By Nighean Hardie
Yoga is one of India’s wonderful gifts to mankind and although its origins are ancient, its methods and purposes are still relevant today, relying not on cultural background, faith or deity, but simply of the individual and the benefits each person receives from practising. Yoga has become important in the lives of many contemporary Westerners, sometimes as a way of improving the health and fitness of the body and Hatha yoga, a limb of yoga that emphasises strenuous and persistent effort, encourages awareness of the body. Coming back to the body draws the mind back to the present. Then, the worries drop away and there are no more “shoulds’ or “musts”. One of the reasons yoga is so refreshing is that, even if only for an instant, there is only the reality of the present moment. Each time you come to the present moment, you drop a certain amount of baggage. You may pick it up again thereafter, but the point is that you have practiced letting it go. Eventually you will be able to reduce the stress more often and for longer periods of time. In this respect, yoga is like life training. Its practice is a fabulous tool for transformation.
Yoga is an extremely powerful way of strengthening the body. One of its many valuable qualities is that it builds up a store of physical health through the practice of asanas, keeping the body cleansed and fit; exercise is essential for the speedy removal of toxins and for keeping blood circulation and all internal processes functioning smoothly. Hatha yoga in particular, is ideally suited to modern Westerners. Its structure is such that it starts with the very basics of how we experience existence – the physical body – and works inward. Increasingly, we fail to use our bodies enough or we have lifestyles that abuse them. Most of us suffer from back or joint pain at some stage, and many aspects of modern life – for example, sitting down for long periods of time to drive, watch television or work at a computer – place strains upon the body for which it is ill-prepared. We use medication to mask pain without bothering to establish its underlying cause. The flexibility and sensitivity that we had as children is lost as we gradually shut down our innate awareness of our bodies.
The physical benefits of yoga include increased strength, suppleness and stamina. Unlike many sports and fitness routines, yoga works on all the body’s muscles – this avoids overtraining specific muscle groups, a practice which can lead to injuries. Yoga enhances your balance, posture, agility and grace. It also cleanses and conditions internal systems and enhances bodily processes, such as digestion. Standing poses increase metabolism and also strengthen and tone the muscles, build endurance and warm the body. The exercises not only boost the body’s metabolism but also normalise the hormonal imbalances in the body to ensure good health and a glowing skin. The malfunctioning of the endocrine glands that regulate your metabolism could lead to stress, premature aging and other diseases and whilst this continues to affect many people throughout the world – especially in western countries – a healthy metabolism keeps the body and mind in perfect balance. The twisting and compressing of the yoga postures massage the endocrine and abdominal organs, regulating their function, improving local circulation and cleansing them of old stagnant toxins.
Yoga can help to alleviate or eliminate specific physical symptoms or ailments, such as PMS, headache, back ache, stress, insomnia, asthma and irritable bowl syndrome. Under the guidance of a specialist teacher, yoga can aid the management of or recovery from more serious conditions, such as cancer, HIV, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and other degenerative diseases.
It must always be remembered it does not matter what kind of shape your body is in when you start your practice: just having a body – being alive – is sufficient qualifications for doing yoga.
The ancient yogic philosophy states that there are physical, mental and spiritual sheaths of existence. The body tends to develop certain illnesses and disorders due to the imbalance in these sheaths. Yoga practice is associated with physical, emotional and ultimately, spiritual benefits. You may notice some benefits, such as increased flexibility and calm, early on in your practice, while others may appear more slowly as you cultivate a new awareness of your body and mind.
Having dealt with the physical side of life, yoga turns to the mental. Here different breathing exercises or techniques quieten the mind and brain, offering inner peace and an ability to face upheavals and deal with problems. An emphasis on breathing techniques helps you to breathe better – deeper and more fully – even when you are not practising yoga. This leads to clarity and stillness of mind, which in turn leads to improved concentration. You may also find that yoga helps to reduce anxiety, emotional tension and mood swings. One of the most profound benefits of yoga is stress management. Studies have shown that anxiety and stress levels can be reduced effectively through meditation, which also has a remarkable healing effect on the physical body. Imagine a stressful day at work or at home. The fast-paced environment requires you to be constantly worrying about the next thing. With yoga, you can benefit from relaxed breathing with a reasonable degree of control. Such activity allows your body and muscles to relax and think about peaceful thoughts, diverting your focus on stress. Even flexing activities could help a stressed person by loosening the tight muscles. Often when someone is stressed, the muscles are as well.
Practicing asana provides a way of physically and mentally unwinding to help focus the mind in preparation for meditation. Some people benefit greatly from this kind of preparation, while others may find that a moving meditation suits them best – some styles such as Astanga Vinyasa incorporate meditation into posture practice. The movement of the body provides a tool for concentrating the mind.
Throughout history and in all cultures, people have sought ways to go beyond the limitations of habitual living and discover more about themselves and the nature of reality. Meditation means “to become familiar with” and is a way of exploring the inner self. In our busy lives where the senses tend to be drawn outward, meditation is a good opportunity to turn inward on a journey of discovery. Meditation can be used to help us relax and cope with stress. It slows down the mind and balances the emotions. People use meditation for healing. It can also assist in problem solving by leading us to insights, which may range from the spiritually significant to the mundane. It can take us to higher states of awareness, peace and clarity. Sometimes people experience visions or feelings of bliss, vitality and an increased sensory awareness. Some have a sense of connecting with a higher aspect of themselves or with the divine. Ultimately, mediation is a personal pursuit and once a regular practice has been established many find the benefits are far beyond those they expected.
In terms of “specialist” yoga; prenatal yoga can help lower a mother’s anxiety, increase oxygen, improve circulation and create a bonding experience with the baby prior to birth. Many prenatal yoga classes incorporate chanting into their sessions: sound is powerful and studies have shown that babies learn to recognize and respond to voices in the womb with many pregnancy experts advising talking to your baby daily to increase early bonding for both mother and child. Studies on prenatal yoga have shown it improves birth weight, decreases preterm labour, and decreases IUGR (isolated intrauterine growth retardation) either in isolation or associated with PIH (pregnancy-induced hypertension).
