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The Need for Office Yoga

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

office yoga trainingBy Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500 

The typical office setting often includes quiet cubicles, where people spend most of the day sitting in a chair, facing a computer keyboard. Perhaps, they roll over to a fax machine once in a while, pick up the phone, or turn and bend to pull open a file drawer. Sitting for up to eight hours a day, while performing very little physical activity, can affect the overall health of a person. Studies even show an increase in heart disease, diabetes, body weight, cholesterol and more, in people who sit all day long.

It is time for offices around the world to wake up and encourage employees to get up and move throughout the day. Many large corporations provide on-site exercise facilities, as well as time during the work day, for employees to use them. However, that seems to be the exception rather than the rule. Many small offices do not have the resources to provide such luxuries for employees. For those types of companies, Hatha Yoga might be the answer. Yoga can be practiced anywhere, anytime, with little or no equipment needed.

Benefits of Hatha Yoga include stronger, leaner, more flexible muscles. Physical forms of Yoga increase blood flow throughout the body, giving a renewed sense of energy throughout the body and the mind. As the blood flow to the brain increases, so does creativity and critical thinking. Employers who encourage employees to practice Yoga, throughout the workday, will most likely see an increase in productivity as well. Yoga helps employees release built-up stress and anxiety, which will affect overall health. Employers might also see a drop in employee illnesses upon starting a Yoga program.

Yoga can easily be incorporated into an office setting. Employers need to find a certified Yoga teacher to educate employees about the proper alignment and practice of Yoga poses, teaching them how to perform them, and the benefits they can offer. Yogic breathing and relaxation techniques will also reduce stress levels within the office.  Then, all employers need to do is encourage employees to take Yoga breaks throughout the day. Employees might choose to spend five minutes every hour practicing one or two poses, or perhaps, they would rather take a half-hour chunk at lunch to re-energize the body and mind. It is important for employers to give their employees the flexibility to make office Yoga work for them.  Fatigue lowers productivity and Yoga reduces fatigue.

It is time for office Yoga to enter the work place to keep employees healthy. Since office work is generally sedentary, it makes sense to bring some movement to the day. Offices can designate a room for Yoga, or allow employees to practice in their own space. The nice thing is that Hatha Yoga requires only a small mat that rolls out anywhere. However, a Chair Yoga teacher could easily teach employees to practice techniques with office furniture. The more educated people become about the benefits of Yoga, the more likely it will be seen popping up in offices everywhere.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

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Yoga’s Relationship to Fibromyalgia

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

yoga teacher trainingBy Marlene Saxe

There have been many occasions after completing a yoga practice that I have heard the Statement “You know since I have been doing yoga my _____________ is so much better.” I have said it many times myself. Through the practice of yoga my knees don’t hurt and my balance is better. I am taller and stronger and more flexible than ever. I am much more aware of my surroundings and feel more peaceful in my daily life. I am far more comfortable with myself since I began yoga. Clearly yoga is the root of my wellbeing and I believe can be too many other people. It is doctor recommended for stress, arthritis, back pain, depression, and high blood pressure to name a few. People with fribromyalgia can use yoga to relieve their symptoms there by helping them manage their disorder.

Fibromyalgia is a painful disorder that is characterized by multiple tender points. These tender points are localized areas of soreness around the joints. Common spots can be found on the upper back, chest, neck, hips, elbows, and knees. The Mayo Clinic defines fibromyalgia as a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. The article goes on to say “While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, a variety of medications can help control symptoms. Exercise, relaxation and stress-reduction measures also help. Exercise, relaxation and stress reduction are all components of Yoga. So yoga is the answer, Right? Well let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

The pain from fibromyalgia is similar to other disorders and it may not be constant. People with fibromyalgia have a lower threshold for pain because there is an increased sensitivity to pain signals in the brain. Fibromyalgia literally means muscle fiber pain. Some research says the brains of people with fibromyalgia change from repeated nerve stimulation. There is an abnormal increase in the level of a certain chemical or more accurately a mediator found in the spinal fluid of the fibromyalgia population. The brain’s pain receptors seem to have a memory of the pain and become more sensitive and over react to the neurotransmitter’s pain signals.

Another important finding for people with fibromyalgia is that this disease does not damage the joints, bones or the internal organs. And it does not progress to death. Knowing that can be reassuring, but it does not diminish the pain. Today doctors have more information about this disease, but many doctors do not know how to do the exam to diagnose it. In 1990, the American College of Rheumatology (ARC) established two criteria for the diagnosis of fibromyalgia; the first one is widespread pain lasting more than 3 months and the second one having at least 11 positive tender points — out of 18.

Typically blood tests are done to rule out any other underlying conditions that may also cause pain.

Currently treatment for fibromyalgia includes medications such as analgesics, antidepressants and anti-seizure drugs. Therapy for both physical and emotional support. Acupuncture although not used as much can be effective. Acupuncture a Chinese medicine is the insertion of fine needles into the skin at various depths. It has been interpreted to be a change in the blood flow and levels of neurotransmitters in the brain and spinal cord. Studies have been inconsistent in its effectiveness. Massage Therapy can help with stress and anxiety, relax muscles, and improve range of motion in joints.

Lifestyle changes play a critical rule in reducing symptoms and improving health. Changes include:

  •  Reducing Stress both physical and emotional stress.
  •  Developing Regular sleep habits and limiting daytime napping
  •  Exercise regularly can often decrease symptoms
  •  Pace yourself moderation is key
  •  Maintain a healthy weight a well balance diet and limiting caffeine

Yoga and Tai Chi have been recommended to help control fibromyalgia symptoms. Slow movements, deep breathing and relaxation minimize the strain on muscles. Yoga and fibromyalgia are a great combination for stretching, strengthening and relaxation. Yoga can improve your outlook, improve your body and help you sleep. Of course not all yoga poses are good for persons with fibromyalgia. But there are many poses that can be done safely that can become a practice that can provide relief from pain.

There is a great deal of information on the internet that addresses chronic pain management. These articles all seem to have the same approach to yoga practice and fybromyalgia. Yoga practice begins with warming up muscles. Walk around get your yoga mat, a blanket, 2 blocks whatever you think you will need for your practice all the while you are warming up and getting your blood flowing. For persons with fybromyalgia gentle smooth movements combined with deep breathing slowly warm up the joints. These movements should feel good, if there is pain back off. Begin by rotating the joints clockwise they counter clockwise. A full body warm up includes toes, ankles, knees, legs, hips, trunk, arms, elbows wrists, each finger, each knuckle and the neck. This warm up has been shown to have wonderful effects. Doing this warm up for 10 minutes daily can improving circulation, increases range of motion and best of all this warm up can prevent pain from building up in muscle tissue. For example Mountain pose for good posture and alignment. Reaching for the Stars can energize and release tension. Forward bend can promote flexibility in the spine and Dancer’s Pose can help balance. All poses can be modified to accommodate anyone. Remember Gentle tension is best, don’t push knowing your tolerance is important. Take breaks, don’t over exert and always use proper body alignment. Arm and foot rolls can add strengthen arms and feet. Active breathing and an abdominal lift can stimulate digestive system and calm the central nervous system.

Other tips for persons with fibromyalgia practicing yoga. Try not to over do it. If you are tired one day don’t forgo your practice do the warm up and stick to restorative poses such as legs up the wall pose and seated forward bend. And don’t spear the props. Blocks, blankets and bolsters can be an asset. And second learn when to work through the discomfort of fibromyalgia verses a sharp pain that comes from compressing a joint or straining a ligament. This can make all the difference in sticking to a yoga practice and managing the symptoms of fibromyalgia. One article said the most important tip is don’t give up. Staying motivated can be a real challenge to people with fibromyalgia, but

Making a commitment and regular practice of yoga can be just what fibromyalgia suffers need. Lack of neither time nor ability should stand in the way. Physical and physiological benefits can be achieved in a regular 10 to 15 minute a day practice. A goal can be to  practice for an hour, but fibromyalgia sufferers need to be realistic this is about their health. Not all yoga classes are suitable, peer presser may cause a person to over do it. Know that there are many modifications for yoga warm up, yoga poses and final relaxations otherwise known as Savasana.

Through my research I found Anita Murray who is a Professional Health Coach, Nutritionist and suffered from fibromyalgia. In addition to nutrition and vitamins Anita Murray recommends the practice of yoga. She suggested five things to concentrate on.

1. Breathing long deep breaths through the nose

2. Keeping eyes focused on one spot

3. The Alignment of your body

4. The sensations in your body

5. Tightened stomach and Kegal muscles

Beginning each yoga practice with a warm up and end with a relaxation. Some standing yoga postures Murray recommends are mountain pose, reach for the stars, half forward bends, modified dancer’s pose, arm/foot rolls, standing twists and abdominal lifts.

I asked three woman ages 38, 57 and 42 all diagnosed with fibromyalgia what it was like to have this disorder and how they manage their symptoms. They all complained of wide spread body pain, lack of energy, depression, sensitivity to light, temperature, sound and touch. All three women took medication, all had massage therapy although not regularly, none of the women had tried acupuncture, but all did some type of exercise. The 42 year old did yoga on 3 – 4 times a week at home. The 57 year old exercised 1 to 3 times a week at a gym primarily on the treadmill since the classes went too fast for her. Occasionally she liked the water class but had a hard time hearing the instructor. The 38 year old belonged to a gym. She used free weights and the elliptical machine when she felt up to it. She had attended a yoga class at the gym, but had a hard time fitting it into her schedule. All three women agreed when stretching and some exercise when part of their day felt better mentally and physically.

There are videos for beginners that are suitable for persons with fibromyalgia. A.M. P.M. Yoga for beginners and Kathy Smith New Yoga Basics for Beginners could be a great starting place. Chair yoga is also another alternative. Find a class, get a video ask a friend just get on the mat three times a week or better yet every day. Some days may be corpse pose, other days may be a warm up, but the important thing is to set aside time to regularly practice. Yoga is not a cure, but taking the time for slow-easy movement, meditation and deep breathing will calm the central nervous system and help manage the pain from fibromyalgia.

