Importance of Yoga Postures in Sports

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how yoga can benefit an athlete's body and mind, both physically and mentally. Yoga has been practiced since ancient times. Finding a style of yoga that suits you can be overwhelming at first. If you are a competitive athlete, it is best to tailor your yoga sessions to your training schedule as a particular sport may develop certain muscle groups at the expense of others. Over time, this process creates imbalances in the muscles and joints, leading to frequent injuries. Yoga helps muscles, tendons and ligaments move through a full range of motion, developing balance and core strength which is a huge advantage for athletes in their chosen sports. Another essential element in yoga is breathing exercises (Pranayama). Focusing on breathing during yoga can be considered one of the most important benefits for athletes. Learning to stay focused and focused through uncomfortable postures, while also focusing on inhaling and exhaling, prepares the athlete to remain focused during a race or challenging workout. Yoga requires a mind-body connection to help athletes develop mental acuity and concentration. Additionally, yoga not only helps you relax tight muscles but also relaxes the anxious and highly stressed mind. Getting more rest will also help with athletic performance. Therefore, incorporating yoga into the training plan will enhance performance and protect the athlete from injury.


Introduction
Yoga is a discipline that aims to improve or develop one's inherent strength in a balanced manner.It provides the means to complete self-realization.The word "yoga" is derived from Sanskrit and means "to join, to unite".Yoga has a holistic effect and balances the body, mind, consciousness and spirit.The main objective of "Yoga in Daily Life" is physical health, mental health, social health, spiritual health, self-realization or realization of the divine within us.These goals are love and helpfulness towards all living beings, respect for life, conservation of nature and environment, peace of mind, complete vegetarianism, pure thinking and positive lifestyle, tolerance for all through physical, mental and spiritual practices .Are getting.Nations, cultures and religions.Yoga techniques are known to improve one's overall performance.Pranayama is an important, yet lesser known part of yoga.Until recently, this art and science of yogic breathing, like many other ancient Indian arts, was almost completely unknown to the common man.Pranayam techniques work to purify the nadis along these three main energy channels.
The concepts and practices of yoga originated in India about a thousand years ago.Its founder was a great sage.The great yogis provided rational explanations of their yogic experiences and made a practical and scientifically sound method accessible to all.Today yoga is no longer limited only to sages and saints; It has entered our daily lives and has gained worldwide awareness and acceptance over the past few decades.Yoga science and its techniques have now been re-oriented according to modern sociological needs and lifestyle.Experts in various branches of medicine, including modern medicine, are exploring the role of these technologies in preventing and reducing disease and promoting health.
Yoga is one of the six systems of Vedic philosophy.Maharishi Patanjali, rightly called the "Father of Yoga", compiled and refined various aspects of yoga in his "Yoga Sutras".He advocated the eightfold path of yoga for the all-round development of man, known as "Ashtanga Yoga".They are:-Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.These elements support certain restraints and observances, physical discipline, breathing rules, inhibition of senses, contemplation, meditation and samadhi.These steps are believed to have the ability to improve physical health by increasing the circulation of oxygenated blood in the body, retraining the senses, thereby achieving peace and stability of mind.Practicing yoga prevents psychological disorders and improves a person's immunity and ability to withstand stressful situations.

