YOGA AND YOUR
HEALTH –SONYA RICHMOND
AN ABSTRACT
Yoga is the art of bringing your mind and body in harmony, in
such a way, that, you yourself are blended with the nature, as a whole. Yoga basically is connected to Hindu Philosophy and Culture. But in the modern context of life, it has become a separate Culture or Cult itself!
By the passing of time, it has spread far and wide, from its birthplace.
Here, in my hands lie, the thin cute book, published by Granada Publishing Limited, way back in 1962(I have here with me, the 1973 edition), with reproductions in 1966, 1969, 1972 and 1973. We can find Sonya Richmond, describing Yoga and the various Yoga Postures, that helps one to live a healthy life.
This book is having only 125 pages. Even though puny by size, it’s a giant by the contents. The essence is important, not the physical shape. They say, ‘Brevity is the soul of wit’.
As the days pass, Human Society is marching towards more and more sophistications and life is becoming more and more complex. This increase in the complexity of life afflicts the quality of life. The loosening of the quality is the root cause of very many things. Thus, stress and strain of life grows in a speedy way. It is in this context, the Yoga and the Yogic exercises, comes in to the picture.
Sonya Richmond had spread the whole topic, into 14 chapters’ altogether.
In the first chapter itself, she dives straight in to the subject and establishes the fact that even in this space age, there is a “Space” for practice of Yoga. Remember, this she predicted in 1962, and now being in the middle pf 2008, we can find how far-sighted she was!
After finding that there is still a space for Yoga in the modern world, she slowly moves to the next topic, “Relaxation And Stretching”. Here she says, that “Yoga will not teach you to be dull, on the contrary it will teach you to be more magnetic.” Then slowly she explains the exercise called the ‘Savasana’ which means the ‘Corpse Posture’, the exercise meant to get relaxation.
It’s not only for attaining mental relaxation, that Yoga is used for. Lot of other illnesses such as Insomnia, Indigestion, Back Ache, Lumbago, Asthma, Arthritis, Obesity, Female Disorders, Stomach Problems, Kidney and Liver Disorders, all will get wonderful results from the practice of Yoga.
Sonya Richmond has give, has given detailed elaborations regarding the different ‘Asanas’ (Postures), and the method how one can perform them. (But it is always advisable, that even the experts say, that you learn all the practical ways of doing all these exercises, from a Guru’s (teacher) expert guidance, rather than from a book. Bookish knowledge is always bookish! We can learn the art. But to practice them, one must definitely seek a teacher and learn from him.)
In the chapter describing the Yogic Diet, she explains the harm, sugar and chocolates does to the digestive system of our body, if consumed excessively. She also describes how our body will be asking more and more of sugar, once we start the habit of taking too much of sugar. She also educates us the goodness and glories of pure honey. In the same chapter she goes on explaining, how the various vitamins, minerals, calcium, copper etc. that are essentially needed for our proper body constitution, the functions of each and the sources from where we get it.
She has also added photos of different Yoga Postures, by which we get a complete awareness.
In short, “Yoga And Your
health”, is a great book and it’s place in one’s library is a must