Yoga Chikitsa as therapy

Within the practice of Ashtanga Yoga, one of the oldest disciplines in existence, there are five series of postures aligned with a particular purpose. In today's article we will talk about the First Serious or, as it is known in Sanskrit, Yoga Chikitsa. Yoga Chikitsa is a series of postures ordered chronologically, this practice aims to maintain or improve health, through which the immune system is strengthened, the muscles are worked, flexibility is increased and physical and mental relaxation is achieved. . Yoga Chikitsa is also a self-empowering process through which self-confidence and deep self-knowledge are instilled in its practitioners. The asanas (postures) are organized in a sequence of certain time designed to align the body and strengthen the nervous system. The entire body is treated during the session: the spine, abdomen, lungs, chest, pelvis, knees, shoulders, neck, etc. Ujjayi or Victorious breathing also plays an important role, since added to the body movement, it creates a union that generates a powerful internal heat. That same heat comes out through all the pores of the body in the form of sweat which, in turn, drags with it the toxins that the body needs to release. As in any other healing process, we must be patient and determined. Chikitsa Yoga is a very powerful practice in which it not only improves the physical state but also leaves us with an indescribable clarity on a mental level. As we go deeper into the exercise, the clouds that sometimes obscure our thoughts and prevent us from seeing or taking the right path to follow, little by little begin to disappear. You just have to give your practice time and let the fruits ripen on their own. In Guruji Pattabi Jois's own words: “Practice, practice, practice and all is coming” Namasté, Nina