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Yoga & Freedom

Yoga as a source of freedom for the BODY


What use do we make of our bodies? How many hours of the day of the week, of the year, finally, of our life... do we spend seated? Whether at work, at home, in the car, in constant use of the computer or smartphone, we now have a life marked by the excessive use of the chair. The damage is greater than we imagine: over the years, a progressive impairment of articular mobility and, consequently, of blood flow is created, generating a systemic impact that damages not only our body structure, but function.



The sedentary lifestyle, constant tension and pressure (coupled with stress and anxiety

patterns) and even any unconscious and ineffective physical activity, may lead to a reasonable range of physical disorders - many of which are quietly installed in our

bodies. Thus, over the years our bodies are becoming increasingly stiff, limiting our

mobility and affecting our quality of life. We are, therefore, cloistered in a kind of prison: limited in a rigid body, little functional, which is painful and devitalized. In short, our entire bodies are deeply impacted by the way we use them.


In the meantime, the unique efficiency of Yoga, in its contemporary form, in the body

is highlighted: the positions/asanas and the combination of appropriate sequences (with its high level of security and in an integrative way) seek to restore and preserve the biomechanical potential of each part of the body. In each student, the perfect balance between strength and flexibility is sought; everything is adjusted in respect of the circumstances of life and needs of each individual. The impact of a regular Yoga

practice on each joint and bodily structure is consistently beneficial and therapeutic,

leading to the restoration of its full use, positively affecting all systems and organs.


How does this occur? Part of the answer lies in the fact that the positions of Yoga, by

unlocking the joints and bodily structures, enable the blood flow to reach each of our

cells perfectly in all regions of the body. It is worth remembering that it is through the

bloodstream that the nutrients reach all the cells of the body. Therefore, it is not sensible to cultivate only food care in isolation, if there are blockages that impede circulation. We are a product of our food, but also and above all, we are a product of our use of our body.



Therefore, as far as the body is concerned, the practice of Yoga has an essentially

liberating purpose, insofar as it facilitates the reestablishment of the genetic potential of each student, with respect to their particularities, unblocking the bodily structures. When this is unobstructed... ends up releasing, in a balanced way, all the areas of our joints for adequate and efficient blood circulation; therefore, the full potential of the body is restored. Thus, we seek to preserve the structural functionality of our body,

generating greater vitality throughout the body.


Yoga as a source of freedom for the MIND


Concepts such as freedom and free will have always guided most philosophical systems, institutions, and even religions in the world. So we start from the assumption that we are the product of our choices. But how do we choose? How do we decide? Are the criteria and motives for our daily choices purely rational, or are they perhaps - far more than common sense - emotional background?


What is the real level of influence in our lives by our emotional states, the nervous system, the unconscious, the inner beliefs that, in one way or another, underpin our way of seeing the world?


Nowadays, in several areas of knowledge, from psychology to neuroscience, the idea is maintained that our decision-making process and our world-view are also a reflection of several aspects besides those merely rational, including here the influence of a great variety of eventual maladjustments or internal imbalances. And such a reflection is much greater than we usually imagine.


Parallel to this is the general annoyance of the daily "mental noises" about our mind and, consequently, our body and behavior. Whether through worries, recurring thoughts, unnecessary anticipations, fear, regrets, guilts, etc., we tend to live with

our minds numbly locked in the past or the future. It is increasingly difficult to be present.


Our mental fluctuations impact negatively not only on our health but on our entire lives, as they influence our decisions and choices. In that sense, the writer David Foster Wallace realizes: "I am sure you have realized how hard it is to remain alert and attentive, rather than hypnotized by the constant monologue we hold in our heads."


From its origin, ultimately, what Yoga seeks is the cessation of fluctuations of the mind, leading the practitioner to the development and maintenance of a precious state of neutrality and internal balance, which will profoundly and positively impact all areas of the mind and body.


Yoga, in this way, besides providing innumerable blessings to the physical body, is a practice that uses the body as a sacred instrument to reach the mind, positively and positively impacting it. It is, therefore, an authoritative source of freedom for the mind.


How does this occur? Through the practice of Yoga, we seek to gradually change the patterns of the nervous system - including the reorganization of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, returning to the natural references of balance - and, from this, to impact positively our mental state. This produces an adequate integration between body and mind, generating a better quality of life. In each class, it is encouraged to perfect the understanding of our body, expanding the perception and personal knowledge of how the mind impacts the body. Yoga uses the body as a powerful tool for knowing and educating the mind; so it is something far beyond mere physical activity.



In each class, the teacher-led conduction of an authentic meditative process through presence exercises - among other resources, through stimuli of magnification of focus and body perception. Thus, the student is encouraged to develop a skill of deep personal perception and self-analysis, enabling the progressive untying of harmful patterns and conditioning. The practitioner is empowered to re-educate the mind so that it can operate at a more balanced and positive "frequency" - even in situations of daily life of great physical or mental exigency.


The regular practice of Yoga, while producing a more flexible and strong body, leads us to be more conscious and sensitive, more adaptable and tolerant, more stable and balanced.


Therefore, Yoga acts uniquely on the human body and mind, restoring natural healing integration and enabling the construction of a full and extraordinarily human life.


Naudé Prates

co-founder & teacher at Yuna Yoga

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