Written By Guenevere Milne

Before I began planning the outline for my essay, I was thinking about yoga, and what I thought of yoga and its relation to health from my own personal journey. I came up with lots of examples of how Yoga has helped me in relation to health on so many levels throughout my life journey thus far.

I have seen and felt the physical, mental, emotional and last but not least, the spiritual health benefits from my own practice. For what ever time, phase, and stage of my life I have gone through, Yoga has been there to guide me through it, and as my needs have changed, so has my practice.

I believe Yoga to be an intuitive quest for each of us, that provides us with any and all of the tools we need to gain optimum health at any stage of life, or situation in life that we might encounter along our individual journey .We only need to tune in and listen to its call. I will outline the way I have chosen to write this essay, as to what points and topics I will cover in each paragraph.

My outline is as follows: Firstly, I will discuss the ancient history of Yoga, and where it was derived from. I will then explain a little about Patanjali and his relationship to Yoga as we know it today. The next paragraph will discuss Yoga’s arrival to the Western world and BKS Iyengar influence on the landing of Yoga in the US, and his impact at that time in the 1960′s, and his continuing influence today. Lastly, I will bring us up to date with the development of yoga over the past 15-20 years, and how in the past decade, yoga has become an almost household name.

Yoga is recognised in schools, hospitals, institutions, and practiced widespread with no discrimination by people from all different religions, background, and ages. Yoga’s beginnings are traced back to the ancient study of Ayurveda, dating back 5000 years. Ayurveda was considered the “science of life” in India, and dealt with body, and spirit. Ayurvedic belief explains the body and its functions relating to the earth’s elements, and also food and body types that need balancing. The scriptures where we came to understand and learn about Ayurveda were called the Vedas, of which there are four.

These Vedas are the body of the Vedic religion. The Veda’s were broken down into four main texts. They are listed as follows: Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva. The Rig Veda was to be the basis for the yoga sutras that Patanjali compiled many moons later, dating somewhere around 150 BCE. Patanjali, in his Yoga Sutras, divided the Sutras into four sections.

1. Samadhi Pada- Refers to a blissful state where the yogi is absorbed into the One with higher self, or God.

2. Sadhana Pada- refers to the practice of yoga, kriya (selfless acts and service to others) and ashtanga (the Eight Limbs of yoga that constitute raja Yoga).

3.Vibhuti Pada- refers to the manifestation of supra-normal powers, which pupils are advised not to be tempted to try to acquire, but merely to understand that they do exist and will become stronger as one becomes more liberated.

4. Kaivalya Pada-Refers to being liberated from the earthly self to ones transcendental self. (Moksha).

He also explained the Eight Limbs of Yoga, known as Ashtanga. These break down the overall lifestyle a yogi should pursue; from what one should abstain from, and the other rules, non-violence, honesty in word and thought, non-desire, celibacy or monogamy, non-possessiveness. It also breaks down the practice of Asana, Pranayama, and Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses). The cleansing practices are listed also.

Lastly, the forms or disciplines of meditation and the ultimate goals of meditation are explained- Dharana (steady eye gazing) meditation of an object, or mid-point of eyebrow, or an image of deity. Dhyana single pointed meditation where one remains separate from object of meditation, and Samadhi, oneness with the object of meditation.

Yoga. In its traditional philosophical Hinduism form involved meditation, ethics, metaphysics, and devotion to Brahman (God). As explained, the sutras taught yogis many years ago how to practice for betterment of health, but the physical benefits were only look upon as an aid to the strength required for the strenuous meditation practice, which was always the ultimate goal of practice.

One’s physical health prepared for mental health which prepared for spiritual health. That order was important to the traditional yogis. One’s body fitness was not looked upon as an aesthetic aim as it is today, as peoples’ lives didn’t reflect those materialistic intentions and focus on body image as the modern trend of human development has grown into.

Today, many people stumble upon yoga looking firstly for physical betterment (tight bum and a six-pack), and look at the mental health benefits as a bonus, then the spiritual sometimes creeps in unexpectedly if not having had become intentional from realising one’s truth through their practice. It usually will get them discovering sooner rather than later if they are consistent in their practice!

Most Yogis draw from Patanjali as a historical teacher of Yoga, therefore the sutras are viewed as the original texts and instruction manuals for learning, living and teaching Yoga.