In India itself, the home of yoga, some children begin yoga from the age of five. The benefits of improved health, fitness and concentration are well documented, and now many forward-thinking schools in the West are beginning to teach yoga to children. This practice has been shown to enhance self-confidence, self-reliance, self-discipline, academic performance and the ability to cope with stressful situations, such as exams. By teaching self awareness, self control, and concentration, yoga can also help to manage children who have been diagnosed with ADHD – attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. It has also been used with some success to help children with Downs Syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism.
Finally, yoga is a personal path of discovery for each of us. Its particular and unique relevance to each person will become apparent as you begin your practice. On the physical level, as in life, being off balance doesn’t feel good. Feeling as though you might topple over at any time is neither safe nor comfortable. One of the reasons yoga has grown dramatically in popularity is that it helps people feel harmonious, integrated and complete. As you learn about your centre in a yoga pose, you practice finding your centre in other areas of your life. In fact, dealing with a posture can train you to better deal with life events. The strengthening, purifying and energizing practices of yoga can lead you back to a more complete awareness of your self and can be practiced by everyone in order to stay healthy, calm and disease free.
Nighean Hardie is a Certified Yoga Teacher. She teaches Yoga classes in Barnet, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.
By Lynne Weston
Yoga is a way of developing the whole human being simultaneously. It is a matter of becoming free, integrated and centred. The person who is centred knows who they are and their inner confidence is unmistakable. They have a zest for living and are truly grateful for the blessings in their life. They radiate an aura of peace and contentment living each moment with mindfulness and positivity.
Health would be described as how the physical body is operating. Living and participating in life; not just existing. How we walk, talk, think, breathe, eat, our stamina, and how the body reacts to all that we put it through. When we say we are in a state of “health” we are referring to a state of wellbeing and balance. Physical health is meaningless, if not impossible, without a related mental, emotional and spiritual health.
When a person decides to takes control of their life-style of health and says “I am turning over a new leaf, I am changing my daily regime, my goal is now to become fit and healthy.” We would look at the many changes that they would have to make in their day to day existence. The first step on their new path would be that they would liberate themselves of “the chains that bound them” by a new way of thinking, recognizing that their body is a temple or if they prefer to see it as a Mercedes Benz they would realize that what enters the body or what petrol and maintenance that you give the car, is what performance and life that it will return to you, and with regular upkeep it will not break down and leave you stranded on life’s highways. It will be reliable and working in top functioning order, remembering how important the air in the tyres is, like the prana in your life. You can always give the car a wash and polish on the outside to look good, but it is the continual maintenance of the mechanical side as well, and dedication of realising what you put into anything is what you get back.
Having changed their lifestyle they would have become centred and calm and have a heightened awareness of all creation around them.
Yoga and health are like a marriage, both complimenting each other, working hand in hand, a team effort which becomes stronger with each encounter supporting one another, in facing life’s adversities as well as good times. Growing older together with grace, acceptance, tolerance, and knowledge.
Let’s start from the beginning of life. A baby’s arrival to this earth plane.
When a woman announces that she is expecting a baby, often the question is posed “do you prefer a boy or a girl?” her reply is frequently “I don’t care so long as my baby is healthy.”
The woman during pregnancy maintains a healthy lifestyle which includes diet, exercise, rest, plenty of fresh air, and breathing techniques which will especially be put to use for the birth, as will also the pre natal asanas.
During the incubation process the use of Bio-feedback technology like ultra sounds to see the baby and determine its sex , if required, or the position that it is in, and monitors for heartbeats are a vital technique that living in the 21st century has produced.
When the birth-day arrives, the baby is delivered and the first thing that is essential to life is the breath, the life force energy, the prana. With the wondrous event of life, the breathing is checked and established, all is well.
Breathing is a natural function of the body which happens without conscious effort. It is the body’s most vital process, and is the only autonomic function which we are also able to control. We know that we can stay alive without eating for a few weeks, without drinking for a few days, but irreversible brain damage occurs if we are deprived of air for more than a few minutes.
Efficient breathing is essential for good health as it supplies us with oxygen which is absorbed into the bloodstream within the lungs and then carried to all tissues and cells of the body. Oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide and other waste products, which are removed from the system through the breathing process . Poor breathing habits bring about low levels of oxygen, which impedes the removal of waste matter, and results in the retention of toxins.
As the prana passes through the nose it stimulates the sense of smell, nadis and the chakras. We have the sense of smell, sight, sound, touch, and taste. We also have a 6th sense which is our intuition – our inner sight.- Our connection to higher learning which we are all born with.
Energy flows through the spine, sending impulses to the brain by means of the nervous system, transmitting commands from the brain to the muscles and internal organs, controlling circulation, digestion, respiration, elimination and even the beating of the heart.
The baby’s breathing has been checked and in order. The mother enquires “has the baby got all fingers, toes, and limbs?” ”Yes, all digits and limbs are in order”, the nurse replies.
Yoga also has limbs. There are eight limbs.
These limbs are a good instruction manual for rearing a child.
1. Yama Restraints – ethical disciplines – moral commandments – universal.
Non violence, truthfulness, non-stealing. Without disciplines and moral codes there is no respect or boundaries and that is when children have to be gently guided and shown the correct way and respect of all living things.
2. Niyama Observances – rules of conducting applying to individual discipline. Contentment, self control. Cultivation of a strong character through the Yogic disciplines, lack of complaint. Being shown the difference between “yes” the child may do something, and “no” the child may not do something, is an individual guiding pendulum for right and wrong.
3. Asanas – Bodily postures which promote health and wellbeing and can be done together sharing a common interest. The family that plays together, stays together.
4. Pranayama – Vital energy or breath control. How to compose yourself in difficult situations, using the breath as a vital tool. Learning to take control.
5. Pratyahara – Sense withdrawal, learning how to relax and release tension.
6. Dharna – Concentration useful with school work.
7. Dhyana - Meditation, an inner experience of stillness and peace.
8. Samadhi – A person in the state of samadhi; is in direct contact with pure truth, gaining knowledge directly. Showing the child how to meditate is the first step on this wonderful path that is in front of them, the gift from God is their life. Having taught the child about Karma he will practise understanding and do unto others as he would have them do unto him.
After the birth of the baby, the mother may wish to return to the weight and size she was prior to pregnancy. Asanas contract, relax or stretch the back muscles, keeping them in good condition. The spinal column is kept elastic as each vertebra, disc, ligament and tendon is made to work. The weight of the full term baby has put pressure on the sacral spine and a return to the asanas will help particularly with the pelvic exercises to regain her previous body type in healthy working order.