Importance of yoga in daily life
Yoga in daily life is a system of practice that includes eight levels of development in the areas of physical, mental, social and spiritual health.When the body is physically healthy, the mind is clear, focused and stress is under control.It provides space to connect with loved ones and maintain socially healthy relationships.When you're healthy, you're in touch with yourself, others, and your surroundings, which contributes to your spiritual health.Yoga increases spinal flexibility, improves posture and increases awareness of the importance of rest.Each exercise should be practiced slowly, coordinating the movements with the breathing, without stopping in each position and always with full concentration.
Yoga is both preventive and therapeutic and provides both physical and mental benefits to the body and mind.Yoga is different from other forms of exercise because it creates movement without creating stress and imbalance in the body.Therefore this exercise is a perfect complement to other forms of exercise and is highly beneficial for any sport."Asanas" are physical positions that coordinate the movement of the breath, and we hold these positions to stretch and strengthen different parts of the body.They systematically work all major muscle groups, including the back, neck and shoulders, deep abdominals, glutes and glutes and even the ankles, feet, wrists and hands.
Although most asanas are non-aerobic in nature, they send oxygen to the body's cells through conscious deep breathing and continuous stretching and contraction of various muscle groups.Yoga helps prevent imbalances in muscle development and enables the body to function more efficiently.If the body is soft and flexible, keeping the joints lubricated reduces the risk of sports injuries.
"When the surface of the lake is calm, the bottom can be seen very clearly" This is impossible when the surface is agitated by waves.In the same way, we can control mental arousal by focusing on complete concentration while stilling the mind.When an athlete, in any sport, is trying to live up to the expectations of thousands, hundreds of thousands or even millions of people playing for their country, their mind becomes completely stressed and their natural efficiency Decreases.No amount of coaching or training can create doubt or worry in the mind of the player during the game.By assuming a stable posture and focusing on deep abdominal breathing, we can increase body awareness, release chronic body tension, relax the mind, focus, increase concentration Are and can "remain in the area!"The increased focus on strength training with weight resistance is leading to more injuries in many athletes that require surgery.This method of increasing strength and muscle mass is highly effective and efficient, yet it dramatically reduces flexibility.
However, when yoga or other forms of long-term stretching are combined with strength training and practical application exercises (using the body in a way that mimics their typical sports movements, such as balance or core movements), Injuries can be reduced.When engaging in other competitive sports that require athletes to be more comfortable with their bodies, hyperextended reaches, lunges, falls, etc.All of these increase the possibility of injury, contrary to the safety of controlled mechanical movements.Weight room workout.With yoga, the athlete will not only increase flexibility but also develop calmness and balance through the practice of yoga postures/balancing postures.When balancing postures are mastered, the athlete is prepared to focus on the moment-to-moment action during play, allowing them to unconsciously recover from any imbalances they experience in their body.
When an athlete starts performing miraculous feats.By staying focused and injury-free, she is able to use her body in ways she never thought possible.Yoga also helps strengthen connective tissue, breaking down adhesions (small scar tissue) from old injuries and age-hardened overtraining, thus helping to improve joint mobility and anti-aging posture.The deep rhythmic breathing practiced in yoga also builds and builds one's life force or prana.

Meditation
Meditation is somewhat synonymous with self-reflection, or turning our gaze inward to help us change our mind (I almost think of it as exercising our brain).Through controlled breathing, visualization and clearing the mind we gain all kinds of insight into who we are.Increased selfawareness, concentration, and mental clarity are all benefits we typically see with consistent meditation practice (I know I've always struggled with this part).Being in the space and body we are in helps us better understand not only ourselves, but also our behaviors (the habits we can practice).
Yoga and meditation have been sitting together for hundreds of years, helping people stay physically and cognitively fit.By bringing these two practices together, we become better informed and in tune with our body and mindultimately connecting us to ourselves, helping us become a more evolved person.By bringing these two aspects of ourselves together, we see greater success in developing and maintaining healthy habits over time.

