Most people look at Yoga as a physical education system. Few understand that the science of Yoga is perfect in itself, and deals systematically with body, breath, mind and spirit.

When a person realizes that he is not only a living being, but also a being that breathes and thinks, then his search is not limited to just the body and breath.

For him, gaining control over his mind and its modifications, as well as over feelings and emotions, becomes more important than the practice of certain postures and breathing exercises. Only meditation and reflection can help the practitioner understand, control, and control the mind.

In the opening paragraph of the Yoga Lectures, Swami Rama explains:

The word Yoga is often used and often misunderstood today., now is the age of fantasies, and Yoga is now assigned the role of a kind of quirk, a passing hobby. Many False and Incomplete Teachings Are Promoted in the Name of Yoga and it became the subject of commercial exploitation, and just one small aspect of Yoga is often accepted as the whole of Yoga... As an example, many people in the West think that it is a cult of body and beauty, while others consider Yoga to be a religion. All this obscures the true meaning of Yoga.

In the second volume of The Path of Fire and Light, Swami Rama goes even further, where he emphatically states:

The word "Yoga" has now become vulgarized, vulgarized, and currently does not mean anything.

Mixing Means and Purposes: If you are going to the Himalayas, you can first fly by plane or go by car. However, the fact that you are using the indicated vehicles does not mean that you will necessarily end your journey in the Himalayas. Every day there are many millions of people who travel by these modes of transport, but they randomly mystically will not end their trip in the Himalayas, if they do not initially set themselves the goal of getting there. The goal or purpose of Yoga is Yoga itself, the very connection, the connection between the little soul and the universal soul. If a person knows how to bend his body in a certain way, this does not mean that he will be able to achieve this higher connection, i.e. Yoga.

Physical culture and health technologies

Activities within the framework of health-improving physical culture are aimed primarily at achieving the maximum possible health-improving effect... Diverse forms and types of physical exercise should provide at least the following effects:

Physical culture and health technologies can be carried out in various directions: shaping, aerobics, fitness, bodybuilding, callanetics, isotone, as well as running, tourism, swimming as health sports, and other activities that are used in leisure activities. Distinguish:

It is not surprising that the rules of a healthy lifestyle are laid down in the biblical commandments. The Bible teaches that any illness, first of all, should be perceived not as a punishment from God, but as a punishment for oneself for an unhealthy lifestyle. The disease itself raises the question: does a person lead a correct lifestyle?

Orthodox Christians are very intelligent in resolving the issue of a healthy life. Nothing is forbidden at all. Everything has its time. Time to dance and time to pray. The Old Testament says: There is a time for everything, and a time for all things under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to rip out what was planted ... (Ecclesiastes 3: 1-5) The Bible forbids the destructive abuse of the soul and body of wine, food, forbids more dubious entertainment, idleness and idleness.

Physical health is inconceivable without spiritual health. Most scientists think so. For example, academician from medicine Vladimir Troshin, the author of the Christian self-healing system, believes that the self-healing system is based on three principles - self-awareness, self-education and self-education. In addition, it consists of five commandments of health:

The phenomenon called yoga (translated from Sanskrit - unity) has been known to us for over 3000 years. We are not interested in the religious and philosophical aspects of this teaching, but in that part of it, which is a system of methods aimed at improving health. It is important in yoga to control vital processes and your own body through consciousness. Learning to do this is extremely difficult, it involves disciplining the mind, emotions and will.

Hatha yoga is an integral part of Indian yoga, which includes a system of physical exercises aimed at improving the human body and functions internal organs... It consists of static poses(asanas), breathing exercises and elements of psychoregulation.

For busy Europeans, a variety of adapted yoga options are used. One of these physical culture systems is pilatiz method ... This is a 20th century invention. For example, in the USA alone, 11 million people are engaged in this trademark, it is taught by 14 thousand instructors. The author of this technique, Joseph Pilates, outlined his entire philosophy in a laconic phrase: "Health is the first component of happiness." He believed that in order to achieve happiness, you need to masterfully control your body. "If at thirty you are enslaved and out of shape, then you are old. If at sixty you are mobile and strong, then you are young." According to Pilates, human development is about maintaining perfect image life through the balance of physical, mental and spiritual qualities.

