Yoga means disciplining the mind and uniting it with the self. Yoga Karmasu Kausalam. Every second, we are acting. Even breathing is Karma. Kausalam means skull in work. Still is not different from worship, if it is done in a proper spirit.
When Swami Trigunatitananda  of Shri Ramakrishna Math had to give up his spiritual practice, his mediation and other discipliners, to carry out Swami Vivekananda’s orders, many orthodox Hindus did not like that a sanyasi should beg for subscriptions, going door to door.
Vivekananda told them. “The circulation of the magazine is only for the good of the householders. The masses will benefit by the spread of these new ideas in the country. This unselfish work  is not in any way inferior to devotional practive. Our object is to do good to humanity.
Yoga is the control of thought waves in the mind. The mind seems to be intelligent and conscious, whereas Atman is intelligence itself, pure consciousness. The mind merely reflects the consciousness with borrowed intelligence. The self should understand that the self within by which you perceive or act is the same in the cosmos, in all manifest and unmanifest. Yoga means disciplining the mind and uniting ti with the self.
Between the two names of repetition there is silence, the peace that is natural. You are not making or doing anything. You know the word that is coming next and if some other thought comes, you can realize it and nip it in the bud and come back to your japa.
Japa keeps the mind occupied meaningfully. By practice, you become fit for perfect yoga. All these kinds of yoga give mastery over the mind, making it fit for deep concentration and contemplation.
Meditation is nothing other than deep concentration. Eight steps called the limbs of mediation are mentioned, which can be called actions for meditation, which are not climbed one by one like getting on a ladder, but kept in mind and acted side by side.
The weaning the cutting off of idle, negative thoughts alone is not enough, but to build up positive plans and follow them is essential. You have to learn by heart the eight limbs and keep them in mind always. You have to check now and then whether you are following the preliminary two limbs : Yama and Niyamas.
Yoga works by promoting healthy drainage of secretions and boosting a flow of pure blood to the sinuses, thus flushing and removing stagnant blood. Fresh red blood corpuscles laden with oxygen and immune cells rejuvenate the lining of the sinus.
All inverted asans promote healthy drainage of the secretions so the stagnation does not occur. Thus, inflammation is prevented. Just as prolonged standing causes congestion in the legs, the sinuses too get congested in the erect posture. Inverted poses such as head stand, sarvangasana and ardha-halasana help open the meatus through which the sinuses drain their secretions into the nose.
Natural puncture thus occurs.  In fact, the patient often perceives relief as the pose is being performed, particularly shoulder stand and ardha-halasana. Soon after completing the pose, many patients spit out phlegm. This process continues for many days after which no further drainage occurs as the sinus cavities are empty. From this stage, regular practice of asanas keeps the cavities empty.
Contrary to common thought that the sinuses could become congested when the body is inverted, they become very light and the spread of infection to the other sinuses is limited.
Standing poses such as utthita trikonasana clear the sinus very rapidly due to release of endogenous adrenaline and nonadrenaline head stand and shoulder stand are a must, along with forward bends. The practice of sarvangasana and ardha-halasana on a rolled mat at night, before sleep, is essential. The positioning of the cervical spine on the rolled mat opens the nasal passages at one and congestion is relieved. This helps to keep the sinus comfortably during sleep.
Pranapyama helps in excellent muco-ciliary clearance due to the stady flow of air in and out of the nasal passages. Fresh air aerates the stagnated sinus and creates changes in blood flow in the lining of the cavity, which also decongests the sinus.
Dhyana leads to the waking up of Kundalini. Which is really the spiritual reserve energy at the base of the spine.
As yoga teaches us the art of natural puncture, operating on the sinuses can definitely be avoided. Regular practice is essential, nor are problems such as cervical spondylitis, high blood pressure etc. The pregnant women can safely continue their practice depending on certain conditions.