In conclusion, it is my opinion that people with fibromyalgia could better control their symptoms with a regular practice. If the yoga practice was presented in a way that would allow them complete freedom to participate in any way they are able. Yoga is not a competition it is as unfolding as a morning stretch and relaxing as the surrender before sleep. Yoga is a healing and uplifting gift for everyone.

Marlene Saxe is a certified Yoga teacher. She teaches Yoga classes in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

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Yoga and Its Relation to Health – An Overview

Saturday, October 15th, 2011

yoga teacher trainingBy Barbara J. Euser

Yoga is a complete system for improving the health of the body and the mind. Although many people begin to practice yoga for its physical benefits, they immediately begin to learn that yoga is much more than an exercise program. Yoga offers psychological benefits through the practice of the asanas and also through meditation, which may be part of all Yoga classes. Ultimately, Yoga moves beyond physical and mental health to include spiritual improvement and well-being. Yoga is so rich and complex that it is more correctly referred to as a way of life – a very healthy way of life.

On the physical side, yoga asanas are a gentle form of exercise that allows the gradual stretching of muscles: forward bends, back bends, twists and inversions from seated, standing and prone positions. The body itself provides resistance, so there is no need for additional equipment like the weights used in other exercise programs. Unlike the violent muscle movements advocated in other physical exercise programs, Yoga is non-violent and moderately paced. Bodies toned by yoga exercise are strong without overdeveloped muscles. They are supple from stretching in every direction.

Each of the asanas benefits one or more of the body’s systems: respiration, circulation, alimentation or elimination. As one performs the various asanas, circulation increases. Blood flows more freely throughout the entire body and circulatory problems may begin to correct themselves. If a practitioner has certain health issues, they can be addressed through the choice of asanas that are known to benefit that condition. For example, a number of asanas such as Knees to the Chest, Plough Posture (Halasana) and Child Posture aid digestion and help to correct constipation.

Yoga asanas can be done at any level from the most basic to the most advanced. As coordination and mobility increase and muscles become more flexible and supple, the practitioner can perform more difficult asanas. A number of asanas can be seen as a series of poses that move from less challenging to more challenging. For example, in Tree Pose (Vrksasana) at the easiest level, the hands are held in prayer position. Next, the hands are held over the head. Then Tree may become Toppling Tree as the practitioner becomes more stable moving about while balancing on one leg. From Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana), one may drop one’s legs into Plough Position and move through several variations of Plough before returning to Shoulder Stand. Head Stand (Sirsasana) may be done with vertical legs, spread legs, horizontal legs, folded legs, legs in Lotus Position, and body twists.

Many of the most difficult asanas are beyond the ability of those who have practiced for many years. The challenge never disappears. Although Yoga may prove endlessly challenging for the fit, it is also infinitely adaptable. Yoga can be adapted for practice with children, pregnant women and the aged. Yoga asanas may be adapted for people who have limited mobility, for example, people who are grossly overweight. They may begin a Yoga practice sitting in a chair. They may be able to do only the arm movements of the postures to begin with. They may use the chair to assist them with their balance in standing asanas. They may not be able to get up from being seated on the floor, but with aid of a chair to prop their legs on, they may be able to approximate some seated asanas. The success they achieve with these modified postures may inspire them to do more and eventually begin to tackle their most significant health issues. From children through adults, from pregnant women to those have impaired mobility to the aged, everyone benefits from the physical exercises including breath control. Yoga – like health – is a lifelong pursuit.

Breathing deeply and fully is one of the most basic elements of good health. Unfortunately, because breathing is accomplished automatically, unless people begin to practice yoga or meditation, they often remain unaware of how they breathe. The study of pranayama in yoga is critical to maintaining good health. Yoga increases our awareness of how we breathe. Once we become aware of how we breathe, we can begin to breathe consciously, aware of each inhale, each exhale and the pauses in between inhaling and exhaling. Yogis have determined that there is an ideal ratio for the phases of breathing. Exhalation should take twice as long as inhalation and the pause between inhalation and exhalation should be four times as long as inhalation. Thus the ideal ratio is 1:4:2. One is not expected to achieve this ratio instantly. As one begins to work with the breath, one can use a ratio of 1:2 for inhalation and retention, then move to 1:4. With exhalation the ratio can be 1:4:4 until one can manage 1:4:2. This way of breathing is far from the way we ordinarily breathe. It requires practice to fully breathe into the diaphragm, as most of us normally breathe into only the upper part of our lungs. We tend to ignore our diaphragms. Learning to breathe in Yoga is learning to breathe for the first time.

As people age and become less active, their breathing tends to become more and more shallow. If they do not exert themselves from time to time so that they have a reason to breathe deeply, their lungs are never fully inflated. The unused areas of the lungs become susceptible to disease and infections such as pneumonia. However, practitioners of yoga learn to breathe into the deepest parts of their lungs and keep oxygen flowing throughout the entire respiratory system.

Pranayama may be performed as a separate practice, or pranayama exercises may be included in a Yoga class. Additional pranayama exercises include breathing through one nostril, breathing in alternate nostrils, and breathing through alternate nostrils and retaining breath. After one does pranayama exercises, even though one returns to normal breathing, the element of increased awareness remains. If people can maintain healthy breathing habits, they can live fuller lives for a longer time.

Yoga advocates a healthy diet: fruit, nuts, grains, vegetables, pulses and milk products including butter, yogurt and cheese. The yoga diet does not include meat, poultry, fish, eggs or alcohol. According to Yoga, there are three categories of food. The food that Yogis consume is called Sattvic, or pure food. The category of food that contains meat, poultry, fish and eggs is called Rajasic. This category also contains spicy food and strong-flavored food. The third category of food is called Tamasic. This category includes foods that are rotten or overripe. This category is considered the worst category of food for people to consume. Unfortunately, for meat to become tender, it is often allowed to age, which is synonymous with beginning to rot. Eating meat in this case is not only Rajasic, it is Tamasic food.

If Yoga practitioners cannot become complete vegetarians, at least they can consciously limit the amount of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and alcohol they consume to a modest amount. Or they may consume small amounts of eggs and fresh fish and forego aged red meat. There are many possible compromises. Again, consciousness of our diet, like consciousness of breathing, enables us to control that aspect of our lives. Even in their diet Yoga practitioners are non-violent.Yoga practitioners are vegetarian because they believe it is a healthier diet and also because they abhor the violence of killing animals for food.

Because of their diet and breathing and exercise, yoga practitioners begin to appear differently. Their bodies respond to the physical demands of asanas, becoming thinner and more flexible. As they breathe deeply, they more fully oxygenate the blood that flows throughout their bodies and their skin looks healthier. Then physical changes connect to mental changes. The slow, thoughtful movements of yoga asanas promote a calming of the spirit. As our bodies adopt the rhythm of vinyasa – asana flow – and focus on pranayama – breathing – our minds become more centered. Calm, centered minds are better able to deal with the elements of stress we encounter in our daily lives.

The physical practice of Hatha Yoga leads naturally to the practice of Raja Yoga: meditation. A part of each yoga class can be devoted to meditation, either guided or unguided. As pranayama increases awareness of what is going on in our lungs, meditation increases awareness of what is going on in our minds. As we become aware of the incessant, unconnected thoughts streaming through our minds – the “monkey chatter” – we can learn to release those thoughts and, as a result, release our minds from the stress those thoughts cause.

When we practice Yoga meditation, we sit comfortably on the ground, legs crossed in a position we can maintain for the duration of the meditation. For some people this is the Easy Position, for others it may be Lotus (Padmasana) position. Those who are uncomfortable crossing their legs may sit with their legs folded underneath them in Thunderbolt position. Those who cannot sit on the ground can sit in a straight-backed chair with their feet flat on the ground. The important thing is to ground oneself – preferably in actual contact with the ground. The spine should be straight to allow energy to flow up and down unimpeded.

Yoga meditation requires concentration (Dharana), which may be on a point which one sees with one’s eyes, such as a candle flame or flower blossom in Trataka; on an audible sounds or series of sounds, as in Mantra meditation; or on a visual form such as a mandala in Yantra meditation. While we concentrate in meditation, our feelings of stress are suspended.

Some doctors believe that all physical illness arises from stress. According to Dr. Ben Johnson, “We’ve got a thousand different diagnoses and diseases out there. They’re just the weak link. They’re all the result of one thing: stress. If you put enough stress on the chain and you put enough stress on the system, then one of the links breaks.” As we relieve stress through meditation, we not only improve our mental health, we increase our potential for physical health. Yoga teaches us that our mental and physical systems are intrinsically linked: they are one.

The ultimate goal of yoga is to allow the practitioner to become one with God, Atman, Higher Consciousness, The Force. In that sense, physical and mental health are only by-products of the journey – but what valuable by-products they are!

Barbara J. Euser is a certified Yoga teacher.  She teaches Yoga classes in Lakonia, Greece.

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The Role of a Yoga Teacher

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

Power Yoga Teacher TrainingBy Kimaya Singh

A Yoga teacher has several roles to play, as he or she leads a group of students through a comprehensive and approachable sequence of Yoga postures, breathing exercises, meditations, and contemplations. One of the primary roles of a Yoga teacher is to create a safe and nurturing space for the students to participate in a Yoga class. The Yoga teacher is also responsible for demonstrating and guiding the students through a series of Yoga poses in a safe and understandable way. Additionally, a certified Yoga instructor will also be able to help his or her students modify the poses, if necessary, and offer suggestions about using Yoga as a therapeutic tool to heal from an injury.

The first order of business, for a Yoga instructor, is to ground the students in the present, and to set the tone for the class. Of course, the Yoga studio should be comfortably warm, clean, and inviting. It may also be a nice touch for the Yoga teacher to light a candle and place it on an alter as the class begins. This act alone will shift the energy and imbue the class with a sense of sacredness. Another commencement role, that a Yoga teacher may play, is to set the tone for the class, by reading an opening poem or scriptural verse to the students – thereby setting the internal focus and intention of their Yoga practice.