China is a country that has developed, as it were, away from the main branches of civilizations, by itself. The teachings of Confucius have existed there for more than 2500 years, on which, as the Chinese say, 10,000 generations have been brought up. Confucianism has traditionally been identified with the Chinese way of life. In this teaching, physical self-improvement was given no less importance than spiritual and intellectual: it was prescribed not only proper nutrition and a chaste lifestyle, but also an indispensable physical activity. Anyone who avoids extremes and lives in harmony with nature will remain healthy, embodying the unity of body, spirit and mind.

Another philosophical movement in China - Taoism. This religious teaching assumes that a follower of Taoism, through a certain practice, including gymnastic and breathing exercises, the rules of sexual hygiene, meditation and alchemy, can achieve not only spiritual, but also physical immortality, as well as develop supernatural strength and abilities. Taoism denies the immortality of the soul, separated from the body, and considers a person as an integral psychophysical complex. Therefore, there are two aspects of religious practice:

The famous ancient Chinese medical surgeon Hua-To (II century), the founder of ancient Chinese hygienic gymnastics, stated: "If the door handle moves frequently, it does not rust. So a person, if he moves a lot, does not get sick." Two thousand years have passed since the life of the doctor, but the principle of Chinese physical culture is still the same - the search for health in physical activity: from morning exercises before martial arts. Hua-to gymnastics is a synthesis of traditional gymnastics wushu, tai chi, qigong.

Gymnastics Tai Chi or as it is called soft Kung Fu, or gymnastics for any age. The Chinese national traditional movement system is combined with internal and external training. It combines the ancient Daoin (Taoist method of maintaining health) and wushu with the martial aspect of the practice. Special exercises and psycho-training relieve mental and muscle fatigue, improve the activity of the central nervous system... A mandatory requirement is deep rhythmic breathing. The movements in Tai Chi are smooth, the exercise captures large muscle groups, with an emphasis on the lower back, with movement in several joints. Millions of Chinese are engaged in this gymnastics, it is often recommended for posture correction, for older age groups.

Qigong - an important part Chinese medicine... This is a system of specific breathing exercises, a breathing control system that has at least three thousand years of history. The system arose as a result of the need for a person to adapt to harsh climatic influences, to protect themselves from diseases, and to develop the adaptive capabilities of the body. Qigong Is a system for the development and training of a person's physical and mental abilities, in the narrow sense of the word - a system of breathing exercises. Qigong has its roots in ancient times, it has incorporated several systems of psychophysical training - both traditionally Chinese and Buddhist (Indian) in origin.

"Qi" was traditionally understood by the Chinese as a kind of primordial energy inside the human body, and qigong (it can be translated as "work of breathing") - as a system of training that helps the correct circulation of "qi" in the body, which, in turn, develops physical and spiritual abilities. These are breathing-meditation or breathing-dynamic exercises. They are applied independently (this is a holistic system) or as basic ones in others. Chinese gymnastics: wushu, tai chi. For Chinese medicine, the possibilities of Qigong are almost endless. The system is effective for both treatment and recovery. It is declared to prevent aging and increase life expectancy, and has unique capabilities in the treatment of severe and chronic diseases.

The traditional national culture of health improvement, of course, existed not only in India or China, but also in other countries. In Finland already in the 5th century appeared saunas, laying the foundation for the famous modern bathing tradition. At the same time, the rituals of immersion in an ice reservoir after a sauna, which are popular today, arose. In Finland, they say: "Build a sauna first, and then a house." In the old days, a Finnish sauna was more than just a steam room. Here they were treated for ailments, escaped from the cold, were born and died. According to statistics, there are a little less than 2 million saunas per 5 million people in Finland.

And Turkish culture contributed to the invention Turkish baths - one of the main symbols of oriental culture, combining the philosophy of luxury and positive emotions. The Turkish bath, crowned with a domed ceiling and decorated with mosaics, is distinguished by an exquisite interior combined with a chic design. The proportionality of beauty and benefits allows a person to achieve general harmony of soul and body.

