by guest author Laura Green
What if there were a world where everyone practiced yoga? Human beings, being imperfect as they are, would probably still manage to mess things up. But, on the whole, life would be far better.
Anger Management
Violence, wars, envy, hatred, greed – they would all be reduced if everyone practiced yoga. Wouldn’t it be great if we lived on a planet where, every time someone started feeling these urges, they practiced yoga?
Some anger empowers us, urging us on to destroy the things that we perceive to be in our way. We control this, on our planet, with re-balancing through yoga.
Other anger is rooted deep within us, manifesting itself as fear, grief, and hopelessness. Bitterness leaves its after-taste in our souls. But here, we are attuned to this threat. The anger itself is our enemy, not living beings.
Whether at work or at home, we acknowledge our feelings and work through them, rather than directing them at other living entities. A fifteen minute breathing break, ending with the Breath of Fire, rebalances our energies and disperses anger and greedy urges, allowing us to flow with others in a peaceful manner, surrendering our own selfish desires in lieu of harmony and balance. Our potential opponent does the same, and the ensuing peace allows for more rational negotiation.
In cases of building tension, we stop to stretch, rhythmically and gently pummelling large muscle groups in a type of self-massage, reminding our bodies to balance themselves and relax. Deep, cleansing breaths will purge the body of tension, restoring blood flow and levelling out hormones and chemical surges that create blockage in our bodies. This simple break allows us to continue in a plain of logic and enlightenment, dealing with each situation separately as it arises rather than becoming overwhelmed and burdened.
Knowing the power of anger and its family members, we actively work to purge all seeds of this invader. Vigorous action is sometimes necessary, so we give this poison all of the fire it needs to burn itself out. Deep breathing gives more oxygen to the fire within, and sweating drives it out of our bodies, leaving nothing inside but peace. We stimulate our Manipura chakra through vigorous exercise. By embracing our anger family, we allow it to burn itself out, leaving us stronger for the refining fires we have endured.
Aging
Yes, we age on our planet, but we are much healthier physically and spiritually than people on other planets. Our elderly do not totter and fall, damaging their bones and sporting bruises. Our elderly people can walk with a strong, confident step, without the help of walkers or canes.
This is possible because of the balancing we practice in all forms of yoga. The individual muscle groups are strengthened and toned, giving our seniors more physical strength and coordination than those on other planets. Even those for whom life has dealt injury are healthier and happier, because yoga exercises are so adaptable for every physical condition.
They are able to rehabilitate injuries that, on other planets, leave senior citizens in nursing homes or home-bound.
Our seniors, as a result, are more active than most seniors on other planets. Their flexibility and muscle tone, a result of focused training in stretching ligaments and toning muscles, allow them to participate in family activities with comfort, even initiating many of these activities.
The increased circulation that comes from unblocked channels in the body means we have very little incidents of senile dementia. Our seniors realize their value to the world, to their families and associates, and to themselves. This sense of value urges them forward, and keeps them balanced rather than thrown in the corner with wrinkled, used-up souls.
Weight Management
Since we all participate in yoga exercises every day, and take yoga breaks when anything becomes out of alignment, we are very in touch with our bodies. Therefore, we have no need for the false comfort of added body fat. The sensation of fullness is part of our soul, not simply a condition of the stomach. Through regular balancing through various yoga methods, we know when our bodies need nourishment, and we know what kind of nourishment they need.
No longer do any of us crave poisons in the forms of heavily processed foods full of additives. Our bodies ask us for delicious, flavourful, natural foods, and we relish the act of feeding our bodies. We enjoy meals as filling and flavourful as those on your planet, and find dining to be a communal experience between our souls and our bodies.
Therefore, we have no problems with weight management. Since we are so attuned to our bodies, we have no desire to consume a poison that would constrict blood flow, cramp muscles, clog our intestines, or cloud our minds.
In addition, the muscular strength we gain through our various exercises increases our calorie consumption. The short answer here is – we get to eat more! Yes, not only do we celebrate better coordination, better and more balanced muscle strength, pure energy flows, and peaceful lives, we get to eat more.
Don’t you wish you could live on our planet? Guess what – you can! Start yoga today, and your own universe will be better for it.
About Laura
Laura Green loves to write about all things yoga, she’s currently working for a health spa and Yoga retreat in Devon where visitors can enjoy the beautiful countryside, go on long relaxing walks or even take a dip in the sea.
What a beautiful world it would be!