The way we move, walk, and talk is an expression of our life like an open window to our physical and emotional state. Good alignment and posture is imperative for the working of the respiratory system.
When rearing a baby it is important to find the correct balance in food, water, discipline, sleep, and know that some things in life just aren’t black or white we have to look to the middle grey area. This is also found in Yoga we need to find the Gunas the understanding between different natures and temperaments. Knowing that no two babies are the same. Everyone is a unique being. The qualities of the Gunas are
Sattva – Expressing itself in goodness, purity, lightness, spirituality.
Rajas – Seen as activeness, mobility, speed, restlessness, passion.
Tamas – Typified as passivity, inertia, immobility, sluggishness, earthbound, ignorance.
We need to be conscious of the Rajas (speed) and the Tamas (inertia) so we can find the balance the Sattva. Of the physical, mental and spiritual being.
All children have their own special talents latent or disclosed, we as parents need to foster these and allow the child to work and develop at their own pace. Some children work more on the left hand side of the brain and are mathematically inclined. Others work more with the right hand side of the brain and are creative and arty, each one contributing to mankind. Never compare one sibling to another for each one plays their role in life, bringing their special qualities to humankind.
The Aura is affected by words and cruel words can put holes in the aura. Health plays a large part of the Aura and each day the colours of the aura change as it reflects the state of our health and wellbeing.
Maya is a way of seeing things (Cosmic Illusion) for example if we look at one person, we could be looking at a mother, or a sister, or a daughter or a wife it depends on the “viewer.” So we deal with another aspect, the emotional aspect, which can affect our health and how we see and handle situations. We need to encourage “that with every negative situation there is always a positive outcome or reason”. Understanding and accepting, becomes part of our healthier lifestyle, and knowing everything happens for a reason on this earth plane, which is the school of life. We hopefully learn by our mistakes, and grow.
Relaxation teaches the art of relaxing each component of the physical body and begins a chain reaction of peace. ” I allow myself to relax, I am relaxing, I am at peace. Peace in, peace out,” and then this becomes reality. We are what we think. “With our minds, we can create a heaven, or a hell, the choice is ours.”
Working on the Mind we can find the benefits of colour therapy and music. Visualisation is enhanced by using colour as some people find it hard to visualise . When deciding on what colour to paint a nursery it is important to remember how colour affects us. If you painted the nursery red it would be too energetic and the child would have trouble sleeping. The pale colours of blue and green have a healing effect as does pink, which means “rose” and is said to be the language of angels. Even lemon has a softness like a little chicken’s feathers.
The lighting has an effect on humans as some people perform better on sunny days as when it is cold and bleak they just wish to hibernate like a bear. The Sun is the masculine energy, Ha, and is warm and golden yellow, whereas the moon is affected by tides, it is the female energy Tha, and is silvery blue. Even observing what colour each person is wearing is an incite into how they are feeling on that particular day.
Colour can be used in projection healing also. Visualising the part of the body that needs to be healed of an ache or pain and focusing the input of the colour to assist in this process. Inhaling bringing the colour into the particular area that is affected, and as you exhale, visualising taking the ache, pain, or toxins away and see it dissipating out into the universe, or going back into the ground. We start to expand our way of thinking knowing that there may be alternate ways of handling an ache or pain. Using the energy of the hands; the prana, and placing them on an area of the body that also may not be in optimum operation is just another technique. The hands may also be used above the area working with the prana, coming to the healer, working through the person being healed, connecting to the higher source for the healing of mankind. (to you, and through you). Chakra balancing is another form of healing, with the astral and physical body. Massaging the baby is a healing process.
Even our appetite for food may be determined by its attractive coloured presentation.
Also remembering sattva food and everything in moderation.
Music is uplifting to the soul . Lullabies are sung to the baby and also a gentle rocking motion helps to encourage sleep to the tired child. Mantras may also be used to bring peace to the infant.
The baby takes “baby steps” and as it grows it starts to walk, which is likened to the introduction to Yoga and the learning of the different asanas . Working gradually, and learning the benefits that they have on the different parts of the body . The child’s absorption of knowledge is expanded as each year unfolds and different experiences occurs, and hopefully, the child learns by trial and error.
These experiences have a great impact on the child’s health both physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally, some people become emotional eaters, overeating for comfort from the food instead of looking into the real problem.
The teenage years are filled with many hormonal changes, we need to have balanced activity in the secretion glands. As the child’s body changes so too does the voice, their own ideas and independence comes to the fore. It has been said that a child is like the arrow in an Archer’s bow. We the parents are the bow, we can place the arrow and aim for the right direction but many factors come into play, wind velocity and turbulence but the greatest factor is Personal Responsibility for everyone shapes their own destiny. We are the soft cushion for the fall if needed.
Sometimes the adolescent’s world seems to be upside down, this too is reflective of inverted postures which help rejuvenate the body and mind. The effect of gravity has on our bodies is reversed which aids venous blood from the legs and abdomen to return to the heart and lungs. Fresh oxygenated blood is brought to the head. The brain is energised and stimulated which enhances the function of the intellect. The increased blood flow brings a flush of nutrients and clears away toxins, rejuvenating facial tissue and reducing the signs of ageing. Throat, ears, eyes and nose, in fact the whole head and neck, all receive an increased blood flow which helps them function more effectively.
All inverted poses have an effect on the pituitary gland which orchestrates all other endocrine glands. The chin is pressed to the chest which stimulates the thyroid and parathyroid glands which will affect and regulate metabolism. The heart, lungs, thymus and immune system are stimulated.
Meditation is the answer to grounding ourselves once again and seeing just what is important in our lives and what is irrelevant. Teaching others the connection to spirit and helping them to find the peace and perhaps the guidance of their guides. Having the knowledge and understanding that we are never alone, is a comforting blessing to all..
Emotions play a large part with our health. Perhaps with a warmth of a smile to one who has lost theirs, an outstretched hand to someone in need, a joyful gift or flower to another, or to yourself, just to celebrate the beauty of being. The last thing we think of at such times is the consequences to our health. Scientists have found that small pleasures may keep immune systems strong, and that pleasant events boost the immune system for as long as two days.