Another critical role of a Yoga teacher is to create a practice that is appropriate for the level of his or her students. It is also very important that the Yoga teacher is able to demonstrate the Yoga asanas in a way that is understandable and approachable to the students in the class, on that particular day. Another role that the Yoga teacher will play is demonstrating the proper way of practicing pranayama techniques and the most advantageous poses for meditation.

On an individual basis, a good Yoga teacher will also be able to help each student to modify the poses as necessary. A certified Yoga teacher will have a firm foundation in anatomy and physiology and will have developed a keen eye for proper alignment in the postures. If the Yoga teacher spots a student having difficulty getting into a certain pose, he or she will be able to easily and quickly adjust the student’s alignment, with or without the use of Yoga props. This will create a feeling of safety and trust in the students for their Yoga teacher, so that they can truly relax and be fully present during the course of the class.

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

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YOGA AND ITS RELATION TO HEALTH

Saturday, March 26th, 2011

cape cod yoga retreatBY JANE POLLARD

There are many differing types of yoga, each has its own uniqueness, they all however have a tendency to overlap and fuse. The meaning of yoga is union, a coming together of mind, body and spirit. Many people today see yoga as a yuppie trend; however more and more people are awakening to yoga and the huge benefits it can bring to our lives and the lives of those living with us and around us.

The benefits of yoga act upon three elements, the physical, the mental and of course the spiritual. The benefits of yoga are endless and each person will experience differing benefits, depending on their age, anatomical makeup and level of experience, but one thing is certain, the list of benefits will go on and on.

Yoga bridges the sexes, religion and the age barriers and is open and available to all who embrace it, it is now widely available in private sessions, gyms and in halls and venues all over the world. The world that we live in today, is a far cry from the world our parents and grandparents experienced.

Today we live in a world of unrelenting commerce, finance, peer pressure and a race to achieve at all costs. Computers and mobile telephones, take over our lives, with e mails, social networking sites, computer games and large amounts of electronic chatter, numbing and dulling our senses, ability and creativity and blocking us from reaching our full potential as human beings.

At the same time, we are driven longer and harder by the fact we make ourselves available to disturbance wherever we are, by the fact we are now contactable 24/7/365 to anyone who wants us, via mobile telephone, texts and emails, when do we switch off, can we switch off? Even when we are on holiday, a trip we have planned months in advance, a trip to switch off, enjoy the fruits of our labour, this intrusion still exists, never really allowing a cut off point, a breathing space a time to relax and reflect.

People today can travel long distances to get to their place of work, adding to the already longer working day, driving now is so very stressful and equally, dangerous. The stress of driving can be felt by most of us, even those who travel relatively short distances. Competitiveness in every aspect of our lives is also a massive strain, to earn more money, to have a better car, a bigger house, a better job, this competitiveness and materialistic approach, eventually causes us to lose sight of why we are here, we lose our way.

The result of this stress and strain can be seen all around us, if we take the time to observe. Meltdown, nervous breakdowns, stress, anxiety, miscarriage, depression, compulsive nervous disorders, suicide, divorce. I believe each and every one of us have someone we know who has experienced one or more of the above and you will know how this has affected their life and the lives of the people they live with and know.

To combat the above, some people take drugs, prescription and illegal, they smoke excessively, drink themselves into oblivion, and gamble and it is a vicious and precarious downward spiral that seems too difficult to escape from. The effect this has on the body, is truly profound. It affects our adrenals, as we are permanently tuned in to fight or flight mode.

This in itself puts enormous strain on our heart and can cause heart attack or stroke. It can affect all of our vital organs, it affects our ability to think clearly and make logical decisions and choices and it affects our feeling of being alive and blocks our creativity. Our body is being controlled, not by us, but by external forces, alcohol, drugs etc. We are not in control; we cannot make proper choices and decisions, which further has sometimes, catastrophic outcomes.

Our life goes into free fall; we are out of control and can only watch in apathy. We are alive, but we are not living. Stress can seriously hamper our life and our life’s progress, tiring us out with illnesses and insomnia. The practice of yoga has truly positive effects on our life and those around us and this acts on a very deep level. The gentle stretching and sometimes challenging poses, allow our muscles to release deep seated tension that is being held there.

Yoga works on every muscle group, thus giving us much more flexibility and over time allows us to feel more power and strength in our limbs and allows a greater scope of flexibility and movement. This means that the spine is nourished and strengthened, allowing better posture. Age is often measured by the flexibility of the spine, so having a healthy flexible spine is indeed a great asset.

Feeling strong and flexible in the body, makes the individual confident and much healthier and younger, the feeling of a renewed energy and power to do more will flow through and make a positive difference to the life we lead. Yogic breathing allows us to breathe in a way that we have probably never been open to before. This deep breathing brings in rich oxygen to the lungs, expanding them to a new level and filling them with prana.

This in turn strengthens the nervous system and the brain assisting our health further. Breathing out very deeply and fully, detoxifies the stale air lying within the lungs and with each new deep breath, new clean rich oxygen, reaches new areas of our lungs, which is of such benefit to all parts of our body; it broadens the chest as well as improving the whole process of digestion.

The focus and awareness that yoga brings within those peaceful, deliberate, elegant movements, just us and our mat, that being at one, have a deeply spiritual and calming effect on the whole body, the muscles are stretched, the joints are lubricated, this in turn brings a new flexibility.  Mobility and coordination becomes improved and this in turn alleviates stiffness and difficulty in movement.

Peace, relaxation, harmony and deep preparation and meditation, these focus the mind, allow clear thinking, lower the blood pressure and take the strain away from the heart. This then allows all of the organs in our body to go back to normal mode, instead of that dangerous and constant fight or flight mode. The relaxing meditation at the end of each session, allows the body to assimilate all of the changes that the yoga practice has brought about.

We relax, we let go completely, and we simply just be. The act of meditation can be considered as mental hygiene, so we should consider meditating during and outside of our Yoga practice, to ensure that we maximise the wonderful benefits this can bring into our lives, clearing out the masses of mental clutter we all carry with us. Over time with our yoga practice, we begin to make changes, it is almost like a metamorphosis, we stop smoking, perhaps even stop drinking, we begin naturally to eat and drink more healthily, we begin to assess our lives and often make radical changes to the way in which we live on a day to day basis.

Nature becomes more important, we can go out and fill our lungs with fresh clean air and notice the beauty that is all around us that possibly we have never even enjoyed or noticed before and whilst doing this and leaving all of the stress behind, we can achieve further exercise. Walking in nature is itself a form of meditation and so we will be doubling the effect of our stress relief and the benefits we get from this.

Many other changes will be made, often these are unconscious decisions, but they will be made, it is a new progression. Our lives become richer, much healthier; we will become less stressed, calmer and will be less likely to carry excess weight. We will enjoy a new level of flexibility, which in turn allows us to be more mobile and affords us new avenues of life, we did not have before. The benefits to us are, we will have more energy, feel younger and more alive, have new levels of alertness and creativity, again opening new channels, new directions, new doors open up to our lives.

We open ourselves up to 100% of the opportunities and possibilities that are all around us. We will automatically feel youthful and it will directly have an effect on our whole body from our face to our toes, a new spring in our step. We will cut down the risk of liver and kidney failure, heart attack and of course stroke. Yoga is now a great part of a great deal of people’s lives as a way of living. Yoga can be completed in the home, in the office as well as in the studio; you can meditate anywhere, except when driving of course. Yoga books, CDs and DVDs are in abundance, as are the differing types of yoga.

There are now dedicated magazines to inform and educate us as to all of the benefits that are available to all of us and keep us fresh with new ideas and inspirational stories of peoples’ real experiences with yoga. Yoga is now being introduced into senior homes and schools, which is so beneficial to all, young children can now be educated at a very young age, as to the health benefits yoga can bring and they can weave this into their lives into adulthood, passing on to their families a whole new cycle of awareness, creating a much more healthy and aware society.

In senior homes, it is giving a new purpose and focus to its residents and allowing them gently to feel and experience the benefits yoga practice can give, especially in terms of mobility and flexibility and this cannot be ignored. Yoga can bring a wealth of benefits into our life for our health both mind, body and spiritual health.

Knowledge is power and yoga gives us tremendous power as an individual and can pave the path for many, to spiritual enlightenment and pave the way for a whole new and enlightening experience. Yoga gives the body physical health from the inside out, and is a complete physical health package.

Jane Pollard is a certified Yoga teacher. She teaches Yoga classes in the Wirral, Merseyside, UK area.

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Yoga – The New Ancient Elixir of Well-Being

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

yoga certificationBy Eric Noel Perez

Several decades ago an extraordinary Mahatma had a vision of coming to the west for the purpose of disseminating the perennial wisdom of the orient to those thirsty for spiritual knowledge. These parched souls, or “lost stars,” as he referred to them were men and women who were still searching after the panacea for all their ills, as well as for the truth of their existence. It was this great being’s mission to impart the rejuvenative practices of Yoga to them. The man’s name was Shri Dhyanyogi Madhusudandasji, one of many Siddhas during this time to make a humanitarian pilgrimage to the occident: teachers like Swami Sivananda and the world renowned Paramahansa Yogananda, author of the highly acclaimed Autobiography of a Yogi also trekked across the globe out of compassion for their fellow humans. They prognosticated that Yoga would sweep across the western hemisphere to counteract the misery caused by ignorance and materialism, and nearly half a century later the predictions of these exemplary men have proved prophetic.

A flailing global economy, the decimation of our natural environment, pandemic poverty and seemingly endless war have left the average person stressed and anxious, if not destitute. Many turn to drugs, alcohol and/or sex as a means of escape, while others immerse themselves in countless other distractions in the hope of finding release. However, all these measures are not only temporary, but destructive, and a new means of coping with stress, disease and depression is desperately needed in our society. Yoga has answered the call.

It is ironic to call Yoga “new” since it is the oldest life science on the earth. Enlightened souls have been expounding on the Yogic doctrines since time immemorial, and countless experiments, conducted in both external and internal laboratories have confirmed what they promise: overall health, and ultimately, liberation. The power of Yoga comes from the fact that it addresses every part of the human being, namely the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. The word Yoga itself comes from the Sanskrit word for “yoke” or to unify. What is there to become one with? Firstly, the individual Self (Jiva), and then the cosmic Self (Shiva).