The way of life, the outlook of the Russian people have created a kind of system of physical culture, optimal for our anthropogenic type and climatic conditions. Russian traditional physical culture was, like that of other peoples, a means of maintaining and improving physical fitness for the upcoming campaigns and battles. Towns, rounders; Russian wrestling; fist fights; running in starts; mobile role-playing games - all this is figuratively described both in literature and in painting. In ancient Russian culture physical health was considered the basis of human beauty. The famous traveler, the Arab merchant Ibn-Fadlan writes during his trip (908-932) "I saw the Russians - when they came with their goods and settled on the Volga. I did not see people more perfect in physique - as if they were palm trees ".

The ancient Slavs also had a peculiar form of hygiene and health-improving physical culture that has existed since the beginning of our era - bath ritual. In the bath, they treated and recuperated after hard hikes and illnesses.

The Englishman William Took (1774-1858), a member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, wrote that the Russian bath prevents the development of many diseases, and rightly believed that the low morbidity, good physical and mental health, as well as the long life expectancy of Russian people are explained precisely the positive influence of the Russian bath. For centuries, the skill of steaming has been honed, turning bath procedures into a wellness complex.

Baths have been known in Russia since ancient times. It is known that in the 1st century AD, when the Holy Apostle Andrew, a disciple of Jesus Christ, preaching in those places where the great Novgorod is now, he saw those taking a steam bath. In the Tale of Bygone Years, he is credited with the words "I saw a miracle in the Slavic land on my way here. I saw wooden baths, and they will heat them strongly, and they will undress and be naked, and drench themselves with leather kvass, and raise young rods on themselves and beat themselves," and they will finish themselves to such an extent that they barely crawl out, barely alive, and drench themselves with icy water, and only so they will come to life.

Per-Heinrich Ling (1776-1839) had a tremendous influence on European physical education - the founder of the Swedish gymnastics system, the opening of the State Gymnastics Institute in Stockholm is associated with his name. His job " General basics gymnastics "and compiled by his son" tables gymnastic exercises are the basis of the published Swedish gymnastics manuals. He formulated a harmonious system of exercises, main goal which is the recovery and physical perfection of a person. It is believed that the creation of gymnastics by Ling was greatly influenced by the book of Kung Fu, translated by that time. Although Ling himself does not mention this.

It should be noted that in the big cities of Russia, already in the 19th century, there were private gymnastic establishments to serve the small educated class for medical and recreational purposes. One of the owners of such an institution, Dr. A. G. Berglind, a Swedish doctor made a significant contribution to the development of health and remedial gymnastics in Russia. "Medical gymnastics according to the system of the Swedish gymnasium Ling" is the first solid work published in Russia in 1860. He made repeated attempts to draw public attention to gymnastics, published popular brochures. Dr. Berglind's private medical and gymnastics institution was one of the few that looked at gymnastics as an industry. Berglind was considered an experienced kinesiotherapist, that is, a physician who healed with movements, and his medical gymnastics institution was popular.

Another institution of Berglind is remarkable in that in 1872 Pyotr Frantsevich Lesgaft worked there as a consultant. With Berglind, he put into practice those principles and concepts that later formed the scientific foundations of his rational gymnastics. The result of studying the Swedish system was the conclusion of Lesgaft (1874) that ... Only knowledge of needs and possibilities human body, only a scientific approach to any kind of gymnastics can make it an effective tool in improving a person, both physical and moral.

Before the 1917 revolution in Russia, there could be no talk of mass sports and recreation activities, of scientific developments in this area. Building a health care system, affordable medicine, as well as mass physical education population of Russia took place in the first years of Soviet power after the victory of the October socialist revolution. The construction of health care was carried out under the leadership of Nikolai Aleksandrovich Semashko, People's Commissar of Health of the RSFSR. Already in 1923-1924. the successes of this reform were visible, the purpose of which was declared to be the improvement of the nation and mass physical education. Nikolai Semashko at the 1st All-Union Meeting of Trade Unions in October 1925 for the first time raised the issue of physical education, in order to fight diseases, to increase the working capacity of workers.