What do we do in yoga? We adopt body positions which make our bodies feel good, we foster attitudes which are totally positive, we expand our senses so that we feel and see the beauty in life, in ourselves and we practise meditation which creates the stillness barrier across which unhelpful thoughts and attitudes cannot pass. All these are immune-system strengthening, giving us good health and happiness.
We live our life to the blueprint and when it is time to depart this world we hopefully have realised just what life was all about. The infant, the youth, the teenager, the stages of career and marriage, becoming parents aging, not worrying about material possessions that you had earnestly collected in your younger life. The death of loved ones, the fostering of friends, the happy celebrations, laughter and tears. Like a computer print out of life we recall the different events and reactions to those events, and we can see how Karma is just a book-keeping of life, where the assets should out-way the liabilities.
We are just a soul that has taken a body to return to the school of life. This is now over and it is time to cut the cord and for the Astral body to depart and return “home”,
The child had the key which was Yoga and was shown how to use it. The child, and in turn, the adult; unlocked the doors of knowledge of the many different paths of yoga. Each one, in their own time, at the many different intervals of their life. Now they realize that treading the path of yoga, they saw their pattern of life unfold, and learnt that their reactions to events affected their outcomes and now know” that we don’t always get what we want we sometimes get what we really need.”
Yoga taught them the understanding of events, and helped realise that they were not treading a lonely path they actually had plenty of company from likeminded people. One day the key did fit perfectly into the lock and they found the gift of Yoga which is unity and bliss. Unity with all the universe, understanding, compassion, tolerance, respect, health, peace, love and harmony. Happiness was always within and all they needed to do was to turn within. “The inner self is filled with bliss, it is to experience the bliss, to come close to the self, that we practise Yoga.”
Gradually, the way of living was changed, and the partnership of Yoga and Health became the secret formula to a long and healthy happy life.
Yoga provided us with the tool of self-acceptance which is probably the most powerful tool of the human condition, and with the knowledge of the intrinsic Godliness of life itself. This, in turn, carried us into respect for all life, including our own, for all patterns of the human condition and gave us the awareness of the universal support and love which surrounded and sustained us. When those components formed the basis of our life, our state of “health” was reached.
Om Santi,
With the love of God and the Vital Energy Force I now go in peace I return to my Creator.
Peace be with you, peace be with you.
“WHAT IS DYING?” (Jo Buchanan).
A ship sails and I stand watching till it fades on the horizon.
Someone at my side says, “She is gone.”
Gone where?
Gone from my sight, that is all.
She is just as large as when I saw her.
The diminished size and total loss of sight is in me, not her.
And just at that moment, when someone at my side says,
She is gone,”
There are others who are watching her coming.
And other voices take up the glad shout.
“Here she comes!”
And that is dying.
……………………………………..…and so the cycle continues.
Lynne Weston is a certified Yoga teacher. She teaches classes in the Sydney, Australia area.
By Teresa Summer
Just as the knowledge of yoga is vast and deep, so are its benefits. In order to enjoy a healthy body, the mind and the spirit also need to be healthy and balanced because the body is like the vehicle, the mind being the driver and the spirit being mans true identity. In order for there to be integrated development, these three forces need to be balanced. So it is of not much use when one eats healthy foods and does physical exercise but engages in negative thoughts. Even science has recognized that the mind needs to be healed before the body can be healthy. The teachings of yoga are based on a very precise understanding of the healthy functioning of the body and mind and its techniques are designed to maximise ones own potential for good health, vitality and youthfulness.
The natural state of our body is health and it has all been so perfectly designed to be able to heal and mend itself as needed. Yoga being unique among all forms of bodily culture, works systematically on all three major functions of the body which are frame of muscles, bones and ligaments; digestion, respiration and circulation and the nerves and hormones. Yoga has been designed to gently stretch and tone the body and to stimulate circulation, right down to the cellular level , so that tissues are nourished, wastes removed, vital organs returned to full efficiency and metabolism of health is restored rather than developing muscles and exhaust our strength. The slow movements and deep breathing of yoga increase the oxygen supply to the body and helps to eliminate toxins such as carbon dioxide. For optimal health of body mind and soul there are 5 principles which need to be practised. These are proper relaxation -which releases tension in the muscles and rests the whole body which leaves you refreshed. This keeps you calm and peaceful throughout your day and activities teaching you to conserve your energy leaving you free of worry and anxiety.
Proper exercise – which in yoga asanas works systematically on all body parts of the body, stretching and toning the muscles and ligaments, keeping the spine and joints flexible and improving the circulation. Here we can also release physical tension and gain new and fresh energy. Proper breathing – means breathing fully and utilizing our whole lung capacity in order to take in maximum oxygen. Through doing Pranayama you can recharge your body and control your mental state by regulating the flow of prana. Proper diet – a diet which is nourishing and well balanced, based on natural foods. It keeps the body light and supple and the mind calm, giving a high resistance to disease. Positive thinking and meditation – helps to remove negative thoughts and mental tension as well as still the mind and again gain fresh energy.
One becomes much stronger in the mind and more self confident.
On the physical level, some of the benefits of yoga through the deep stretches and massaging of organs are, an improved flexibility of muscles, better range of motion of joints, improved strength and condition of muscles and bones, improved posture and body alignment, improved digestion, circulation and immunity, enhanced function of neurological and endocrine organs, prevention and relief from chronic illnesses such as chronic pain syndromes, anxiety and panic disorders, depression, sleep disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, high blood pressure etc.
Stress is a very big factor in modern day society and can lead to many illnesses. One of them being permanently tensed muscles. Through yoga and its relaxation techniques we can find comfort and freedom from aches and pains. Overall the body feels healthier, more energetic, less prone to disease and effects of repeated stresses of everyday life. Our range of movements is also very limited by repetitive tasks. Incorrect posture because of long hours of sitting at a desk can cause the ligaments at the base of the skull to shorten, leading to stress and pain in the lower back and sometimes all along the spine. This can also affect the hips and the pelvis. Yoga asanas are very beneficial for this and have been designed to free all the different joints in the body, opening them up to relieve pressure on protective cartlidge and restore correct alignment of the bones. By keeping muscles and ligaments healthy and posture correct, you can prevent problems of damage to joints.