Therefore, true Yoga occurs when there is a harmony between the individual soul and God. This is what all the religious and spiritual traditions of the world have described as being the summum bonum of existence: enlightenment, heaven, Nirvana, Moksha, Samadhi, etc. Of course, freedom from the cycle of birth and death (samsara) is not easily won; only those with great discipline and God’s unmerited grace attain this exalted state. However, one should not be discouraged by the monumental task of self-realization, since along the way there are many measurable benefits to practicing the various forms of Yoga, namely Hatha (physical exercises), Jnana (knowledge), Mantra (sacred sounds), Karma (action)), Bhakti (love and devotion), and Dhyana (meditation).

The benefits of Hatha Yoga are manifold, and have been confirmed by both practitioners and medical professionals alike. In Vedic science the human being is said to have different layers which constitute his existence (called sheathes). The first sheathe is the physical body. By performing asanas (postures) the physical body is made strong and limber. When the body is made flexible there is a subsequent opening and purifying of the nerve channels inside the body known as nadis.. These channels serve as highways by which the prana, or energy can travel freely to nourish, heal, and enliven the body.

Many hospitals (and some insurance companies) have even begun to accept Yoga as a viable form of physical therapy. Hatha Yoga has another, lesser known advantage. Whenever a person experiences a negative emotion (anger, fear, loss, etc.) which remains unresolved then that emotion becomes stored and locked in the physical body. The process of performing hatha can unlock those areas, thereby releasing the emotion. I have heard this phenomena referred to as “crying on the mat” since many yoga practitioners have inexplicably shed tears in the middle of a pose. According to the great Yogis, there is an asana for every physical ill. Ultimately, however, the purpose of Hatha is to prepare the body for meditation.

Jnana Yoga is known as the Yoga of knowledge, and it entails the reading of any bona fide scripture with the intention of stripping away the veils of avidya, or ignorance that distort our understanding of reality. Jnana Yoga is meant to develop our sense of viveka so that the practitioner can eventually discriminate between truth and illusion, the right path and the wrong one. The mind gets purified over time with the practice of Jnana, and confusion begins to wane. Texts like the Bhagavad Gita (revered by Einstein as being the most perfect of doctrines on any subject), The Ramayana, Buddhist Sutras, the Gospels of Christ and even the Tao Te Ching all lend themselves to the pursuit of Jnana Yoga.

Fortunately, many modern scholars and scientists have begun to refer back to these ancient, eastern texts in order to solve the dilemmas of today. Books like The Tao of Physics and The Holographic Universe show uncanny synchronicities between ageless mystical teachings and recent laboratory findings. Quantum physicists have, since the splitting of the atom, continued to search for the ground of being from which all matter arises. Smaller than the atom (once thought to be the minutest particle) were the protons, neutrons and electrons. Once they split these they eventually uncovered infinitesimally small sacs of energy which they dubbed quarks. Then came neutrinos, then strings, and so the process of reverse engineering continued until an amazing discovery was made. Beneath everything, at the core of all matter are photons of light blinking in and out of existence so rapidly that they give the appearance of creating solid forms (like spinning blades of a propeller creating the illusion of a solid disc). And between these photons? Empty space! Such a discovery echoes the teachings of the Vedas and Sutras which speak of the material world as being illusory, a movie projected from the mind of the Creator onto the screen of time and space: “And the Lord said: ‘Let there be light.’” (Genesis 1:3)

Vedic lore speaks of ten major Avatars, or incarnations of God whose sole purpose for incarnating is to destroy irreligion, and to reinstate the dharma. In Februay of 1486 one such avatar appeared on earth, and His name was Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the originator of the kirtan movement. Kirtan, put simply, is the singing of the Lord’s names, the practice of which disentangles the embodied soul from its material fetters. The power of kirtan is in the vibration of the sound made when a divine name is uttered, and this is the concept behind Mantra Yoga. Mantras are sacred sounds that constitute and recreate “reality” by purifying the internal and external environment of he who chants them. In fact, the whole universe is a construct of sound vibration, and that sound, or progenitor is OM (AUM).

Everything in the universe is energy, and that energy vibrates (think of an air conditioner or car engine humming). The totality of all vibrations in the cosmos coalescing into one would make a sound like that which is recounted in Revelations as the “sound of roaring oceans.” The masters assert that there is a mantra for everything, from health, to money, to intelligence and peace. In the end, however, the purpose of the mantra is to serve as a bridge between man and the Lord. Etymologically speaking, the word AUM is the root of the Latin word Amen: “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.” (John 1:1)

Of the different branches of Yoga it seems that Karma Yoga is best suited to the action-filled, work obsessed western lifestyle. Quite simply, Karma Yoga is performing selfless service for its own sake, and turning the fruits/results of said service over to God. In Karma Yoga the practitioner acknowledges that it is God who is the doer. Philanthropy in its purest form is Karma Yoga. Studies have shown that children that are regularly involved in charity events at school or at their local churches experience better sleep, less stress, and perform better in school, on average. Those who give truly receive.

Bhakti Yoga is for people with an inclination towards love, passion and intimacy. In practicing Bhakti Yoga one seeks to create a bond of love with God and all his creation. To see God in everything and everything in God is the path of the Bhakti Yogi. Hindus are known for their Bhakti more than westerners who seem to have had stoic, puritan ancestors (however, many Baptist and Born Again churches have taken to worshiping the divine with raucous, shameless singing and dancing). In the Vedic epic Ramacharitramanasa we are introduced to Hanuman, the embodiment of Bhakti itself. Hanuman is the 11th incarnation of Lord Shiva, and as such is a perfectly free being with power and wisdom as vast the universe itself. But instead of becoming a Guru, as is his right, Hanuman chooses to remain in the role of servant, always placed at the Lotus feet of Lord Rama. If the goal is God, and God is love, then Bhakti is both the path and destination: “Those who worship Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service- for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.”

(Bhagavad Gita 12: 6-7)

The centerpiece of a truly effective Yoga practice is Dhyana. Meditation is the process of quieting the ever-churning activities of the mind, and in that stillness uncovering the peace, clarity and joy that await us. Meditation has been called the most noble of pursuits because it serves to improve not only the practitioner, but the entire universe, and is the best practice someone can undertake to improve his/her life. If someone wants to help a tree to grow healthy and strong then they won’t try to water each individual leaf, twig and branch (such an endeavor would not only waste time, energy and water, but the tree would eventually die anyway). But if someone waters the roots, then the whole tree is nourished. Similarly, meditation feeds our souls, the root of our existence, and subsequently our entire being is sustained. Those who meditate regularly stimulate brain growth, have less stress, lower blood pressure, fewer heart problems, better sleep, and more peace.

Pictures taken of the brain waves of Buddhist monks who were at rest showed a brain chemistry which is identical to that of people who are in a heightened state of creativity (like artists, musicians and scientists). They also showed more neuroplasticity than those of the non-meditating subjects, which means that the brain can be rewired, contrary to what brain researchers have previously believed. In a world of noise and chaos meditation is like an internal reset button. Dhyanyogiji says meditation “is a way to find out who you are. Your mind becomes exhilarated. You gain greater peace of mind and relaxation. Your concentration also increases. It also increases efficiency of your day-to-day activities. Everything is better if you meditate.”

When the seeker integrates all these different branches of Yoga into his/her practice with faith, enthusiasm and consistency then this is called Raja (Royal) Yoga, said to be the highest path. And when the goal of Raja Yoga has been reached then all veils of illusion fall away, and the meaning of our existence becomes blissfully clear. As Shree Dhyanyogi stated: “One realizes the full potential of body and mind, attains inner peace, harmony and integration, and ultimately experiences the sublime truth of unity in diversity- the fact that all life is one and is bound by that divine power called love.”

When we have through the practice of Yoga thus reclaimed our true, divine birthright then can we truly call ourselves sons and daughters of God, scions of The King kings, and as princes and princesses of the universe apply the much needed salve to a our wounded world. It all begins, and ends, within.

Eric Noel Perez is a certified Yoga teacher. He teaches Yoga classes in the Bay Shore, New York area.

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Yoga in History

Saturday, February 26th, 2011

Yoga teacher trainingBy Irina Burlack

At times we said that history should have been left alone but in case of Yoga it is opposite; the history of Yoga must be remembered for the nature of Yoga and the beautiful past the Yoga to be fully appreciated. To fully understand the significance of Yoga we will start from the beginning when Yoga first was mentioned in the history, then relate to the five specific time periods that are significant to Yoga and the first mentioning of Pranayama. First, the meaning of Yoga can be introduced. Yoga is related to the study of the mind and the body; the Sanskrit meaning of Yoga was derived from the root word “yuj” that meant “to control,” “to unite” and “to yoke.” The direct translations of Yoga were such as “joining,” “uniting” and “conjunction”; another translations of the word Yoga were “contemplation” and absorption.” All the above mentioned translation fit in with the practice of Yoga; some of the meaning such as the contemplation is more associated with Raja Yoga, where through contemplation that the difference of prakti (nature) and purusha (pure consciousness) took place.

The known beginning of Yoga occured from prehistoric period and progressed out of the Ancient Indian asceticism, which could be explained as a form of living that took place when person denounced all of the physical possessions and devoted himself to the spiritual practice. Yoga was first set forth in the Yoga Sutras of Pantajali as the Hindu Philosophy. Pantajali was the gatherer of the historic collection of aphorisms in Yoga practice; Yoga Sutras were seen as the foundational scripture for Yoga. These Sutras were created on the Samkhya philosophy and they are seen as the actual practice, while the Samkhya is the theory. This is known to be the earliest school of Yoga and it came to be known by the retronym Raja Yoga to distinguish itself from the school that came to take place in later years.

