By Roberta Bryant

We live in a time where beauty is big business. We are bombarded with superficial images, products and services that promote a distorted concept of real feminine beauty. Western society defines beauty by youth and outer appearance. Consequently, many women believe that they’re just not “enough;” not thin enough, young enough or pretty enough. The pursuit to “be attractive”—whether buying make-up, undergoing cosmetic procedures or talking to a therapist—keeps women uncertain and insecure.

Our culture has become increasingly more superficial. We are constantly being bombarded with images that entice us to abandon our true nature. Through daily sadhana of Yoga, meditation and relaxing, the Yoginis are able to stay connected to their true being. Practicing Yoga helps maintain and sustain not only the body, but one’s true identity as well. The daily sadhana, combined with gratefulness, helps Yoginis maintain a more spiritual view of the body. This helps fight the temptation to view one’s body in both advertising and media terms and helps the Yogini to stay strong in her natural, spiritual image.

In my recent studies and practice of Yoga, I have come to realize a different kind of beauty—natural beauty attained through Yoga practice. This beauty is neither artificial nor temporary. Not driven by the media, not based on superficial ideals; the beauty achieved through Yoga is incomparable.

True, natural beauty is one of the unexpected benefits of Yoga practice. Both natural, captivating and full of grace, this authentic beauty results when the radiance of the soul permeates the outer physical appearance. This is beauty born from a balanced state within. This is the beauty of Yoga.

Yoga Instills Confidence

There is nothing more attractive than a woman with self confidence. Her stature as she enters the room commands attention. Her self-assured smile brightens the room. This confidence is a natural by-product of the Yoga asanas. Tadasana is a perfect example of a posture for learning to stand strong, to feel grounded and to improve posture. In this pose, the body is steady, the weight is evenly distributed and the arms are at the sides. The spine is straightened and the back of the neck is straight. By practicing this pose, one begins to unconsciously stand with a confident posture.

Doing the asanas regularly invokes an inner sense of pride and accomplishment. For example, when one begins Yoga, perhaps they can’t touch their forehead to the floor during Salaam Posture. With consistent practice, the student begins to notice that they can stretch a bit closer to the floor each day, week, or month. Until one day, their forehead makes contact. This gesture promotes a strong sense of a personal achievement. Personal achievement builds confidence. Self confidence, infused with Yogic understanding of ego, is magnetic and attractive.

Yoga Promotes Positive Body Image

One aspect of yoga is that almost anyone can do it. Young, old, fit or out of shape—there are plenty of classes that offer modified poses. Yoga can be intimidating for those who have seen pictures of Yogis doing difficult poses. These photos alone are enough to prevent many from even attempting Yoga. Also, women who are out of shape or overweight have no desire to even step into a Yoga studio. They think they can’t start until they lose weight, not realizing that Yoga is a key way to get the body in shape and to slow the appetite. In fact, people with food issues often find that after a few sessions of yoga, their craving for fatty and other unhealthy food is replaced by the desire to eat fruits and vegetables.

Yoga helps attain ideal body weight and gives way to a proportionate body. Through postures, the body is encouraged to change naturally. Yoga helps remove flab in the right manner to the right extent. Yoga also removes excess fat that surrounds body organs. The abdomen tones with postures such as Urdhva Prasarita Padasana, Ubhaya Padangusthasana and Halasana. The legs are firmed and strengthened with asanas such as Padahastasana and Vrkasana. Each posture trims, tones and massages different areas of the body.

Yoga has a normalizing effect on all systems of the body. Digestion improves from internal massage produced by postures such as Pavanmuktasana and Salaam. The nervous system is toned with postures such as Cat and Salaam. As one continues with regular Yoga practice, the entire body begins to firm, tone and run smoothly.

People who take up Yogic breathing may be surprised to notice excessive fat melting away from the waistline, hips, and other places where it is prone to gather. Pranayama improves metabolic efficiency. The postures break up any fatty deposits and streamline the body.

Yoga Reduces Stress and Calms Emotions

In Western society, everyday life can be challenging. People are pulled in many directions—multitasking, thinking about errands during conversations—distracted and not paying much attention to any one thing. Consequently, women begin to feel fragmented, unfocused and stressed. Hormones fluctuate, often out of balance, causing overreactions and emotional upsets. Women can prevent or overturn out of control emotions and stress overload with breathing exercises taught in Yoga.

Moving through a series of asanas and/or meditation can bring calmness and serenity. Body, mind and breath in rhythmic alignment can dissolve intense stress and calm unrestrained emotions. Less stress leads to better sleeping patterns. Better sleeping patterns leads to waking up filled with energy. Waking up to greet the sun with Surya Namaskars is a fresh and invigorating way to begin the day.