Yoga asanas work like a hand slowly and gently squeezing a sponge to remove all the stale, waste bearing fluids and then stretching the tissue to allow fresh, life giving nutrients and energy to circulate to every cell. The deep breathing while holding the postures sends more oxygen to the cells and removes more carbon dioxide.
The asanas also massage all the vital organs and stimulate the digestive muscles to increase their peristalsis. While certain asanas can alleviate some uncomfortable symptoms such as indigestion, varicose veins or headaches yoga teaches us to treat the whole body as a whole, understanding that every part of the body effect the rest. So, if the mind is well and your thoughts are of positive nature then every cell in the body will be positively affected. With regular practice of yoga, on a mental level the mind benefits with increased peace of mind, improved alertness and clarity, increased ability to deal effectively with short and long term stresses, increased concentration of the mind, improved self esteem, decreased reliance on drugs, greater energy and enthusiasm for life.
In yoga we will also find 6 main cleansing processes on a much deeper level which is not commonly practised in the west. These are called Kriyas – purification or cleansing processes. Through various cleansing techniques the Kriyas are meant for cleaning of the stomach, cleaning the colon, cleaning the nasal passages, cleaning the abdominal organs, cleaning the respiratory system ( in all of these, getting rid of impurities, phlegm and excess fat) and gazing exercise for the eyes. In The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (77) it says that “There is no doubt that cough, asthma, enlargement of the spleen, leprosy and twenty kinds of diseases born of phlegm disappear by the practise of Dhauti Karma” also known as washing . By doing Basti or colonic irrigation, constipation never occurs; it increases gastric fire and cures flatulence. Neti or nasal cleaning is more commonly practised in modern day yoga and it is said that old age never comes to the person doing this cleansing practise and it removes phlegm and it also improves the vision. Tratak or cleansing the vision improves eyesight and helps to develop concentration and mental focus. Kapalabhati or diaphragmatic breathing is an exercise that purifies the nasal passages and lungs. It is very helpful to those with asthma. This exercise stimulates every tissue of the body and aids in curing consumption, removes impurities of the blood and tones up the circulatory and respiratory systems.
Yoga has proved to be very beneficial for women who go through hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, menopause and menstruation. The practise of yoga can help with alleviating the pain that goes with menstruation and can help with easier child delivery. Through massage and stimulation of the glands and organs, the hormonal and glandular system can be enhanced. The life functions of the body chemistry are regulated by the ductless or endocrine glands, secreting their chemical messengers into the blood stream. The endocrine system acts as a principal of balance – one hormone stimulates a set of responses, another inhibits it, and all act together in a complex interrelationship with each other. The endocrine system mediates the intimate relationship of body and mind – emotions such as fear or rage, love or grief; both reflect hormonal activity and influence it strongly. The headstand is the most beneficial asana for the pituitary gland. Thyroid and parathyroid are both massaged by the shoulderstand and the peacock massages the pancreatic and adrenal glands. Regular practice of asanas, pranayama and relaxation keeps the male hormones in balance and helps to relieve sexual problems and disorders.
The overall practice of yoga can also help to combat age related diseases such as impotence, prostate conditions, Osteoporosis, arthritis, cholesterol and heart conditions. Yoga improves the body’s strength and flexibility which may help to control blood pressure, respiration and heart metabolic rates. So together with a vegetarian diet and a no tobacco lifestyle, people with the above conditions may heal faster or it may make the progression of such illnesses slower and sometimes even prevent some of them. Hypertension which is a very severe form of high blood pressure and does not display clear symptoms is known as the silent killer. A complete yoga lifestyle can be very beneficial for this type of disease in treating and preventing this type of disease.
Since yoga requires deep breathing, conscious relaxation and concentration which has been proven to decrease the level of stress hormones and cortisol in the blood. Other poses in the yoga exercises can also enhance the circulation of blood and body fluid in the different parts of the body to maintain the normal functioning of the immune system. This will allow the body to heal by itself. We could avoid disorder in the body if the blood flow to the organs is well kept up. Here are some points on how yoga can be beneficial in regulating a healthy circulation of blood and nutrients in the body.
Standing poses – In these poses the lateral wall of the heart is completely stretched and toned up so that there would be a healthy blood flow on the walls.
Inverted poses – Since the body is used to standing erect all the time, the lymphatic system of the legs and muscles that help in pumping the blood upward can get rest in this position. These exercises will also avoid tissue degeneration because it allows proper circulation of blood in the brain.
Horizontal poses – The blood pressure can be reduced by performing horizontal poses since the heart and lungs are rested, rejuvenated and well ventilated.
Bending poses – When these poses are done without strain, they can improve blood supply to the myocardium and will surely tone up the cardiac muscle.
A healthy nervous system enables us to meet every event in life with calm and resilience. It keeps all the muscles, organs and tissues of the body working at full efficiency. Bundles of fibres together form the large nerves, which are stretched and purified by yoga asanas. Yoga has been shown to stabilize the response of the nervous system to stress, removing the constant muscular tension produced by the repeated alerts from the central nervous system, and calming the involuntary symptoms of threat – racing heart, sweating, and anxiety – roused by the sympathetic nervous system.
It is ignorance alone that keeps one from seeing the reality of life. Ignorance alone is the cause of all sufferings. Through the regular practice of yoga one develops skills and experiential understanding to see the reality of life and appreciate its beauty. When you see the beauty in life then you are able to admire and adore the Creator or God. You see the Divine presence everywhere including in yourself. Yoga reveals your Divine nature. You form a stronger and more loving connection with yourself which brings fulfilment and more meaningful purpose to life. It is out of this fulfilment that you are able to experience unconditional happiness and are able to share this joy with others. This too affects our health positively or negatively.
Namaste.
Teresa Summer is a Certified Yoga Teacher. She teaches Yoga classes in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Written By Sue Francis
There are many different and significant aspects to the relationship of Yoga and the health of a human being. At first glance Yoga may seem no more than a series of strange physical poses. But, with time, the student who continues with a regular practice becomes aware of changes in the way they view and approach life. By continually toning and relaxing the body and calming the mind you will begin to feel a state of inner peace which is self realization. Lifting away feelings that hold you back, i.e.; we are too fat, too skinny, too old, too tall, too short, etc. A well planned Yoga practice improves your self-realization. If you can bring your mind and thoughts under control there is no limit to what you can do. Our illusions and preconceptions hold us back from fulfilling ourselves. Illnesses and loss of vitality arise from running down of the body due to overuse and under stimulation of vital functions.