One of the first clues for finding out more about Yoga came from the discovery of the steatite seals in Indus Valley Civilization that took place from 3300-1700 B.C. The steatite seal was actually soapstone formed from the massive variety of Talc. These steatite seals displayed figures that were in various postures of meditation-like; this meditation-like posture was seen as some sort of discipline rituals that suggested the start point of actual practice of Yoga according to the Indus archeologists. There were sixteen specific Yogi carvings that were devoted to the ritualistic discipline; the carvings suggest that the Yoga-like postures must have been practiced by the common people as well as the deities alike. Most known of the postures was named the Pashupati seal that is suspected to be the representation of “proto-Shiva” figure. Many scholars continue to support the connection between the progression of Yoga in later years and the carvings found in the Indus Valley.

The ancient practices were vaguely hinted in the Vedas; the ascetic practices are referenced in the Brahmanas that took place between 900 B.C.E. and 500 B.C.E., which were some of the early commentaries on the Vedas. An early mentioning of the meditation was made in the Upanishads, specifically in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, one of the earlier Upanishads, approximately 900 B.C.E. Some of the more specific and the main textual references to Yoga are introduced in the middle Upanishads, 400 B.C.E.; the Mahabharata including the Bhagavad Gita, 200 B.C.E.; also the previously mentioned Yoga Sutras of Pantajali, 200 BCE-300 C.E.

Specifically in the Maitrayaniya Upanishad, 200-300 B.C.E., yoga represented as the Shadanga Yoga, which is the uniting discipline of the six limbs as following: 1) breath control or Pranayama, 2) sensory inhibition or Pratyahara, 3) meditation or Dhyana, 4) concentration or Dharana, 5) examination or Tarka, and 6) ecstasy or Samadhi. In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the earliest Upanishad that was created approximately in 900 B.C.E., an early meditation reference is made; over all Yoga is referenced quite often in the Upanishads, many of which came about before the Pantajali’s Sutras. But the first actual term Yoga is used in middle Upanishad or Katha Upanishad, which is one of the most well-known of the Upanishads. This text was presents a dialogue between aspiring disciple and the Ruler of Death about the great and unknown “Heareafter”; this Upanishad suggests connection to Buddhist ideas.

Now we must examine the specific historic times of Yoga evolution. The five significant time periods of Yoga are Vedic Yoga, Pre-classic Yoga, Classic Yoga, Post-classic Yoga, and Modern Yoga time periods. The Vedas, which are the collection of hymns and rituals over 3000 years old, contain the oldest written history of Indian culture and yogic practice. Vedic Yoga is also called or known as the Archaic Yoga, centers around the idea of reconciling the visible and tangible material world with the invisible spiritual world through the practice of sacrificing. To perform these ritualistic practices, the people had to keep the mind on a high level concentration; such inner focus is the necessity to enhance the sensory and human ability and it is the root of Yoga practice.

Vedic prophets, who had gained insight on the origin of life and its existence and known as the Rishis, communicated the Vedic teaching to the religious elite as well as the common people. These prophets created hymns that centered on the knowledge and wisdom to the human beings and that had the possibility to higher the new level of understanding for the people. The creation of Vedas is the sacred scripture to Brahmanism, which is the basis for Hinduism and it marks the Vedic Yoga. Pre-classic Yoga period followed next, which spans about 200 years, until the year of 200. This time period revolved around the Upanishads, which is the collection of written records centered on meta-physical theory. Upanishads, like the Vedas, are known as enigmatic discovery; unlike the public exposure of Vedas, Upanishads were secret texts.

Approximately 200 scriptures pertained directly to Yoga practice and the complete connection between all things in the world. At this point Yoga began to evolve into a specific form that we know today. The idea of individual thought and belief began to take place, while the secret teaching from Upanishads spread from teachers to students or from gurus to yogis. About 500 B.C., the Bhagavad Gita, which is the most well-know work among all Hinduic and Yogic literature, was created during this time period. This is a story of a conversation that took place between the god of Hinduism, Krishna, and prince named Arjuna. The plot of the story took place in the battlefield; this location is often perceived as metaphor for various distractions of our turbulent world, which became the main basis for Yogic practice of meditation. The text told a story of how the Prince Arjuna had to seek advice on breaking the bonds that were placed on him by the material attractions of the world; he was seeking to set himself free from these bonds. Krishna gave Arjuna the direction to follow, which was through devotion or Bhakti Yoga; keen mind or Jhana Yoga; by separating from ego or karma Yoga; only then the moksha or the freedom from the bonds could be accomplished. Bhagavad Gita is a complex text that is needed to be studied in order to be understood.

Classical Yoga period, eight-limbed Yoga, was introduced by the Patanjali’s Sutras. During this period Yoga was presented in a systematic and approachable structure; many yogis see this system as important source of Yogis understanding. Many Yoga practitioners at certain point of their study find this literature; many times this text is posted with commentaries for a better understanding. As previously mentioned, Patanjali thought that a person consists of two parts-matter and soul; the goal of Yoga practice was to free the soul from the material attachments in order to take its original, pure state. This view was many times perceived and described as philosophical dualism; this view created an interesting perspective because most of the Indian philosophy is non-dualistic.

The world was perceived as two different aspects of the same shapeless and pure but conscious existence. The many developed new schools and styles of Yoga during this period of time were known to be Post-classical Yoga that follower after the creation of Sutras. Unlike the Classical Yoga period, at this time Yoga was non-dualistic and integrated many Vedic traditions into the practice of Yoga. The past Yoginis concentrated much more on the aspect of studying the mind; they focused on the concentration and meditation and their goal was to leave their physical bodies for something high in energy, which was their shapeless form. But during the Post-classical period Yoginis turned their attention towards human body and the need to tune in to the energy of the body and they turned their presence to experiencing the body. The new generation Yoginis during the Post-classical period developed number of exercises foe the body to practice; they had also developed the connection between the exercises, breathing, and meditation, which they believed would have kept the body young and prolong the lifespan of the people, who practiced Yoga. The body was seen as the temple of the soul and there was no longer a need to leave the body to achieve the higher level of being. The Post-classical Yoga period created a path for Hatha Yoga, as it is practiced today, as well as Tantra Yoga, which is focused on divinity named Shakti.

The Modern Yoga period was seen to begun at Parliament of Religions in 1893, located in Chicago. Swami Vivekananda from India created a deep impression on the people that were present at this meeting; he introduced Yoga. Swami Vivekananda became one of the most-known people in the Parliament; he traveled throughout the US and presented speeches on Yoga practice. After his presence in US, there was a flood of many other Yoga gurus and teachers that came to US and opened schools of Yoga; the number of people in US, who loved Yoga increased continuously. Yoga gurus traveled to Europe but the connection between Yoga and the people there was not as strong as it was in US. Hatha Yoga came to blossom when a Russian Indra Devi, opened a Yoga Studio that was located in Hollywood, in the year of 1947. She sparked even greater passion for Yoga and she was famous for teaching movie starts as well as other people, who were interested in becoming certified Yoga instructors.

During 1950s, a book about Yoga being part of a sport exercises was written by Selvarajan Yesudian; this book was published in more than fourteen languages. This sparked the practice of Yoga by professional sport players, such as players on the NBA, athletes of Chicago Bulls. During the 1960s, Yoga gained even more reputation through television programs and the devotion of the Beatles star. Yoga was becoming a way of living and being, and not only a form of bodily exercise. Dalai Lama, who was awarded the Nobel Peace prize winner and was a Yogi from Tibet, has encouraged many people to take up the practice of Yoga. Today is another period for the development of Yoga and the Yoga practice continuous to gain more devotees, who attend workshops and classes to learn more about the fascinating practice of Yoga; it was said that 30 million people practice Yoga regularly. Yoga taught and continued to teach people that although we cannot always control the worldly problem but we can learn how to face them.

References:

http://yoga-central.net

http://abc-of-yoga.com

http://allaboutspirituality.com

http://yogabasics.com

http://americanyogaassociation.org

http://yogaweb.com


Irina Burlack is a certified Yoga Teacher. She teaches Yoga classes in the Gainesville, Georgia area.

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Considering the Benefits of a Zen and Yoga Practice

Friday, February 25th, 2011

yoga teacher trainingBy Wendy M. Gough

I have been practicing yoga for several years and in an effort to deepen my understanding of my own of my practice, I have begun exploring Zen and how it relates to the mind and the interconnectedness of all existence. Over the last few months, I believe I have begun to come to some understanding of the fundamental concepts of Zen and I have been looking into combining yoga and Zen practice through studying texts such as Zen Yoga, by Aaron Hoopes. Despite these efforts, it was not until a recent trip home to San Francisco, when I had the opportunity to attend a Satsang yoga practice and lecture by well known Bay Area Zen-yogi Adya Shanti that I really began thinking about the connections between yoga and Zen. At the Satsang, the combination of a light meditative yoga session and talk about silence and our perceptions of the Self and nature helped me realize that like yoga, Zen is not a religion as we consider it to be in the Western sense. Rather, while both have some “religious” aspects, they are more closely associated with adjusting our world view, perceptions, and lifestyle rather than a formal pattern of worship. As a result, I was inspired to consider the relationship between Zen and yoga more deeply. Upon my return to Japan, I began to investigate Zen more thoroughly through talks with practitioners and readings on the fundamentals of Zen. These studies have helped me become more aware of the similarities and differences that exist between the two practices. Understanding the connections between Zen and yoga more thoroughly has helped me think about their complimentary nature and that incorporating a practice of both zazen and yoga into our daily life can create more balance in our yoga or meditation practice as well as achieving more harmony in our life in general.

In my studies I found that while “Buddhism is a yogic tradition; yoga is not a form of Buddhism” (Austin, P. 45) and though Zen Buddhism and yoga diverge, especially in terms of practice, both have similar roots, philosophies and goals. Both stem from Indian traditions of meditation, observation, philosophical inquiry, and both aim to follow a way to end suffering and to find the ultimate truth. With the goal of finding the Atman, or self beyond the ego, we can find an end to our suffering and eventually reach a state of Samadhi, which is intuitive enlightenment. In other words, through practice in either Buddhism or yoga we free ourselves from our misperceptions of the world around us and become transformed by overcoming ignorance about ourselves and the world. We do this by learning to understand and accept the differences between the Self, which is the eternal core or soul and the self, which is our transient being that perceives the world around us through the senses and, therefore, is changeable depending on our circumstances (Austin, P. 46). By understanding the two selves, we come to a pure form of consciousness, which is known as Atman in yoga and Kensho in Zen.

