The Health Benefits of Vinyasa Yoga
By Dawn Gordon
Balance is defined as a harmonious relationship of parts within a whole or a state of equilibrium. (1) The practice of Vinyasa Yoga, a branch of Hatha Yoga, brings the whole person into balance through the yoking of body and mind with the breath. Vinyasa Yoga has been defined as a flowing sequence of specific asanas coordinated with the movement of the breath.(2) Through the practice of Yoga equanimity is achieved and the whole person’s health is heightened.
Vinyasa Yoga’s postures bring the body into symmetry by showing us the proper alignment of our skeletal system. The performance of Tadasana or Mountain Pose, the foundation of standing poses, teaches our body to find balance from our base, the feet, to the top of our head. Study of this asana shows us the essential relationship of a balanced pelvis with a well aligned spine, as the lower portion of the spine, the sacrum, is joined to the pelvis by strong ligaments and actually forms the bowl of the pelvis. When our spine is in balance, following its natural curves, intrinsic equilibrium is experienced. This translates into added energy, as energy is not wasted by the muscles working to keep us upright. Back pain is diminished and the vertebra and discs’ health are maintained. Think of the health benefits of a balanced spine for a person sitting at a computer. From our pelvis, the stable base is established, aligning the bones down to and including the feet. This same connectedness of alignment can be taken into our everyday activities making our movements safer, taking the strain or torque off of our joints increasing the time of pain free movement and mobility. Running in balance with out compensating for misalignment of the spine, pelvis, hips, knees, ankles and feet, keeps muscles healthy, loose, strong, and working more efficiently as the body’s natural shock absorbers.
When misalignment of bones exists and movements are repeated the work of muscles is not evenly distributed. As a result, the imbalanced muscles stress the relationship of the bones distorting the skeletal structure. Vinyasa Yoga brings the body back to balance by equalizing the tone among muscles groups around a joint. To equalize the muscle tone both strength and flexibility is required as one muscle may need strength for the other to stretch. The increased flexibility of muscles and connective tissues such as fascia and ligaments keep our structure stable while the increase of strength protect us from arthritis and back pain. The joints surrounded by these strong flexible muscles gain an increased range of motion producing optimal movement and improving the vitality of the joint’s cartilage. The cyclist who’s knee flares out due to weakness or chronic tightness runs the risk of wearing down the ligaments, cartilage and tendons, developing non symmetrical muscle groups.
Postures of Vinyasa Yoga are typically categorized as standing, forward bends, back bends, twists, inversions, balancing and relaxation postures. Each category of postures equalizes muscle groups, align bones, and enhance health in many ways. A well balanced Yoga class includes asanas from each category along with pranayama creating a happy healthy harmonious body. As discussed previously, the standing posture Tadasana increases awareness of alignment, avoiding the problems associated with poor posture. Standing poses (Trikonasana/Triangle Virabhadrasana I, II/Warrior 1, 2, and Utthita Parsvakonasana/Extended Side Angle) also invigorate and warm the body; reduce stiffness. Standing poses also develop stamina, discipline, coordination, open the hips and increase strength.
Tight hamstrings, common in athletes and the western population in general flatten the lumbar spine causing lower back pain among other ailments. Forward bends (Uttanasana/Forward Bend, Prasarita Padottanasa/Standing Stradle and Parsvottanasana/Standing Head to Knee) stretch the hamstrings along with hips, back and shoulders. They also lengthen the spine freeing up nerve pathways, and firm the anterior side of the body. They message abdominal organs, increase circulation, tone of the liver, spleen and kidneys, calm the nervous system and are energetically cooling.
Back bends stretch and tone the front of the body, pelvis, abdomen, thighs shoulders and chest. These muscled areas are tightened and weakened by inactivity and constant forward motion caused by sitting in front of a computer, riding a bike and manual labor. Chest and spine opening via extensions (Bhujangasana/Cobra, Dhanurasana/Bow, Ustrasana/Camel and Anjaneyansana/Cresent) also strengthen the arms, legs, buttocks, back and core; release shoulder tension freeing the rib cage encourage even deep breathing; rejuvenate and increase suppleness of the spine, pelvis and sacroiliac joint. They compress the thymus gland stimulating better immune function; activate the solar plexus affecting metabolism and body heat; and most importantly, bring awareness to the importance of leading with our heart.
Twisting postures benefit our health in numerous ways and are essential to returning the full range of motion to a restricted spine. Ardha Matsyendrasana/Half Spinal Twist, Bharadvajansana/Hip Spiral, and Jathara, Parivartanasana/Recline Hip Rolls (a few of the twists), break up deep tension along the spine encouraging natural adjustments of the vertebrae, and muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia are lengthened. These postures rebalance deep spinal muscles and control or correct minor scoliosis. Internal organs are compressed by twists, stimulating circulation, balancing the hormonal system, and stabilizing energy levels by bringing blood flow to the adrenal area. Intercostal muscles are stretched increasing breathing capacity. Done correctly, twists can psychologically center you to your core.
