John Parks asked:


Hatha Yoga – An Ancient Program of Balance, Harmony and Purification

Hatha Yoga originated in the 15th century in India as part of a program of purification of the body incorporated along with meditation. Hatha is the Hindu word for “sun and , while “Yoga” is the word for “yoke” or uniting of body, mind and environment. Hatha Yoga places great significance on achieving balance between physical, mental, spiritual and emotional states in harmony with earth, water, sun and moon.

Basic Tenets of Hatha Yoga Program

The basic tenets of the Hatha Yoga Program is comprised of several aspects:

Asana which focuses on posture similar to the postures of T’ai Chi and Chi Gong

Prayanamas where subtle energy control is the focus, a very important aspect of Hatha Yoga

Chakras which are the centers of energy

Kundalini which encompasses muscle force

Kryas which promotes the mastering of kundalini techniques

Shakti, the sacred force

Nadis which are channels

Mudras, which are symbolic gestures similar to those in T’ai Chi.

Shatkarma, purification, begins with freeing up the mind by freeing up the body through holistic lifestyle, yoga practice daily and metaphysical re-adaptation.

Self-Improvement Through Hatha Yoga

Within asanas, also known as “sun signs”, movements are performed and practiced that rely on focused mental concentration in order to achieve maximum benefits. Practitioners of Hatha Yoga find a new sense of physical balance and strength as a result of consistent use of asanas. Thus, Hatha Yoga retards the aging process by infusing mind and body with continual renewal of strength and balance. Most people who practice Hatha Yoga find that it’s necessary to also take inventory of their dietary and lifestyle predilections. This is a very natural emanation of alterations to a less healthy lifestyle.

Benefits of Hatha Yoga

The benefits of Hatha Yoga are a sense of wholeness and overall good health. Through the balance of mind and body effected by Hatha Yoga, a new harmony evolves from within and allows the individual to experience less stress and tension as a result. Yet, the adaptability to Hatha Yoga lifestyle is relatively easy because of the simplicity of its core fundamentals.

Meditation and Hatha Yoga

Meditation is an element of nearly all religions, holistic programs and cultural lifestyles. Meditation is also one of the oldest forms of self-recognition. Discovering the wealth of knowledge, ideas and inspirations within the unconscious mind is often obliterated by details stored in the conscious mind. This creates a conflict in the body when conscious messages block out unconscious messages intended as metaphysical protection from conscious deliberate negative actions. Quieting the mind sufficiently in meditation also requires the body to be receptively postured for best results. This is the basis of Hatha Yoga.

Lessons of Hatha Yoga for All Ages

Teaching children from young ages to adapt to the holistic program of Hatha Yoga creates a permanent direction for mental stability and good physical health. It is also the very best time for the practice of Hatha Yoga to begin. Those who choose Hatha Yoga in their senior years may find several of the asanas, i.e., the candle, the Lotus Position, physically challenging.

For this age group, modified asanas are taught.

For more information on Hatha Yoga, visit http://practicehathayoga.com

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


The food pyramid is used by many people from all walks of life to find the best foods for a healthy lifestyle. To further help you with your investigation into good foods you can look for food pyramids which detail the different foods that you can eat. One of these pyramids that you will find is that of the vegetarian food pyramid. This pyramid is in many ways different from the vegan food pyramid.

In the vegetarian food pyramid you will find there are four tiers where you can choose the food that you want.

The top section will show you salt, sweets, vegetable oils and fats. These items are ones that you should eat sparingly.

In the next tier you will see that this tier is divided into two parts. One part holds low fat or non-fat milks. You will also find cheeses and yoghurts that you can eat to help your keep you healthy. The other part of this tier is the meatless section.

Here you will find meat substitutes, various types of nuts and seeds, and certain types of legumes. With both of these sections you will find you can eat in moderate amounts. The general serving portions for this section can be seen as 2 to 3 servings.

Below this section in the vegetarian food pyramid you will find fruits and vegetables that you can eat. As with the top section this part is also divided into 2 parts. The serving portion for these sections is between 2 to 5 servings. You can eat generously since these are the main food types that you are eating from this food pyramid.

The vegetables that you can find in one part of this vegetable tier is that of cabbages, carrots, broccoli, pumpkins, corn, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, mushrooms, eggplants and many others. With the fruit section you can eat pineapples, papayas, grapes, oranges, bananas and many others.

At the bottom of the vegetarian food pyramid you will find staples that have the ability of providing you with much needed energy. As with the regular food pyramids you can eat about the same amount of food servings. This portion of the vegetarian food pyramid will allow you to eat between 6 to 11 servings.

With this final tier you will find that you have different cereals, pastas, rice and whole grain bread that you can choose to eat. These foods you can eat as much as you need in order to keep your strength up. By eating the right portions of these foods you can stave off any large scale hunger pangs that will make you eat fast and junk foods.

The different food pyramids are the keys to having a good diet. For a healthy but meatless diet you can choose to use the different foods which can be found in the vegetarian food pyramid.