While both Buddhism and yoga provide a setting in which we can practice observation and transcend the notions of self, they follow different paths to attain this goal. In Zen Buddhism seated meditation, or zazen, is used to attain Samadhi because the idea is that “stillness of body engenders stillness of mind” (Sekida, P. 5). The idea is that when we sit, we are in a position in which our body can be still while our mind remains wakeful. In Zen, through the practice of seated meditation and abdominal breathing we are taught that stillness helps us train our powers of concentration, become aware of our energy, let go of our attachments, and let go of our thoughts. The ability to be still allows us to focus on clearing the mind through breathing and observation techniques that help us learn the art of nonattachment. Most modern yoga practices, on the other hand, use asanas which Austin notes can be translated to “seated” or “postures” (P. 47) as well as breathing techniques to still the soul, develop awareness and attain the state of nonattachment. By concentrating on our breathing and the flow of energy within our bodies we learn meditative techniques and become more intuitive about what is occurring in the here and now. Whether we practice Zen or yoga, it is clear that both lead us to realize that once we attain Samadhi and begin to understand the differences between perception and sensation we can become more aware of the transient nature of the world and eventually achieve Mushin, the state of no mind or no ego, as we have learned to let go of our thoughts, desires and attachments. Since both Zen and yoga put a strong emphasis on posture, whether seated as in zazen or through asanas as in yoga, we build awareness of our bodies while allowing us a comfortable position in which to focus on our breathing and meditation practices.

It seems that though Zen practice is quite rigid and separate from other forms of meditation in Japan, more and more Western practioners find Zen and yoga practice complimentary to one another. The reasons for believing in their complimentary nature stem from both the physical aspects of yoga and Zen as well as from concepts related to mindfulness and concentration. On a physical level, many people who practice zazen find it difficult to sit in the prescribed lotus position for extended periods of time due to a lack of flexibility and body shape or size. As a result, they often experience knee, hip, or back pain which then affects their concentrative abilities in meditation practice. These people find the stretching aspects of yoga beneficial and complementary to zazen. By doing a light yoga practice before and/or after meditation, people find their bodies suppler and more physically well aligned. A flexible body will free the mind of wandering to the physically painful areas in the body, thus allowing the mind to become empty during the long seated meditation sessions because a person will be able to sit more comfortably. On the other hand, many people who become engrossed in yoga become more interested in the meditative side of the practice after realizing that asanas and breathing keep our bodies in good physical shape in addition to helping us relax. As they begin to look deeper into yoga, they may focus more on the contemplative aspects and developing awareness as they begin to experience the world differently. Learning a proper seated meditation posture, such as that practiced in zazen, will enable yogins sit comfortably while focusing on breathing techniques that clear the mind or aid in developing an awareness of the energy state within the body.

On a concentrative or meditative level, zazen and yoga complement each other through the ways in which they teach us to develop mindfulness. Boccio notes that “Much of the “work” of meditation involves how we experience the body, particularly our reactivity to experience” (P. 144). Through practicing mindfulness in yoga, we focus on feeling or experience while using asanas as a vehicle in which we channel the experience. Bocci notes four types of mindfulness that can be incorporated into yoga practice: the “body within the body” in which we allow awareness to permeate the body beginning with the breath and moving on to become aware of the body’s movements, postures, and parts; “feelings within feelings,” meaning that we come to an awareness of how our moods feel; understanding the role of the mind in the world we create for ourselves and becoming aware of how our actions and attachments affect our experiences; and lastly mindfulness of the dharma in which we find an awareness of our experiences as they relate to important aspects of the Buddha’s teachings (Pp. 152-161). Developing mindfulness in yoga practices can help with Zen meditation because the body and brain are trained to easily go into a meditative state while maintaining that state without wandering into other thoughts. This is because mindfulness yoga teaches us to develop a deep focus on what is happening in the here and now while moving from one asana to another. Likewise, zazen can help one develop mindfulness in yoga practice as it also relates to developing the four types of mindfulness or awareness. Sitting for meditation automatically puts the body into a steady state, ready for meditation, and breathing practices because one does not have to focus on posture. The concentrative nature of Zen which teaches the mind to become empty of outside thoughts is helpful for yogins because it develops concentration and insight into the ways emptiness can allow one to delve more deeply into mindfulness and the non-duality of existence.

When beginning to incorporate yoga into a Zen practice, it is important to consider the types of asanas and yoga that would be appropriate in a mindfulness yoga routine. If one is not used to doing yoga asanas, beginning with less strenuous poses that are held for longer times and using props to assist in correct posturing would work well. These types of asanas help us ground our energy and allow us to focus on how our bodies and muscle structures feel while doing the poses rather than concentrating on trying to achieve difficult postures, which could injure the body if it is not ready for such a level of practice. In fact, many people who develop a Zen and yoga system in their lives learn techniques of Iyengar-style yoga, which includes a strong focus on perfect posturing, the use of props to achieve perfect posture, and a gradual build up from easier postures toward more difficult ones as a person becomes stronger and more flexible. Someone more advanced in their yoga training might consider Anusara yoga, which was founded by John Friend, who is also an Iyengar master, and follows similar principles as Iyengar but eliminates the use of props for assistance in the asanas.

Iyengar and Anusara styles yoga also have a suitable relationship to Zen as they claim a more religious aspect than other types of yoga, namely that they “explore the yogic goal to integrate the different parts of the self (body, emotions, mind, and soul), the role that the yoga postures and breathing techniques play in our search for wholeness, the external and internal obstacles that keep us from progressing along the path, and how yoga can transform our lives and help us to live in harmony with the world around us” (The Official Website: B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga).

While Iyengar-style yoga does place a strong emphasis on perfect postures, it also believes that Raja, or meditative yoga is an integral part of practicing asanas. Iyengar-style yoga, with its focus on breathing as well as holding asanas for longer periods, creates a meditative state as we become aware of the effects of the poses, and teaches us concentration and awareness. Even though one might consider the lack of flow as an aspect suited to those who are less flexible and need to build strength, it also relates closely to the Zen concept that through stillness and perfect posture, a calm, meditative state is more readily achieved. If one used a more active vinasana flow type of yoga practice, he or she might focus more on the movements than on the physical state, thus having a more difficult time developing and achieving awareness.

In developing a Zen Yoga practice, it would be good to first develop a routine. In yoga, we often first practice pranayama breathing, move on to asana practice, then finish with some type of meditation. Whether these are done together or separately, one can make a combination of the three into a meditative or mindful yoga practice that would be useful either for a person practicing zazen or one focusing more on the yoga side. If one does not have time to do a complete practice all at one time, it can be divided into a routine of pranayama in the morning, asanas later in the day, and meditation to finish the day. Dividing the practice helps us prepare for the day, keep mindfulness throughout the day, and end the day with emptying the mind. It is important to consider the time of year and how our practice might change depending on the season. Here in Japan it is more difficult to get going in the morning during winter months; therefore, one might want to do a light morning asana practice that warms and wakes the body up. In summer on the other hand it is terrifically hot, so it would be better to perform quiet meditation in the morning and asanas in the evening when it may become a bit cooler. In some places, it remains hot throughout the evening as well. In this situation, one might consider seated asanas that are less stressful and focus more on stretching movements. Incorporating the aspects of yoga and meditation into our daily routine and becoming mindful of what our bodies need depending on the time of year can help develop a practice of continual mindfulness over time, which then leads to the awareness of the here and now and to a more complete awareness of the differences between the two selves. It is important though to keep in mind that whether one decides to primarily focus on Zen or yoga, while they complement each other, yoga is yoga and Zen is Zen. In other words, one should remain aware of the differences in the two practices and practice zazen separately from yoga. Keeping practice separate will allow the mind to be aware the dichotomy between the two and help ease confusion which causes agitation and hinders the development and attainment of the empty mind and Self.

References

Anonymous. (2010). The Official Website: B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga. Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute. Retrieved October 30, 2010, from http://www.bksiyengar.com/modules/Referen/Books/book.htm

Austin, V. (2010). Zen or Yoga? A Teacher Responds. In M. Stone (Ed.), Freeing The Body Freeing The Mind (pp. 44-63). USA: Shambhala Publications, Inc.

Boccio, F. (2010). Mindfulness Yoga. In M. Stone (Ed.), Freeing The Body Freeing The Mind (pp. 144-164). USA: Shambhala Publications, Inc.

Sekida, K. (2003). A Guide to Zen: Lessons from a Modern Master. (M. Allen, Ed.). California: New World Library.


Wendy M. Gough is a certified Yoga teacher. She teaches Yoga classes in Nagoya, Japan.

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Yoga: The Answer to Obesity

Thursday, February 24th, 2011

yoga teacher trainingBy Darlene C. Donegan

Obesity is a complex disease for which no single cause or cure exists. You gain weight when you take in more calories than you burn off. But obesity is influenced by many other factors including your family history, the type of work you do, your race, and your environment. People are less active than ever. Some people hate to exercise and others may not have the time, and many of the conveniences we use, such as elevators, cars, and the remote control for the television, cut activity out of our lives. Other things can affect our weight, such as family history or genetics. For example, if one of your parents is obese, you are 3 times as likely to be obese than someone with parents of healthy weight.

Other things influence your weight and whether you are physically active including, Low self-esteem being overweight or obese may lower your self-esteem and lead to eating as a way to comfort yourself; Emotional concerns emotional stress, anxiety, or illnesses such as depression or chronic pain can lead to overeating; and Trauma distressing events, such as childhood, sexual, physical, or emotional abuse, loss of a parent during childhood, and marital or family problems can contribute to overeating. Obesity has become a major health concern in the U.S. The technological advances in today’s society have led to less active citizens. This lifestyle carries many consequences.

