Please remember that this is just a quick introduction. If you want to pursue the art of yoga, you must first consult with your physician, then a certified yoga instructor. Yoga is a peaceful, easy, wonderful way to tone your body, calm your mind, and harmonize your soul, but it can go very badly if you do not do the poses perfectly.

And there is more than meets the eye. You must first get approval from your doctor, then seek out a certified instructor that will teach you the correct way to perform poses. This is a must! If you don’t do this, it can be dangerous!

First you must prepare the body. Hatha yoga is good for this. A fifteen minute warm-up or light/easy exercise will promote good health and allow you to gain some control over certain body functions. Next, you must prepare your mind. For this, try some Kriya yoga. This focuses more on purging and purifying the mind. Remember that you must practice mantras that will help you learn to meditate.

You’ll need a regime like Radja Yoga to focus life force to your brain and the attached nervous system. This will keep your spine healthy. Next you will need to send energy up your spine in a way that will change the way you think and even the way you function. Mudras will help you gain much more control over your flow of energy.

If you’d like a more challenging regime, try adding some higher kriyas, though these are not necessary for full self awareness.

You may be curious about what exactly Prana (or life force) is. It is simply the energy that comes with Awareness. Energy and Awareness are like the 2 sides of 1 coin, just like anything else in the universe. Energy is what always has been, and Awareness is what we are. We must balance the positive and negative aspects of our life to achieve full awareness and harmony.