It should be noted that there are a variety of different types of Yoga which involve areas of bodily cleansing, karma studies, visualizations, etc. For this essay I will focus on the effects of Hatha Yoga and Meditative Yoga. All practices of Hatha Yoga are purificatory. Yogic postures, breath controls and diet all remove impurities from the body and cleanse the bloodstream; and the practice of mediation is a mental hygiene, making consciousness more lucid and opening the doors for self realization.
In order to completely examine the relationship of Yoga to health I first sought to break it down to the physical, mental and spiritual categories. However, while doing this I realized that in every area of our health, these three things cannot be separated. I have attempted to address all the areas in a cohesive and inclusive manner, as I examine the effects of Yoga on our entire system. The integration of mind, body and spirit is at the base of what Yoga is all about.
As we look at the relation of Yoga to health we learn that through Yoga we positively affect three major body functions: The physical body’s frame including our muscles, skeleton and spinal movements. The nutrient cycle includes the digestion, respiration and circulation which nourish every cell and tissue; and The messenger system of nerves and hormones which balance physical, emotional and mental responses, this includes the endocrine system for vital balance. Yoga keeps all these parts functioning in balance and perfect condition.
Yoga is thousands of years old and is based on the physical premise to stretch and tone the body and to stimulate circulation at the cellular level so that tissues are nourished, waste removed, vital organs returned to full efficiency, and metabolism of health restored. Recent medical research is paying more attention to the benefits of Yoga, meaning a regular practice of asanas and pranyama, and its relationship to health of the human being. Science is learning what the ancient Yogi’s learned, that different postures can effectively help relieve high blood pressure, arthritis, arteriosclerosis, chronic fatigue, asthma, varicose veins and heart conditions. One six month study of Hatha Yoga demonstrated the following effects: significant increase in lung capacity and respiration; reduced body weight and girth; improved ability to reduce stress; and a decrease in cholesterol and blood sugar level – all resulting in a stabilizing and restorative effect on the body’s natural systems.
The physical body is built of trillions of cells, each cell containing a miniature life and energy for a definite function. Though cells function instinctively, they are subordinate to the control of man’s central mind and readily obey orders, consciously or unconsciously. The nucleus is the vital part of the cell and the center for chemical activities necessary for its life. A group of cells may be defined as tissue. When various tissues of the body are put together in different ways, they form membranes and skin. The various cells of the body, which are used like building blocks, obtain their energy and nourishment through the blood stream. Without proper material these cells cannot carry out their proper work. There is only one way in which the cells can get the body-building material; and that is by means of nourishment from the food brought by the blood circulations, which is kept up easily through various Yogic movements and exercises.
There is another scientific area that is very interesting. We have at our command a miracle of bio-engineering which could last us into a peaceful and healthy later life. Basically, biofeedback studies and controls states of consciousness (meditation) in a scientific manner, and so helps to draw together the two schools of scientific approach to psychological study and experiment. While there is controversy over duplicating the effects of meditation by inducing neurophysiologic responses with electrical instruments, it is believed, that with some people, this approach will encourage them to start meditating. Dr. Eleanor Criswell, director of the Humanistic Psychology Institute, says it best: “it has been said that Americans need gadgets in order to be able to do things, so if this is America’s gadget way of giving itself permission to meditate, then it’s worth it.” I believe that when combining east and west science we all benefit.
The endocrine system is a part of our physical body that affects emotions of the mind and an area that yoga therapy benefits. The endocrine system consist of the pancreas, thyroid, parathyroid, suprarenal, pituitary and the gonads glands. They are also known as the ductless glands or secretion glands because they pass their secretions directly in the blood or lymph, instead of into excretory ducts. Their secretions are called hormones. They are relatively simple chemical substances, which must be either oxidized or excreted after they exert their specific effects. If these secretions suffer, pathologic conditions in different parts of the body are rapidly established. Most physical exercises don’t pay attention to the health of these glands. Long before modern scientists knew anything about the endocrine glands and their functions, the Yogis advocated exercise for these areas. Yoga therapy aims through its various postures to restore the internal secretions of these glands to their normality. There are different yoga postures for the strengthening of different glands. Mental emotions such as fear, sorrow, anger, jealousy, hatred, love, and envy have been noted to affect our bodies, especially the endocrine system and nervous system, according to their degree of intensity. One effect of emotional reaction is high blood pressure. Emotions affect the adrenal gland, which secretes extra doses of adrenalin. Adrenalin increases in the blood stream, accelerates the heartbeat, and raises the blood pressure. Such mental emotions constantly strain the heart, causing nervous disorders and heart ailments. Yogic postures help to strengthen the endocrine system through exercise, and also bring the emotions under control through concentration and relaxation.
The breath controls everything in our bodies. It is important to understand the roll of smooth, rhythmic breathing in the health of the mind, body and spirit. A smooth breath allows your muscles to relax and lengthen while giving you more energy. Athletes and professional artistic performers have long used the practice of full complete breathing to help release stress in the physical body as well as mentally. Not only does breath control help in moments of need to calm them body, provide mental firmness and calm, but is also preparation for meditation and the connection to the psyche. The habits established in conscious yogic breath training are carried over in everyday activities even during sleep.
All Yogic exercises are based on the formula of stretching, relaxation, deep breathing, and increasing circulation and concentration. We need to understand the effects of the physical body through asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises) in order to proceed with the other element of yoga which is mediation. After a series of yoga asanas and pranayama, your body is relaxed and you are ready to “go inside” through meditation. That is not to say that you cannot have a wonderful meditation session without first practicing yoga asanas and breathing, but it is an important combination to help you achieve the full benefits. Yoga of meditation is used as a mental hygiene to work towards Yoga’s supreme goal of intuitive enlightenment. Meditation calms and tones the nervous system, relaxes, harmonizes psychic energies, recharges psychic batteries, and cultivates serenity.
I believe there is no doubt about Yoga’s effectiveness as a curative and preventative medicine and I hope this essay has helped describe how yoga’s union of mind, body and spirit relate to the health of a human being.
Namaste.
Sue Francis is a certified Yoga teacher. She teaches Yoga in Tuscon, Arizona and Mexico.