One of the most influential Yogis of the 20th Century is BKS Iyengar. Here is a quote from Iyengar about Patanjali. “Patanjali fills each sutra with his experiential intelligence, stretching it like a thread (sutra), and weaving it like a garland of pearls of wisdom to flavour and savour by those who love and live in yoga.”

Iyengar is most widely and fondly thought of as the Yogi who brought Yoga to the West in the 1960′s. During this era, people were searching for alternative spirituality, alternative realities, with the drug revolution, and hippie movement, many of these paths crossed, as young people turned on, tuned in, and dropped out doing a lot of experimenting on various levels of consciousness.

Not everyone was taking the wild, easy yet deceptive route of psychedelic drug use, as some were genuinely interested in the benefits of Yoga, Eastern religion, arts and music that had been gifted to us from our new found Indian friends. Iyengar is very much given credit for the exposure of the therapeutic facets of Yoga, as he implemented the use of props such as blocks, straps, mats, blankets, and cushions to allow for more range of motion in those students who might otherwise feel restricted in their practice.

This brought more interest from not only fit, young people, but all of a sudden all ages and stages represented in life were knocking Yoga’s doors down!

In the past 10-15 years, however, the interest in Yoga an Eastern medicine has grown more than just peoples’ personal calling, to it gaining attention from many of those different medical professions. There have been countless studies and trial done on the effects of Yoga and mental health, Yoga and mental illnesses, yoga and physical ailments and diseases for its growing respect in its preventative and healing qualities.

One can even get Masters degrees in Yoga Therapy now, as it is a recognised degree and certification for those in Medical or psychiatric profession to obtain if interested in these effects Yoga has on different patients with different needs.

Yoga classes have been incorporated in hospitals for restorative work, physical therapy, for Cancer patients to help with the depression, and for countless other needs a hospital might encounter. The overall positive effects of Yoga relating to health is so obvious to most in the health of medical profession of today, that it hardly has any opposition to anyone that has an understanding of it.

A Harvard study was conducted where Vietnam veterans were introduced to Yoga practice, and by the end of the study, they noticed remarkable differences in the veterans sleeping patterns, having less insomnia, and less depression. They also seemed to have achieved a better sense of well being and general happiness.

Another way to view the health benefits of Yoga is to examine the systems of the human body and what particular effects yoga in known to have on these particular systems. In general, yoga has been recognised to increase one’s body’s overall fitness, and over a period of time, to be able to normalise blood pressure. It has also been recognised to help with sleep relief (insomnia), mental health, and has been noted to increase an overall sense of happiness and general wellbeing.

To be more specific about some of the effects yoga has on one’s physical body, the body systems will be broken down into four categories. Our cardiovascular system (our heart and arteries) benefit from the asana practice of yoga because asanas are isometric which means the muscles are tense but not contracted.

Therefore they rely on the muscle being held tight in a certain position that it might not ordinarily hold for a certain given length of time which helps cardio fitness and circulation. The digestive system also benefits from practice of yoga because the massaging effect of the surrounding muscles speeds up a slow or sluggish digestive system.

The overall muscular and skeletal systems are helped form yoga because one’s joints are moving through their full range of motion. This encourages mobility, increases one’s flexibility, and one gains endurance and strength over time from regular practice. In turn, yoga may help prevent osteoporosis, and at least help someone who has been diagnosed with osteoporosis to have less pain in the back and spine, and improve posture.

The nervous system also reaps the benefits of yoga because of the improved blood circulation, the easing of muscular tension, the mental focus required along with the pranayama practice and asana practice. They all work together to soothe and restore the nervous system to a healthier state. Over the long term, the yoga practice of asanas and pranayama can reduce stress and anxiety in most if not all people.

Luckily today, it is widely known that almost anyone can practice yoga as long as certain factors are considered. Knowing that yoga is a non- competitive form of exercise, one learns and progresses at own pace and within one’s own limitations. Yoga should never cause pain, so therefore a person practicing can know to back off from a pose if there is pain involved.

No matter how young or old, fit or ailing, spiritual or atheist, male or female, one can benefit from the many multitudes of healthfulness that yoga can offer It is never too late or too early to rise to the occasion of yoga calling you to the path of health, longevity and happiness!

Guenevere Milne teaches Hatha Yoga in Australia.