough. Common cold affects many, as it is highly contagious. Thus, immune system plays an important role in the prevention of colds.
Yoga which deals with an all round development of an individual helps in the prevention of cold and boosts the immune system. Psychological factors and stress also play an important role in managing cold.
When a person incorporates yoga in his daily routine, it has far reaching benefits. Yoga strengthens the healing process in the body and raises immunity to diseases. Practice of yoga also helps in reducing high levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, in the body, that increases vulnerability to infections.
Deep breathing techniques or pranayama helps in absorbing more oxygen into the lungs, which helps in alleviating colds, asthma, sinus congestion, and allergies.