By Jennifer Cipollini, CYT
Yoga and Equilateral Muscle Strengthening
Yoga is a great means for improving the strength and tone of muscle tissue. The use of slow movements and balanced poses causes a practitioner to pay attention to often underutilized muscle groups. The use of stretching and oppositional poses also balances the strength of opposing muscle groups. For example, muscles along of the sides of the neck are worked equally to regulate an equivocal tone providing the best support for cervical vertebrae. All is balanced, which is highly important to prevent muscular strains and sprains that often occur due to a lack of alignment. A lack of alignment can cause or aggravate many physical ailments such as headaches, pinched nerves and inhibited circulation.
Yoga and Tissue Repair
In addition to strengthening muscles, Yoga benefits all body tissues by increasing the amount of blood flow to tense areas of the body. Yoga alleviates tension by stretching the muscles, increasing joint mobility and providing valuable relaxation techniques. Muscle tension is reduced with stretching and relaxation techniques which reduce spasms and increase blood flow into the area- this also aides in repair of injured areas of the body by ensuring that cells get essential nutrients, while efficiently eliminating waste products.
Deep breathing exercises central to Yoga add to the benefit by ensuring blood is maximally oxygenated. Since oxygen acts as a power cell to fuel metabolic activities, this increase of oxygenated blood also ensures more foods are converted to useful energy and nutrients. As muscle, joint and organ tissues gain more nutrients and oxygen, vigor increases. This increased vitality is a highly motivating factor to those wishing to practice Yoga. Effective and efficient tissue repair is a sign of youth, as evidenced in all of the anti-aging products on the market! But, instead of working on the surface, Yoga works to repair and maintain the body from the inside out.
Yoga and Disease Prevention
Yoga helps to prevent disease in a multitude of ways. In one way or another, all rituals of Yoga yield this direct result.
Cleansing rituals help to clean toxins accumulated waste matter clogging the body. The Neti pot is used to irrigate sinus cavities, effectively reducing or eliminating allergens and infected mucous secretions. This prevents further body colonization by bacterial or viral infections, and gives the immune system a break by reducing allergic reactions.
Abdominal rolling exercises help clear the colon and ensure effective bowel movements. By removing residual waste matter and improving bowel and digestive functions, Yoga aims to reduce diverticulosis, intestinal infections, and constipation or lack of bowel control.
Breathing exercises add another element of disease prevention to the repertoire of Yoga practice. Various breathing exercises exist, each having a different purpose and effect on the mind and body. Rapid breathing exercises help to rev up the body and mind, raising blood pressure and circulation. For those with low blood pressure or a lack of energy, this exercise can be rejuvenating to the whole person. Persons with high blood pressure will benefit from learning slow, relaxing breathing techniques that can lower stress responses and heart rate. Lastly, alternate nasal breathing helps to clear sinuses and increase the ability to breathe evenly through both nostrils. Learning to maximize equivalent breathing abilities for both nostrils will help to cleanse sinuses and gain the most air intake for freshening cranial sinus cavities. This also prevents the growth of disease in the sinuses and enables better elimination of excess mucous.
Overall, all regulated breathing techniques work to engage the mind for control over the body. This greatly reduces emotional influences on the body. A reduction in our body’s stress response in turn reduces stress manufactured diseases. Any disease can be aided by an increase in the body’s stress response, as this reaction lowers the immune system while causing an increase of circulating cortisol. As cortisol causes inflammation and an increase in abdominal fat storage, the net result of its presence is an increased risk for diabetes, heart ailments, and reduced healing of tissues. We greatly benefit from Yoga’s ability to reduce these risks. Stress responses do have a very realized negative effect on the body.
Nutrition guidelines of Yoga doctrine further aides in the prevention of disease, and ultimately aging. By eliminating animal based foods from the diet, Yogis reduce the influence of nitrogenous wastes in the body. They also eradicate the intake of carcinogens present in smoked, burnt or overcooked meats. Meats in the diet tend to reduce the efficiency of our metabolic systems and cause an increase of risk for digestive diseases- such as gout, gallbladder disease, kidney stones and disease, intestinal parasites and pancreatitis. By eating a more nutrient rich ovo-lacto vegetarian diet, we eat foods from the top of the energy pyramid. These foods are more nutrient rich, providing more energy as captured from the source, the sun. By eating these primary trappers of energy, we reduce the need to eat great volumes of meat that have lost those nutrients and energy through their own digestive processes. Animals, as secondary or tertiary consumers of solar trapped energy foods, are unable to provide our most efficient diet.
The nutrition of Yoga is not all about becoming a vegetarian; it also aims to provide the best diet for a nutrient rich intake with the least stress on the body. As such, certain vegetarian items are omitted. Rajasic foods -spicy foods, fish, alcohol, and other stimulating substances- are eliminated to reduce their negative effects on the body. These foods tend to cause nerve and circulatory disorders, high blood pressure and other digestive complications.
Tamasic foods- rotted, overripe or putrefied foods (meats)- are also eliminated for more obvious reasons. These types of foods have a low nutritional value and cause a heavy feeling which results in low activity or desire.
Sattvic foods are preferred, with the inclusion of milk, butter, nuts, grains with fruits and vegetables. The nutritional content of this food combination provides the best basis for preventing and healing disease. By eliminating meats, our ability to eat the variety of plant based foods needed for adequate nutrition is much more attainable.
Yoga and Balance
Yoga not only forces us to relearn to balance muscles in each area of the body, the whole structure of its activities result in a harmony of mind/ body and mind/body environment. In a material way, the overall balanced physique of a Yoga practitioner ensures better balance in performing all physical actions. Besides the prevention of muscle strain, this balanced body remains more firmly rooted to the ground and effective at avoiding falling, tripping and/or slipping accidents. While this may seem a minor benefit, I have seen a great number of work injuries due to these types of incidents. In addition, the general aging population becomes not only more at risk to these falls as their balance reduces; they are also at most risk of serious injury as a result. Yoga practice restores youthful balance and the strength it requires. One more way Yoga can halt and rewind the aging clock.