Resort business and physical culture are rapidly developing in the USSR as an important component of spa treatment. A provision was developed in which for the first time the indications and contraindications for the use of physical exercises were indicated; means necessary for use in a spa and sanatorium setting and in medical institutions (gymnastic exercises, certain sports, games, health paths, excursions and walks, natural factors of nature, individual therapeutic gymnastic systems, etc.). By 1936, the resort business quickly transformed into a powerful health resort industry called the Health Resort of Workers in the Caucasus and Crimea.

In the same year 1924, with the participation of the People's Commissar of Health Nikolai Aleksandrovich Semashko, the journal "Theory and Practice of Physical Culture" began to be published, on the pages of which great attention was and is being paid now to the theory of physical culture and health-improving technologies and the problems of physical education.

During the Soviet period of the country's development, great attention was paid to strengthening the health of the population. In the USSR, despite the great difficulties and hardships that fell to the lot of the people during the Great Patriotic War, the health of the population was improved. Among the factors that during the Soviet period contributed to the improvement of the health of the population, a significant role was played by such social phenomena as physical culture and recreation activities and mass sports. Movements under the slogans of passing the norms of the complex, be ready for labor and defense of the BSTO and TRP, industrial gymnastics and other events and movements contributed to the awakening of interest in physical activity and sports. Physical education was included in learning programs all levels of education.

TRP - The program of physical education in general education, professional and sports organizations The USSR was supported by the state in the system of patriotic education. It existed from 1931 to 1991. It covered the population aged 6 to 60 years. All this and much more contributed to the strengthening of the health of the population and, in fact, was effective form mass sports and recreation work. In 1972-1975. the standards and requirements of the complex were fulfilled by over 58 million people.

Since the 60s of the last century, the improvement of the nation, the health-improving industry is the national policy of developed countries. The 1960 program of the CPSU declares "The Party considers one of the most important tasks to ensure the upbringing of ... a physically strong young generation with the harmonious development of physical and spiritual forces." US President John F. Kennedy in 1960 pronounced the famous words "we are an untrained nation, we watch instead of playing ourselves, we eat instead of walking", after which he established the Presidential Council on Fitness. And called the Amarians to healthy way life.

In the 60-80s, scientifically grounded physical culture and health-improving technologies appeared in the Soviet Union and abroad, they were rapidly developing and accepted by the population. In 1968, Dr. Kenneth Cooper's book Aerobics was published. In it, he stated new program exercises, which were used by employees of the Air Force, and then the entire population of the world. It was translated into Russian and warmly supported by academician Amosov, an enthusiast of health improvement. Then the American actress Jane Fonda came up with dance aerobics, rhythmic gymnastics... Women danced with pleasure to these videos. Soviet Union in the early 80s.

Currently, many experts believe that it is necessary to preserve and restore the best traditions of domestic physical culture and sports movement and continue the search for new highly effective health and fitness and sports technology aimed at the maximum involvement of all segments of the population in active physical culture and sports. This movement is currently supported by the state. The words of the President of Russia Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin are received with hope. Special attention, they are rightfully included in the list of priority national projects "

Such techniques are constantly being born in the minds of especially advanced representatives of humanity. Among them are doctors and specialists in the field of physical education and people without education who are keen on this idea. Some methods do not find followers and are quickly forgotten, some are promoted, but all of them are of interest for studying the capabilities of a person, positive and negative experience... Among the authors of the healing methods are the academician surgeon Amosov, the author of the thousand steps program, and the strange man Porfiry Ivanov, and Paul Bragg- the author of the method of therapeutic fasting and even the writer Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy and many others.

The fitness industry today is a huge, dynamically developing industry that brings multimillion-dollar income to owners and considerable benefits to customers. Consider the main directions of the fitness industry:

1. General fitness - an optimal quality of life that includes social, mental, spiritual and physical components. Overall fitness is most closely associated with our notions of health and a healthy lifestyle.

