Given today's stressful environment and the negative impact it has on our health, it is imperative that we can find an effective method of relaxing and unwinding.
Through the years many people have successfully used the well known relaxation and meditation techniques widely used in Yoga.
While there are many different aspects to Yoga, we will be concentrating solely on the aspects that help you relax your mind and focus your concentration.
You can achieve this by learning how to properly control your posture, concentration and breathing.
The most common postures or position to achieve this goal is the Lotus Position.
To get the most out of the Lotus Position, you will need to find a nice quiet area where you can sit comfortably, preferably on a thick yoga mat.
You place your right foot on your left thigh and your left foot on your right thigh.
Your knees should be on the floor with your feet positioned upward.
Try and maintain a good posture by keeping your back straight.
You might find this posture a little difficult at first especially if you are relatively inflexibility.
If you feel any discomfort or pain, then you will need to do a few days of stretching exercises before you start.
Once you have mastered the proper position with your legs and feet, then you need to focus on your hand positions.
There are three alternative positions for your hands in the Lotus Position.
Firstly, you can hold your hands with the palm facing upwards and lay them on the heels of your feet.
In the next position you keep your palms down and place them on your knees.
And finally, the third alternative is to place your hands on your knees with the palms facing upwards, and using your index finger and thumb to form a small circle.
Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose, expanding your lungs with oxygen and then exhale slowly through your nose, cleansing your lungs and helping your body eliminate toxins.
During this exercise, concentrate on your breathing and avoid any distractions - this in itself will have a calming effect on your mind.
Using this Yoga relaxation and meditation technique will also have a beneficial effect on your muscular system and body as a whole.
You will find that this emphasis on deep breathing will nourish your body with oxygen and have a beneficial effect on your overall health.
With the increased oxygen in your blood, your circulation should also improve.
This will also help eliminate or balance any carbon dioxide that may have found its way into your blood.