Mental balance and an appreciation of the world around us also permit a healthier life. Beyond the appreciation, we become more open to learning and maintaining a youthful mind; more open to those around us for love and support; more open to understanding the needs of our world to help heal the environment and people around us. The health benefits of this mental balance results in reduced risks for Alzheimer’s disease (by working the mind), gaining a more stable and loving environment (by recognizing problems or solutions for our homes and families), and creating a better environment for those around us ( which in turn, will come back to us positively). Yoga provides the balance for mind and body that is needed to traverse our daily lives with efficient, effective and flexible abilities.
Yoga and Differing Abilities
One of the best aspects of Yoga is the many benefits are available to anyone, of nearly any capacity, who is willing and patient. Most forms of exercise require much more effort and ability to get results. With Yoga, all can participate with modifications and props as needed. In addition, some of the best results are noted in the most afflicted. This is the greatest way Yoga is realized as beneficial; its health revenue is accessible to all.
Jennifer Cipollini is a practicing certified Yoga teacher. She teaches Yoga classes in Jeannette, PA
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.
Written By Nanou
Yoga in its full range is: Yoga of Breathing, Yoga of Posture and Yoga of Meditation. Practicing all three will achieve the maximum body-mind harmony and relaxation. All techniques of Yoga aim at producing tranquility and has great restorative powers.
There is plenty of research today that confirms that yoga is powerful both as preventive medicine and therapy for a wide variety of health conditions; in my opinion, yoga is the most powerful system for overall health and well- being and the best preventive medicine there is.
Yoga is a one stop shopping to reduce stress, tension, fatigue and pain, increase flexibility, balance and body alignment, heighten cardiovascular conditioning, lower blood pressure, prevent injuries, improve immune function, increase strength and circulation, strengthen bones, heighten sexual functioning and fulfillment, help with weight management, and last but not least, promote spiritual well-being and lift mood.
Yoga has different views from the western medicine as to what constitutes health, and this difference is probably why it is so effective. The absence of symptoms is in no way equated with health in yoga. Health to the yogi extends far beyond not having a headache or back pain, or even being cancer-free. Health to a yogi is optimizing the function of every system in the body from the muscles, to digestion, circulation and immunity.
It is about emotional well- being, spiritual resilience and joy. Yoga teaches that only when all these are aligned can you maximize your chance for health and healing. Yoga does not compete with conventional medicine, and can almost always be used to compliment most kinds of traditional medical approaches. In yoga, you stretch and strengthen your muscles and that affects your circulation, digestion and breathing.
You calm and strengthen the nervous system and it affects the mind. You cultivate peace of mind and it affects nervous system, the immune system and the cardiovascular system. Yoga says that if you look clearly you will see that everything about you is connected to everything else. From a therapeutic standpoint, this provides the insight that you improve the functioning of any one organ or system by trying to improve all.
Yoga reduces the physical effects of stress on the body by encouraging relaxation and lowering the levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Related benefits of practicing yoga include lowering blood pressure and heart rate, improving digestion and boosting the immune system, as well as the reduction (and sometimes even complete elimination) of conditions such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, asthma and insomnia.
Yoga is also extremely effective in the treatment of pain. Studies have demonstrated that practicing yoga postures, meditation or a combination of the two, reduces pain for people with conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis , auto-immune diseases and hypertension as well as arthritis, back and neck pain and other chronic conditions. The biodynamic of yoga also helps in realignment of various mechanical disorders like slipped disc, hiatus hernia, umbilical hernia, arthritis, cervical spondylitis, etc.
In hiatus hernia, for example, the stomach is pulled away from the diaphragm and the herniation is thus adjusted. Consider diseases of the skeletal system like arthritis, slipped disc, etc. The mechanical realignment in the knee by rejuvenating the cartilage, pulling the tibia and fibula away from the femur relieves arthritis. For a slipped disc, the bony column and muscles are pulled apart so that the disc is not pressurized. The aim of posture (or asana) is to attain steadiness of body and mind, a feeling of lightness, health, suppleness, and psycho-physical poise.
There is a beneficial action upon nerves, glands, and vital organs, as well as upon musculature, and in perfecting the body. Yoga is about harmony and health of the total organism. Asanas- which can be done sitting, standing, lying down or upside down- evoke feelings of tranquility, psychic strength, and lucidity of consciousness. With a regular practice, gradually the spine becomes suppler, the joints move freely, the hamstrings lengthen and loosen, the legs fold and the knees spread without discomfort reducing stresses and strains on the organs, muscles, bones, ligaments, nerves, etc.
The main purpose of yogic breathing is to increase consumption of oxygen with the minimum of physical exertion, under conditions probably favorable to the storage of oxygen. Yoga teaches to take slower, deeper breaths which improves lung function and triggers the body’s relaxation response. Prana (or life-force) is the force behind the renewal of the body cells. Disease is unlikely to gain a hold on a body whose every cell is permeated with Pranic energy.
A body freshly charged with Prana can be a source of healing for others, by transmission. We can therefore assist others’ health thru improving our own. Yoga helps increase strength, flexibility and mobility by using every muscle in the body, helping to strengthen our body for head to toe. Yoga also helps to relieve muscular tension.
Even the less vigorous yoga can aid weight control efforts by reducing the cortisol levels (by reducing stress) as well as by burning excess calories. Yoga promotes healthy eating habits and provides a high sense of well-being and self-esteem. Even gentle yoga practice can provide cardiovascular benefits by lowering resting heart rate, increasing endurance and improving oxygen uptake during exercise.
Yoga helps to improve body alignment, resulting in better posture and helping to relieve back, neck, joint and muscle problems. Yoga may also assist us with longevity as what can be stated with certainty is that some elderly Indians Yogins display a bodily tone and a mental alertness that men half their age in any country in the world would be delighted to possess.
Yoga also helps with sexual health because the physiological factors which enhance sexual fitness are vitality, rich reserves of energy, good muscle tone, supple limbs and joints, and efficient functioning of the nervous system, circulation and glands. On the psychological side, sexual well-being depends on freedom from tensions and anxieties, a relaxed openness of response, and total attention.
Yoga promotes all these factors. Yoga helps us focus on the present, to become aware and help mind and body health. It opens the way to improve coordination, reaction time and memory. Yoga is a way to greater energy, better health, a youthful figure, and relaxed living. Yoga’s sublime aim is to perfect body, mind and spirit which to me, means ultimate health.
Nanou Yoga – Los Angeles, CA – 310.497.9849