Inversions reverse the flow of the blood from its typical path. The fresh blood brought to the brain, recharges and clears the mind. Overall circulation is improved by inverting, as is digestion and elimination. The immune and endocrine systems are stimulated by Sirasana/headstands, while the arms, shoulders and upper body are strengthened. These transformative postures can cause a change in psychological perspective. The down side of going up side down is fear. Performing the less intense inversions like Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Dog, Sarangasana/Shoulder Stand and Shashasana/rabbit allow the realization of these benefits without fear.
Balancing poses, sometimes unnerving, place ourselves in physical equilibrium with the gravitational field and are important part of a Vinyasa class. They help us focus our minds, encourage us to be centered and grounded; strengthen the muscles of the abdomen and legs (both large and small) and teach us humility, patience, and persistence. Practice of balance postures by the elderly can prevent falls, while athletes can increase body awareness and focus. For the rest of us, postures like Vrksasana/Tree make us feel less wobbly on and off the mat.
Relaxation postures and the relaxation felt by connecting movement with the breath in a Vinyasa class are the very reason why many have gravitated to the practice of yoga. Stress, tension and over stimulation created by daily activities are balanced, potentially reducing high blood pressure which affects one of three Americans. Production of cortisol in response to crisis diminishes, slowing down diseases like depression, osteoporosis, and diabetes. Yoga allows us time away for the crisis of life by stimulating the parasympathetic and turning off the sympathetic (fight or flight response) nervous systems. Equilibrium of these nervous systems helps eliminate digestive problems and mental illness. Savasana/Corpse/Relaxation pose lets us notice where we hold tension and experience the feeling of release. Relaxation also prepares the body for pranayama.
Various breathing techniques or pranayama bring equanimity and numerous health benefits. “Breathe is life.“ (3) Inhales lengthen, extend and increase effort, while exhales move, deepen and encourage surrender in postures. (Achieving the equilibrium between effort and surrender is key to the practice of yoga.) The breath is the direct link of the body and mind, controlling every aspect of our life, bringing mental clarity, calmness and peace. It is the vehicle for release of tension and brings awareness to the postures. Inhalations feed oxygen to cells of the body delivering vitality, while exhalations rid the lungs of toxins and prepare them for blood enriching oxygen. Breathing out promotes regeneration of cells and vital organs. The Complete Breath taught in yoga improves various measures of lung function including the maximum volume of breath and efficiency of the exhalation. Vinyasa yoga sequences use ujjayi breathing, also called Ocean breath. The sound of the breath entering in the nose and through a restricted throat, soothes the mind, draws awareness inward and produces an even steady flow of breath. Victorious breath (ujjayi) is also known to increase vitality, improve thoracic mobility and digestion, remove phlegm from the throat and tone the nervous system.
Vinyasa Yoga is truly a lesson in balance. It teaches us the vital importance of the symmetry of our skeletal structure and the evenness of the stretch and strength of muscles. By harmonizing standing, forward bends, backbends, twists, inversions, balance, relaxation postures with pranyama; our whole being both physical and psychological attains good health. Attending a Vinyasa yoga class balances our rambling mind so we can clearly see the peace that resides within. Samadhi, the eighth and last limb of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra and ultimate goal of the practice of yoga, literally means to bring into harmony, to stand within our true self. (4) *
Bibliography
Direct quotes:
1. Wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
2. “Consciousness in Motion” by Shiva Rea; Yoga Journal
3. The Complete Yoga Book, by James Hewitt, page 54
4. “Definition of Ashtanga” by Richard Rosen; Yoga Journal 9/26/09
Sources:
1. The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga, by Srivatsa Ramaswami
2. The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga by Swami Vishnu-devananda
3. The Complete Yoga Book by James Hewitt
4. The Key Poses of Hatha Yoga, by Ray Long MD FRCSC
5. Yoga Anatomy, by Leslie Kaminoff
6. Shambhava School of Yoga-Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Manual
7. Maintaining Physical Balance with Exercise & Breath by Hamid Bey;
Inner Connection Newsletter June 15, 1999
8. Yoga Has Never Been More Popular, by Shuchi J Gokhale;
Yoga Teacher Training Blog AURA Studio 8/17/2009
9. Count on Yoga: 38 Ways Yoga Keeps You Fit by timothy McCall, MD;
Yoga Journal 5/26/09
10. Yoga for Runners by Baron Baptiste and Kathleen Finn Mendola,;
Yoga Journal 7/24/09
11. Yoga for Cyclists by Baron Baptiste and Kathleen Finn Mendola;
Yoga Journal 6/3/09
Dawn Gordon is a Certified Yoga Teacher. She teaches in the Snowmass Village, Colorado area.