Yoga Teacher Training Forum

Yoga as a Physical Exercise for Healing

Yoga therapy is associated with good health and better living, in fact it is referred as a life style that have been practiced for last five thousand years and mainly focused on combining and creating a harmony between body, mind and soul. It is more than a body exercise helpful in developing equilibrium in life.

Within recent years the techniques of yoga has become highly popular and is being widely practiced all around the globe. It is regarded as a form of physical activity that grants numerous health benefits physically, mentally and spiritually. The exercises mainly include physical postures (asana), meditation (postures to control mind) and breathing process (for relaxation). It is proven from the investigations that if we practice the physical postures (asana) regularly, it will be helpful in purifying internal wellness, for maintaining and developing physical fitness. It improves flexibility and alleviates the feeling of anxiety, stress and fatigue. The body postures of this therapy works as an alternative medicinal treatment for many chronic ailments or other health issues.

The movements of yoga are focused and flexible, reducing the risk of any injury. Poses like sun salutation (sura namaskar), planks and chair poses increases the overall strength of the body whereas savasana or final relaxation pose leaves the practitioner mellow and relaxed. According to a research conducted to measure and compare the intensity of practicing yoga poses with other physical activities like aerobics stated that the intensity of performing poses such as Bikram and Ashtanga are significantly equal to the different forms of aerobic training workouts. As these styles include exercises that are physically demanding and vigorous. This ancient therapy has been proven to be the best and reliable choice that provides numerous health benefits as it behaves as both bodily activity and meditation. It is also found to be an unexploited source for controlling and reducing body weight.

According to a recommendation given by evidence the stress reducing power of this therapy is the key factor that leads to alteration in food intake behavior because the chronic stress cause disorder in eating behavior that leads to obesity due to the consumption of high calorie food rich in sugar and fats. The postures work as a useful weapon against obesity.

A research published in 2010 at University of Maryland School of nursing about health benefits of yoga and aerobic workouts. 81 studies were examined for the comparison of aerobics and yoga, initiate that by performing different asanas large number of benefits are obtained than that to performing aerobics. It was also noticed that the classical postures grant improvement in body balance, strength and flexibility also reduces the level of pain, boost up energy level, regulate hormonal balance or menopausal system and enhances social or occupational functioning among other health issues.

There are many forms of yoga that are equally demanding, calorie burning and supportive for increasing metabolic rate like aerobic workouts such as Vinyasa, Bikram and Ashtanga. Vinyasa is a flow of breathing synchronization, practicing this asana with accurate breathing technique and body alignment enhances body heat and abundant sweating results in internal cleansing and detoxification.

Ashtanga postures are aerobic style, muscle shaping, mind sculpting and physically demanding techniques performed by sequence of flows and movements from one posture to another for building stamina, strength and flexibility. The room temperature is kept at higher degree to promote detoxification by perspiration. This style usually appeals to athletes and those who like high energy exercises.

Bikram or hot yoga techniques are formulated for sweating excessively by increasing the room temperature at higher degree in this form a series of 26 asnas are performed and each pose is held for ten seconds. This style is helpful in warming and stretching muscles, ligaments and tendons in natural way. Lyengar yoga style emphasizes on postures that are helpful in developing body balance and alignment by using props like belts, blocks and pillows. Hatha yoga is most popular and widely practiced form that involves moving into and out of classic posture with controlled inhalation and exhalation.