Regular Yoga practice brings a deep connection to self. One begins to find new perspectives when regularly sitting in meditation. Self knowledge becomes self love. Self love brings contentment. This contentment becomes evident on the face as a natural and radiant beauty that is unparalleled.

All Yogic practice counters stress. So, for example, Savasana is specifically intended for relaxation. Usually included at the end of asana practice, this deep relaxation asana should be done every day.

In the United States, stress is considered to be a major killer—being related to many diseases including heart problems, cancer and immunity issues. Yoga can diffuse stress through asanas and pranayama. Even in a moment of high stress, taking a moment to do some deep breathing can redirect the stressful energy. The more relaxed one is the less stress can demand on the body.

Yoga and Anti-Aging

Yoga meditation promotes emotional-physical poise and a quiet mind. Thus, it protects against the pressures of daily living. Our ever increasing daily stress destroys health and happiness. The regular yoga practitioner remains young and active longer than those who don’t practice Yoga. There are many asanas that uses anti-gravity postures to reverse the effect of gravity and use it to our advantage.

For example, padhastasana, not only increases suppleness, tones the nervous system, stretches the spine, massages the abdominal muscles and keeps the legs firm and toned; it also add an additional supply of blood to the facial tissues and scalp, nourishing them both. The results include firmer facial muscles. This leads to reduction of wrinkles and gives a natural face-lift. Savangasana enables the venous blood to flow to the heart without battling gravity. Blood flows to the brain, the scalp and the facial tissues. It also is considered to be a rejuvenator.

Uttanasana brings fresh blood to the brain; oxygenating and rejuvenating the mind. It also revitalizes the facial tissue, is excellent for anti-aging and brings harmony and balance to the entire system. By having one’s head lowered and torso tilted, any stress on the musculature and organs of the torso is reduced. This brings balance and efficient functioning of all the bodily systems, creating inner radiance.

The authors of “A Woman’s Book of Yoga” offer the following suggestions to help a woman experience her inner radiance and natural beauty.

1) Begin a daily sadhana. Daily attention to body, mind and spirit helps develop a positive self-image.

2) Begin a practice of daily self-massage. Use oil scented to uplift the spirit. Self massage is healthy for the body, relaxes the mind and helps create acceptance for the natural changes in a woman’s body. A sense of beauty begins with self-acceptance.

3) Sit in front of a mirror and meditate on your own image. When you see yourself as an elevated soul, you can strengthen your resolve in achieving your dreams and be content in the present moment.

4) Create time in your day to enjoy an invigorating shower followed by asanas. Create space in your home to meditate, relax and unwind. Dedicating time and space for yourself helps create a more positive relationship with your body and self-image.

5) Practice smiling. Say less and smile more. Your stress level will lower, and you will receive smiles from others. Smiling brings radiance and beauty.

Regular practice of a variety of asanas and pranayama keeps one feeling well and gives the body an over-all glow. This inner glow has more to do with beauty than being pretty, handsome or young. Classic beauty may lack kindness or vitality. Good looks can hide a selfish or mean-spirited personality. An unhappy person is rarely as attractive as someone who is happy regardless of looks. While outer beauty may initially attract, what ultimately keeps us interested in a woman is her inner beauty. What we see in her eyes. What we feel from her spirit.

The goal of yoga is not to achieve physical beauty, but to realize inner contentment and a deep connection of one’s Atman with the Brahman (or higher power.) This union shines through the eyes, the expressions and the attitude toward others; it’s what makes a woman truly attractive.

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1 Yoga For Weight Loss—Losing Weight With Yoga; Yoga and Beauty Tips; Julie Denham; www.theyogasanctuary.com.

2 Yoga The Way to Natural Beauty; www.yoga.iloveindia.co.

3 Yoga For Weight Loss—Losing Weight With Yoga; Yoga and Beauty Tips; Julie Denham; www.theyogasanctuary.com.

4 Feeling Good Is Looking Good; Yoga and Beauty Tips; Cathy Keenan; www.theyogasanctuary.com.

5 The Woman’s Book Of Yoga; Seibel, Michelle M. MD and Khalsa, Hari Kaur; Avery Books, 2002

6 Inner Beauty Shines Through; Healthy Lifestyle Tips at Wai Lana Yoga; www.wailana.com

Roberta Bryant is a published author from Santa Rosa, California.  She is training to become a Yoga teacher.

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