2. Physical fitness - the optimal state of health indicators that make it possible to have high quality life. In general terms, physical fitness is associated with the level of physical fitness. This term is used in two senses: a) wellness fitness, aimed at achieving and maintaining physical well-being, and reducing the risk of developing diseases ( cardiovascular systems, metabolism, etc.); b) sports-oriented or motor fitness aimed at developing the ability to solve motor and sports tasks at a sufficiently high level.

Fitness - in the sense of physical activity, specially organized within the framework of fitness programs and involving jogging, aerobics, dancing, water aerobics, as well as exercises to correct body weight, etc.

Fitness system has American roots and includes 3 components: "building" the body, aerobic training and rational nutrition. As for the "strength component" of fitness training, by the beginning of the 70s it became quite obvious that bodybuilding (bodybuilding) copes with solving the problems of building a muscular body faster and more efficiently than any system of physical exercises that existed before him. The means for achieving a beautiful, moderately muscular body are physical exercises performed with weights (including on exercise machines) and a relatively high-protein diet.

The term "aerobics" was first coined by Kenneth Cooper in 1960. Its origin comes from the word "aerobic", that is, going with the participation of oxygen, which has a physiological basis. In 1963, the book Aerobics was published, which contained the basics of this workout, already adapted for a wide range of people. Aerobics includes such types of physical activity as walking, running, swimming, skating, skiing, cycling and others. Complexes of general developmental and dance exercises stimulate the work of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems not nearly worse.

Aerobics as a physical culture and health-improving system, it is a synthesis of general developmental gymnastic exercises, varieties of running, jumping, jumping, performed with musical accompaniment. This type contributes to the development of endurance, improves the functionality of the cardiorespiratory system. This direction wellness activities has a huge popularity all over the world. Distinguish between classical aerobics, step aerobics, aqua aerobics, dance, with elements of martial arts, slide aerobics and much more.

Shaping is an exclusively Russian invention (an application for recognition of shaping as an invention was filed in the USSR in 1988). Shaping (from the English shape - form) is a physical culture and health-improving system of classes in order to satisfy the body's need for physical activity, as well as to eliminate body defects. Shaping sets the task of not only shaping the body, but also the formation of a healthy lifestyle. It combines the virtues of aerobic and strength training and solves the challenges of building the body, overall strengthening health, weight loss, improvement of psycho-emotional state. Shaping is a typical health and fitness technology that involves assessing the level of health, testing to assess the effectiveness of classes and adjusting nutrition at various stages of training.

Shaping workout is a set of exercises that consistently affect various muscles body. The training effect is achieved by repeated repetition of the cyclic exercise. Repetitions are performed at a moderate pace for a large number of times (up to 300 or more), until complete fatigue (reaching the individual maximum). Sometimes for a single muscle group perform several exercises.

The wellness industry is constantly adapting to the needs of society. So, for example, the wellness spa industry appeared - it is a modern business sector that brings tens of millions of dollars annually. Her philosophy is health improvement for the successful, wealthy and very busy people... Glamorous, fast, expensive and claimed to be effective. There is no special spa idea. These are massage, mud and salt baths, various baths and other pleasant and useful services.

"Spa" is the name of the often mentioned popular in the 19th century Belgian resort town in the Ardennes, famous for its natural springs. This word has become a household word, just like in Russia Matsesta or Mineral water... "To receive Matsesta" "to be treated on the waters." During the Renaissance, shard cities of the Roman bathing culture arose, which are still known as water resorts to this day. They have preserved the ancient traditions of visiting the steam room, bathing, and massage. These are Baden-Baden in Germany, Bath in England, Spa in Belgium. To give meaning to this word, he is credited with the abbreviation SPA, which is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase "Sanus Per Aquam", or "health through water."

A few words about a broad and well-organized movement and concept Wellness, which has been circulating in America since the 70s. Wellness is a coined word for illness. The word "wellness" should be translated and understood as a healthy lifestyle.

Wellness is not only a social movement for a healthy lifestyle, but also a direction of the health business, focused not only on physical, but also on professional, and mental health. For example, the American Wellness Institute declares the following values:

We also had several such programs that have been effective for decades. Among them is the All-Union TRP Complex, the system of industrial physical culture. Now they are being reborn.