How obesity affects your health depends on many things, including your age, gender, where you carry your body fat, and how physically active you are. If you are obese, you are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, coronary artery disease, stroke, and sleep apnea, among other conditions. If you lose weight, your risk for these conditions is reduced. Where you carry body fat is important. If fat builds up mostly around your stomach (sometimes called apple-shaped), you are at greater risk for type 2 diabetes; high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and coronary artery disease than people who are lean or people with fat around the hips (sometimes called pear-shaped).

Research shows the following health benefits for weight loss: Weight loss may improve survival in those who have an obesity-related disease, especially type 2 diabetes, modest weight loss of 4.4lbs to 9.7lbs resulted in a significant lowering of blood pressure; people with asthma who lost an average of 31.3lb over 1 year showed improved lung function and overall health, and with weight loss, the number of severe asthma episodes were reduced, people with type 2 diabetes who lost weight had lower blood sugar levels and were able to use less medicine to lower their blood sugar levels; sustained weight loss prevented new cases of type 2 diabetes in people who were obese; and people with obstructive sleep apnea who lost as little as 10% of their weight improved their sleep patterns and had less daytime sleepiness.

What helps one person lose weight may not work for someone else. The key is to find the right balance of eating and physical activity that you can keep doing or a program that works with your lifestyle. Being overweight in today’s society is seen as a failure. Advertisers bombard Americans with images of thin females models, actresses and chiseled male models and actors. These images are not only impossible to obtain but it glorifies a unhealthy body image. However, what if people could see being overweight as a message that we are living out of balance?

The important thing to remember is that being overweight is a symptom of a much bigger frustration. A large portion of the population is suffering from the symptoms of being overweight. Our lives are truly out of balance. If we could trip into our true, authentic selves, our unnecessary fat would disappear. Our unwanted fat is the symptom of a deeper disease, that of being disconnected from our true selves. Therefore, the ideal fitness program would work to actively bring all the various parts of ourselves into balance. It is widely accepted that yoga can help to lose weight, improve your figure, strengthen and recondition your entire body, stay relaxed under pressure, remove mental strain & tension, improve circulation & breathing, eliminate many causes of depression, regain agility, develop self empowerment and achieve integration of body, mind and spirit.

What can yoga do physically? This simple but incredibly effective method can: vastly improve flexibility, increase strength and muscle tone, instill superior balance and body control, improves breathing and oxygen intake, improve athletic performance, prevent injuries, speeds up recovery, alleviate back pain, raise energy level, recharge sex life, and improve overall sleep. Best of all, yoga can be done at any age almost anywhere. There is no special clothing or equipment required.

Fear of being fat and getting fatter holds us back from being slim. Yoga will help to make you stronger, in body, mind and spirit, so that fear will not be such a challenge. Fear-based systems such as crash dieting, extreme exercise routines, and endless self sacrifice will produce tension, and even if you painstakingly reach your slimming goals, the tension will catapult you back to being overweight. A yoga program eliminates this tension and promotes an effortless way of losing fat and staying slim.

Our body should be seen as an investment. That means putting into your body only food and drink that enhances your performance, gives you vitality and richness of life and supports your need and desire to succeed. This can be done by going back to the traditional wisdom of yoga. You are what you eat. If you eat highly processed foods, your digestion will be less efficient, and this will result in your being lethargic, dull, and fat. Yogis divide food into 3 main groups: Tamastic food these foods should be avoided. Foods that fall into this group are meat, battered fish, eggs, alcohol, overcooked foods, reheated leftovers, fried or barbecued foods, baked goods with white flour, ice cream, candy, white bread, refined, processed and prepackaged foods, canned foods, stale or tasteless food, anything containing preservatives or additives. Tamastic foods produce a feeling of heaviness, dullness, and lack of energy. For optimum health and well being, students of yoga are encouraged to avoid these foods. Rajastic food these foods should be limited in ones diet.

Foods that fall into this category are coffee, tea, heavily spiced and salted products, flavored potato chips & peanuts, chocolate and carbonated drinks. Rajastic foods make a person feel hyper and jumpy, so that you become stressed and more prone to circulatory and nervous disorders. Sattvic foods these foods are to always be eaten to ensure superior overall health benefits. Foods that fall into this category are organic and non-genetically modified foods, fresh and dried fruits, freshly squeezed juices, raw or lightly cooked vegetables, salads, fresh fish, whole grains, nuts, seeds, sprouted seeds, whole wheat breads, honey, fresh herbs, herbal teas and organic dairy products. These foods will calm the mind and body, make you vital and happy, and help to promote a long, healthy life. If you want to feel clear headed, full of energy, and slim, choose foods from the sattvic group.

Furthermore, yoga is an all around fitness program that gradually (and safely) tones and shapes the body. Though it won’t take off inches as fast as more vigorous exercises, yoga asana will improve posture, increase willpower, and help you feel better about yourself as you follow a weight loss program. Yoga exercise and meditation releases muscle tension in the autonomic nervous system. Deep abdominal breathing (as practiced in yoga) can relieve insomnia by relaxing the body and reducing the activity of the mind.

Yoga not only relaxes the mind but also builds strength. Yoga strength is a tensile strength, born of holding sustained poses and using your own body weight as a dynamic, living resistance.

When remaining in a challenging yoga pose for 10 breaths (or 30 seconds), you are stressing those muscles for a longer time than it takes to curl a dumbbell or perform some other kind of repetition. Weight lifting is a ballistic motion. Yoga is about sustained strength training. While weight lifting builds bulk, it also shortens and tightens the muscles. Yoga lengthens them and generates strength through the entire range of motion.

Yoga and pumping iron actually work really well together. Rather than isolating muscles (as in weight training), yoga moves various muscles groups from all over the body. Everyone needs functional strength, which is what yoga gives you.

Yoga teaches people how to use their strength more effectively. In a yoga program you’re maintaining your balance, noticing and correcting tiny movements, compensating, making adjustments, and regulating your breathing. This makes yoga strength training much more complex and more demanding.

Yoga and weight training are two very different exercises that complement each other very well. The drawback to lifting weights alone is that there is a risk of injury and getting stiff but yoga’s benefits counter those exact problems. Weight lifting tends to develop the big exterior muscles (pecs, biceps, etc), but yoga hits all the secondary muscles (including stabilizers in the core). By doing both workouts, you’re covering the entire body. Weight training actually tears muscles, creating scar tissue. Yoga can’t repair all the damage but putting flexibility back into the muscle creates better blood flow and circulation, bringing in oxygen that helps those muscles heal. After lifting weights, the stress creates a caustic by-product, lactic acid. Yoga’s deep stretches wring the lactic acid and other inflammatory chemicals out of the muscle. Yoga can be done in conjunction with many other forms of exercise, including cardio vascular exercise, internal training, walking, running, dancing and sports.

The physical aspects of yoga are many, but the yoga breath work has tremendous benefits for the body. Yogic breathing increases oxygen intake, improves oxygen exchange, deepens your body awareness through focusing on the breath, and trains & improve your focus and power of concentration. The body needs oxygen in every cell; the muscles and the brain work better with more oxygen. When you breathe better, you think clear. The body works better and so do the muscles, digestive system and the brain. Yogic breathing focus on deeper breathing is definitely a factor in reducing tension.

Yoga helps regulate the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic nervous system stirs up the body to confront danger or outside stresses by raising the heart rate and releasing energy and adrenaline (classic fight-or-flight response). The parasympathetic nervous system does the opposite. It sends neurotransmitters to slow your heart rate, calming the body down. This network is believed to promote healing, sleep, and maintain a healthy reproductive system and digestion. Stress hormones secreted by the sympathetic system have a long term corrosive or degenerative effect. Therefore, regular yoga practice decreases the negative affect of the sympathetic nervous system.

Women as a group suffer from digestive problems which contribute to excessive weight. One reason is hormonal changes that occur in premenopausal and menopausal women. In premenopausal women, the gastrointestinal tract slows down because the body produces less estrogen (a natural gastrointestinal stimulant). The liver (the building block for breaking down food) is too busy recycling unused hormones. Once a woman is premenopausal, the pituitary gland sends large quantities of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone into the system to try to jump start ovarian production of estrogen. In menopausal women, digestive problems continue for other reasons.

During the reproductive years, women are blessed with a built in cleansing system, the monthly menstrual cycle. With the monthly period the body has an opportunity to rid itself of stored up undigested food particles, toxins, and other impurities along with the endometrial lining. Women no longer have this luxury when they reach menopause. What can be done about it? Poor digestion is an inevitable part of aging. If you enter this stage of life with healthy eating and sleep habits and a consistent, preventative yoga practice, you stand a better chance of staying healthy and slim. Exercise is a key component. Yoga not only helps stimulate gastrointestinal function but also helps balance your thyroid gland, calm your nervous system, and soften & bring healing breath to your abdominal region.

Yoga poses that help digestive disorders are many. Backbends lift the diaphragm to take pressure off your stomach and get fresh blood circulating in the abdomen. Forward bends help if you are constipated, bloated, or gassy. Besides the calming affect on the nervous system, the gentle pressure forward bends exerted on the abdomen helps release trapped gas.

Both standing and sitting forward bends pacify the adrenals and kidneys while getting the digestive juices flowing. Standing poses can improve digestion and elimination. These poses can cool the digestive system and increase circulation in the abdominal organs. Inversion, by reversing gravity, gives the abdominal organs a break. This relieves congestion and increases blood flow to the abdomen. This is a great way to improve eliminations and soothe a gassy stomach. They balance the endocrine system, particularly the hypothalamus (controls digestive function), thyroid and parathyroid which govern metabolism, and the central nervous system.

Yoga is the key to successfully gaining the ideal body and doing away with excess weight. As few as three yoga exercises a day, done regularly and correctly, along with daily meditation can help bring all the body’s systems into balance. What happens is that all the abilities and insights you’ve gained in private yoga practice go with you as you move your body and mind outward to perform in the public world. The abilities and insights are still there in you, but you no longer need to focus your conscious attention on them; you just know that the body’s skills and the mind’s judgment can prevail no matter what the demand.