The role of yoga in sport and exercise
Yoga is a discipline that has been practiced by sages and saints since ancient times to bring flexibility to the spine and joints, keep the muscles of the body flexible and young, increase blood circulation in the arteries and strengthen the internal organs.And yet, yoga is much more than that.Yoga is said to strengthen the power of concentration, relieve constipation, heal stomach disorders, improve muscle coordination and help reduce excess body fat.It is also said that yoga strengthens the mind-body connection, brings peace and relaxation to the mind, increases self-confidence, strengthens selfdiscipline and self-discipline, reduces stress/anxiety, and Increases vitality and energy throughout the body.Clearly, it can be seen that yoga has wide-ranging benefits and can help you become a more balanced, relaxed, focused, efficient and effective person.Thus the benefits of yoga can be applied to a variety of disciplines, including professional athletes.
To understand how yoga benefits professional athletes, it is important to learn what it takes to play a sport and play it well.It is accepted that to play any sport, be it tennis, volleyball, surfing, swimming or running, we have to develop basic skills and train the body continuously so that we can apply the skills in a good and decent manner.Can do.Of course, it requires a lot of time, energy, and commitment to practice the skills at hand.Having a flexible, strong and controlled body is also another important consideration, if one cannot move the body with the required grace, speed and movement, performance will suffer.Similarly, if one is not able to maintain stamina or endurance for the required period, performance will reduce.To play a game well, one also needs to concentrate and confidently concentrate on the task at hand without getting distracted or scared.Thus, dealing with distractions, adverse circumstances and stress is an important factor.Therefore, apart from being able to maintain mental composure and balance, a professional player must maintain a high level of alertness, concentration and focus throughout the entire sporting match/event.So how can yoga help strengthen the mind and body to allow an athlete to perform at their highest potential?
Yoga refers to physical asanas, breath control, purification of the mind/body and relaxation and spiritual principles that aim to bring greater unity and balance to the mind and body.A yoga teacher on how to connect mind and body and come to the present.The use of pranayama and breathing techniques prescribed in yoga enables a person to focus on the breath and helps to calm the mind and develop the ability to concentrate.Swami Vishnudevananda has mentioned the importance of pranayama in strengthening concentration and peace of mind through steadiness of breath, he says, "Through pranayama one can increase willpower, self-control and concentration power".The internal cleansing exercises prescribed in Hatha Yoga are beneficial for professional athletes not only for improving body purity and overall physical health, but also for enhancing the ability to concentrate.Swami Vishnudevananda highlights this point by saying, "When the body is freed from physical impurities, the concentration power of the mind increases to a great extent."Pranayam can also help in energizing and rejuvenating the body.
Yoga asana tips also help in developing mind control and concentration.It is essential for a person to be able to maintain a posture with stability, relaxation and comfort in order to keep his mind focused for a long period of time.It helps develop strength and concentration in the mind/body and is beneficial for playing sports at a highly competitive level.Asanas help in creating harmony and balance between mind and body and help in achieving healthy body and stable mind, they help in controlling the mind through physical discipline.Asana improves the function and efficiency of the internal organs and as a result has a positive effect on all other parts of the body.The cells get nourishment and rejuvenation and the internal functions of the body organs are enhanced.

Conclusion
Yoga can activate joints, stretch tissues and ligaments, tone muscles, add flexibility to the spine and strengthen internal organs.Yoga exercises are based on a formula of stretching, relaxation, deep breathing, increasing circulation and concentration.Thus, yoga is beneficial for professional athletes as it enables them to strengthen their concentration skills, develop a calm and relaxed mind, enhance the mind/body connection which gives the athlete greater muscle coordination and fluidity of movement.Allows.Yoga is also beneficial for the professional athlete as it contributes positively to the health and vitality of the body, strengthens the internal organs like heart, lungs and liver and helps in maintaining fitness and agility.
Yoga helps reduce stress and anxiety, increase confidence and self-esteem.All these factors are important for sporting excellence and great performance.As mentioned above, to perform sporting activities efficiently and effectively, one needs to have a high level of concentration and focus with a calm and controlled mind.Swami Sivananda explains the importance of controlling the mind; He said, "Without concentration, you cannot achieve success in any area of life."Yoga helps an athlete maintain balance and control thoughts even in stressful and/or adverse situations.Yoga helps a person to control his body by gaining control over his mind.Thus, yoga can play an important role in increasing mind control and concentration which helps the athlete to perform at his highest level.