Archive for March 21st, 2009

Written By Nanou

Yoga in its full range is: Yoga of Breathing, Yoga of Posture and Yoga of Meditation. Practicing all three will achieve the maximum body-mind harmony and relaxation. All techniques of Yoga aim at producing tranquility and has great restorative powers.

There is plenty of research today that confirms that yoga is powerful both as preventive medicine and therapy for a wide variety of health conditions; in my opinion, yoga is the most powerful system for overall health and well- being and the best preventive medicine there is.

Yoga is a one stop shopping to reduce stress, tension, fatigue and pain, increase flexibility, balance and body alignment, heighten cardiovascular conditioning, lower blood pressure, prevent injuries, improve immune function, increase strength and circulation, strengthen bones, heighten sexual functioning and fulfillment, help with weight management, and last but not least, promote spiritual well-being and lift mood.

Yoga has different views from the western medicine as to what constitutes health, and this difference is probably why it is so effective. The absence of symptoms is in no way equated with health in yoga. Health to the yogi extends far beyond not having a headache or back pain, or even being cancer-free. Health to a yogi is optimizing the function of every system in the body from the muscles, to digestion, circulation and immunity.

It is about emotional well- being, spiritual resilience and joy. Yoga teaches that only when all these are aligned can you maximize your chance for health and healing. Yoga does not compete with conventional medicine, and can almost always be used to compliment most kinds of traditional medical approaches. In yoga, you stretch and strengthen your muscles and that affects your circulation, digestion and breathing.

You calm and strengthen the nervous system and it affects the mind. You cultivate peace of mind and it affects nervous system, the immune system and the cardiovascular system. Yoga says that if you look clearly you will see that everything about you is connected to everything else. From a therapeutic standpoint, this provides the insight that you improve the functioning of any one organ or system by trying to improve all.

Yoga reduces the physical effects of stress on the body by encouraging relaxation and lowering the levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Related benefits of practicing yoga include lowering blood pressure and heart rate, improving digestion and boosting the immune system, as well as the reduction (and sometimes even complete elimination) of conditions such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, asthma and insomnia.

Yoga is also extremely effective in the treatment of pain. Studies have demonstrated that practicing yoga postures, meditation or a combination of the two, reduces pain for people with conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis , auto-immune diseases and hypertension as well as arthritis, back and neck pain and other chronic conditions. The biodynamic of yoga also helps in realignment of various mechanical disorders like slipped disc, hiatus hernia, umbilical hernia, arthritis, cervical spondylitis, etc.

In hiatus hernia, for example, the stomach is pulled away from the diaphragm and the herniation is thus adjusted. Consider diseases of the skeletal system like arthritis, slipped disc, etc. The mechanical realignment in the knee by rejuvenating the cartilage, pulling the tibia and fibula away from the femur relieves arthritis. For a slipped disc, the bony column and muscles are pulled apart so that the disc is not pressurized. The aim of posture (or asana) is to attain steadiness of body and mind, a feeling of lightness, health, suppleness, and psycho-physical poise.

There is a beneficial action upon nerves, glands, and vital organs, as well as upon musculature, and in perfecting the body. Yoga is about harmony and health of the total organism. Asanas- which can be done sitting, standing, lying down or upside down- evoke feelings of tranquility, psychic strength, and lucidity of consciousness. With a regular practice, gradually the spine becomes suppler, the joints move freely, the hamstrings lengthen and loosen, the legs fold and the knees spread without discomfort reducing stresses and strains on the organs, muscles, bones, ligaments, nerves, etc.

The main purpose of yogic breathing is to increase consumption of oxygen with the minimum of physical exertion, under conditions probably favorable to the storage of oxygen. Yoga teaches to take slower, deeper breaths which improves lung function and triggers the body’s relaxation response. Prana (or life-force) is the force behind the renewal of the body cells. Disease is unlikely to gain a hold on a body whose every cell is permeated with Pranic energy.

A body freshly charged with Prana can be a source of healing for others, by transmission. We can therefore assist others’  health thru improving our own. Yoga helps increase strength, flexibility and mobility by using every muscle in the body, helping to strengthen our body for head to toe. Yoga also helps to relieve muscular tension.

Even the less vigorous yoga can aid weight control efforts by reducing the cortisol levels (by reducing stress) as well as by burning excess calories. Yoga promotes healthy eating habits and provides a high sense of well-being and self-esteem. Even gentle yoga practice can provide cardiovascular benefits by lowering resting heart rate, increasing endurance and improving oxygen uptake during exercise.

Yoga helps to improve body alignment, resulting in better posture and helping to relieve back, neck, joint and muscle problems. Yoga may also assist us with longevity as what can be stated with certainty is that some elderly Indians Yogins display a bodily tone and a mental alertness that men half their age in any country in the world would be delighted to possess.

Yoga also helps with sexual health because the physiological factors which enhance sexual fitness are vitality, rich reserves of energy, good muscle tone, supple limbs and joints, and efficient functioning of the nervous system, circulation and glands. On the psychological side, sexual well-being depends on freedom from tensions and anxieties, a relaxed openness of response, and total attention.

Yoga promotes all these factors. Yoga helps us focus on the present, to become aware and help mind and body health. It opens the way to improve coordination, reaction time and memory. Yoga is a way to greater energy, better health, a youthful figure, and relaxed living. Yoga’s sublime aim is to perfect body, mind and spirit which to me, means ultimate health.

Nanou Yoga – Los Angeles, CA  – 310.497.9849