Yoga strengthens the will. People who lack decisiveness will benefit from practicing yoga on a regular basis. While you are putting your body into all these new postures, you have to concentrate and be very conscious of exactly what your body parts are doing at each given moment. All these things give you greater body awareness. Greater awareness allows a person to make better choices regarding what foods to eat and activities to engage in daily. Yoga brings an entire lifestyle change, if the participant is willing to fully embrace it.

In review, it has been clearly demonstrated how the practice of yoga can lead to permanent weight loss. The physical body is strengthened through consistent practice of yoga. Asanas were invented to keep practitioners completely healthy in a very small space. Whether you’re a novice or a lifetime practitioner, yoga moves can be modified, adjusted and increased in intensity to meet every person’s needs. The nervous and digestive systems are stimulated so that they operate smoothly and effectively. Through deep breathing, the lungs are expanded allowing more oxygen into the blood stream, muscles, and brain. Meditation, a key component to yoga practice, stills the mind. This allows each individual to get in touch with a higher source, allows the mind to be clear and the body relaxed. The ultimate experience in yoga is the union of all parts of you to become a powerful, intensely strong person. Yoga practice needs to be approached as a friendly interplay between body and mind that helps one become healthy and strong, rather than as a harsh, forceful discipline. The choice is yours to practice yoga to once and for all win the battle of the bulge!

Bibliography

Capouya, John. Real Men Do Yoga: 21 Star Athletes Reveal Their Secrets for Strength, Flexibility, and Peak Performance. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, 2003. Print.

Christensen, Alice. The American Yoga Association’s New Yoga Challenge: Powerful Workouts for Flexibility, Strength, Energy, and Inner Discovery. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary, 1997. Print.

Christensen, Alice. 20-minute Yoga Workouts. New York: Ballantine, 1995. Print.

Hawe, Celia, and Francesca Yorke. Yoga for Weight Loss. Singapore: Page One, 2007. Print.

“Obesity-Cause.” WebMD – Better Information. Better Health. Healthwise, Inc, 16 Apr. 2009. Web. 02 Aug. 2010. <http://www.webmd.com/diet/tc/obesity-cause>.

Sparrowe, Linda, and Patricia Walden. The Woman’s Book of Yoga and Health: a Lifelong Guide to Wellness. Boston: Shambhala, 2002. Print.


Darlene C. Donegan is a certified Yoga teacher.  She teaches Yoga classes in St. Louis, Missouri.

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Yoga: The Optimal Health System

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

yoga instructor certificationBy Justin Benson

In our Western society we are constantly being bombarded with being healthy, whether that is to be strong, thin, flexible, agile, faster, smarter or in any way better. However, though all these messages are constantly being thrown at us, we as a society are never really given a way to achieve this goal. Yes, we are offered different things from power drinks to keep us awake, drinks to make us lose weight, drinks to make us smarter, and more pills to fix any other growing problem. It is really at this point that it should be argued that these healthy things that our society wants from us are in no way impossible to achieve, but are rather simpler to fix than could have ever been imagined and that is why I am going to present the argument for “Yoga as the optimal health system for all”. I can hear some of the critics now, I am too young, old, inflexible or manly, too busy etc., but Yoga can deal with all these worries and anxieties and more. Yoga is no longer just an Eastern science, but a science that is now available to everyone from the young to the old; it offers meditation techniques to combat stress and high blood pressure, ways to stay physically fit and healthy, ways to stay mentally fit and able to face everyday challenges, and even rounds it off with the ultimate exercise which is a spiritual one. From everything mentioned above it is just as the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali says, “From contentment one gains supreme happiness” (Patanjali 2: 42) which is what Yoga can offer us all.

The young are one area that the world should take time to slow down and truly examine. Our family units usually have both caregivers working which does not allow for as much time for moral and ethical instruction, and because of this the young are turning to television, movies and video games for answers, and unfortunately, they are oftentimes coming to the horrible conclusion that the world is not a beautiful place but one to fear which in turn breeds aggression and hatred. These fears have become so great that we are now seeing children on drugs rarely given to the young some 20 years ago ranging from anti-depressants to more severe mood altering drugs. However, this does not have to be the case, and that is why Yoga is a great thing to teach to the young. In Patanjali’s Yoga sutra he writes, “By abiding in nonviolence, one’s presence creates an atmosphere in which hostility ceases” (Patanjali 2:35). With this statement alone the doubters of Yoga should really stop and reflect on his words. The youth of this world would no longer fear because of the peacefulness which surrounds them and which is generated by them, and what’s more is that when people view these young students, especially those their own age they are going to stop and wonder what it is that is going on, and by doing so they will further advance the science which is Yoga; which will in turn continue to create a world with fewer fears, anxieties and hatreds that lead to the overmedicating problems of today.

Perhaps there are some that would argue that it is solely the young that suffer these anxieties and fears. But if that were true we wouldn’t have the news we have or the wars that are still ongoing, and not to mention on a smaller scale the fear of losing our job, being overworked, overtired, filled with worries and anxieties that range from the simple to the extreme whatever they may be. Yoga again can help with all of this as well, and the first thing it can help with is poor alignment. So many people today spend a lot of time in front of a computer, television or some other form of entertainment that causes the body to slouch, and by doing so the body develops poor balance, poor health, all of which can lead to weight problems. Yoga can help with these problems as well by correcting poor body alignment and stiffness while at the same time giving the practitioner the added bonus of expelling old air from the lungs and filling you with new air or prana (life energy).

As for the fears, anxieties and worries Yoga will help with these as well. No, it will not dispel them, but it will allow one to step back, breathe evenly and accept the problem while not becoming overwhelmed by it which causes the muscles to tighten and chronic ailments to set in because of stress.

Imagine at this point that you have been practicing Yoga since you were young (and I hope this trend takes off) and now find yourself in old age. Unlike what you expected to happen you now find yourself with a “proper curvature… to increase its flexibility by stretching the anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments” (Swami Vishnu-devananda 55) because of Yoga. Yes, you are no longer the stereotypical old person who is hunched over; you, because of your long commitment to Yoga stand tall in old age- imagine it. What is even better than this is that Yoga has taught you how to breathe properly which in turn has led you to have fewer or no problems with illness which at one time would have been thought to be commonplace. Finally, if this were not enough, Yoga offers one of its greatest gems and that is the release from the fear of death, no Yoga cannot save you from death as great as Yoga may be, but it can offer something far greater, and that is through a stunning eye opener that allows the practitioner to understand the true meaning of the self which is the same as the universe which has no beginning or end.

Perhaps that last statement above was a lot to take in, so lets draw back down to a more worldly level which has to do with physical ailments. Our world, which as stated earlier, is moving at a speed that would make most of us get quite dizzy, and this dizziness as it were brings many ailments with it. Our society now faces an increase in high blood pressure both in the young and old, an increase in insomnia caused by excessive worries, nervous tensions that are being dealt with through drugs rather than eliminating the problem, an ever continuing of people smoking though most if not all people are aware of all the chemicals, diseases, and death that smoking causes, and of course links directly to the last ailment that is rising drastically which is asthma. This list of problems is just some of the things that Yoga can deal with and that is because of a thing Yogins call “prana” or life energy if you will. If people who suffered from any of the ailments above were to take up Yoga they would soon find a “renewal of the body cells, and that disease is unlikely to gain hold on a body whose every body cell is permeated with pranic energy” (James Hewitt 123). Due to the fact that Yoga teaches body alignment and proper breathing through pranayama, those who practice find themselves free from the fetters of worries and troubles and because of this not susceptible to the many if not all of the ailments listed above.

Linked to the physical ailments of course would be its opposite, physical well being to which Yoga is greatly concerned. First and foremost, as mentioned earlier Yoga teaches the practitioner to breathe properly, and maybe up to this point you thought you did, but the true way to breathe which most of us have forgotten is with a ratio of 1:2. This ratio for Yoga breathing Swami Vishnu-devananda explains is that by making the exhalation longer than the inhalation one “is to get maximum control over the lungs so that old foul air in the air sacs can be squeezed out” (Swami Vishnu-devananda 238).Furthermore James Hewitt argues that the Complete Yoga breath “vitalizes; removes phlegm; tones the nervous system; purifies and enriches the blood; improves appetite; aids digestion; broadens and strengthens the thorax; massages the abdominal organs; and makes consciousness lucid and alert” (91). With this type of breathing and exercise in place ones body is fit and able to withstand the ailments and pressures of society which of course leads us to our next examination which is one’s mental well being.

With the use of proper breathing as taught by Yoga, one now has the capabilities to withstand the tensions which are placed on the mind by constant or unnecessary worries and anxieties which only lead to physical tension as mentioned earlier. Once a person has been trained in Yoga which will lead one to breathe better, a practitioner will soon find themselves able to slowly become calm by controlling the breath in stressful situations which will it turn make one be, “able to feel a kind of floating sensation, as if one were as light as a feather (which allows for one to feel) peace and joy” (Swami Vishnu-devananda 203).

Since we are now physically well and mentally well, that only leaves us now to become spiritually well as it were. As mentioned earlier death happens to us all, and even the notion of it scares most people so much that we find our culture saying things like “if I die” and “I don’t want to die” in both statements there is a certain error as it were; first of all it is not a question of “if” and secondly you do not have a choice. Perhaps this sounds a bit harsh but in fact what must be pointed out is a very interesting argument from a Yoga standpoint and that is that “man has become prey to all evil emotions of the mind by identifying himself with the body and mind, and the only sure way to free himself from its clutches is by asserting his real nature, that is, ‘I am pure consciousness or self’. This identification with the self completes the process of relaxation” (Swami Vishnu-devanada 203). How could a person at this point not find perfect peace as stated by Vishnu-devananda, for if you can accept his argument then you come to realize that you are immortal, that death is nothing to be feared but the wearing away of the body, and that whatever higher power you acknowledge, you are it.

Yoga, as argued is the best and optimal health system for all and is exactly as Patanjali put forward so long ago, “ Yoga pose is mastered by relaxation of effort, lessening the tendency for restless breathing, and promoting an identification of oneself as living within the infinite breath of life” (2:47).

Namaste

Justin Benson is a certified Yoga teacher. He teaches Yoga classes in the Lewisporte, Newfoundland area.

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