Posts Tagged ‘yoga benefits’

Yoga and its Benefits to our Health

Friday, August 6th, 2010


By Joanne Dagato


The practice of yoga is more than 5,000 years old, and it’s more popular now than ever. Yoga can help us become fully focused on the body, breath and mind. It refreshes us. it helps us move from distress to de-stress. Yoga is not a set of exercises but a state of mind. Yoga includes physical exercises that seek to relax and still the body, breath to focus the mind, relaxation to quiet the body and mind, chanting to arouse and then calm the emotions, and mediation to center the spirit.

Most doctors will only treat the disease but Yoga can treat the whole person. When there are mental, emotional or imbalances, the stress will tend to appear in the weakest organ of the physical body. yoga also massages all organs of the body. Yoga is perhaps the only exercise that can work on through your internal organs in a thorough manner, including those that hardly get externally stimulated during our entire lifetime. You can assist in the healing of your own body, because once you learn the techniques, you can use them for the rest of your life.

Moving muscles slowly will relax and loosen them, allowing better blood and lymph flow to restore the body and renew energy. Lymph fluid is filled with white blood cells that go to areas of the body that need repair. Because the lymph doesn’t have a dynamic pump behind it, like the heart for blood, we can assist the flow through deep breathing and stretching.

Yoga means Union, it unites the body, breath, mind and spirit. It is very important to learn how to breath in Yoga. The breath will bring intuition to your postures. good breathing is reassuring, soothing and healing. Breathing will help you hold the yoga postures.

Practicing yogic breathing makes the heart beat slow down, respiration steadies and blood pressure decreases. Most of us never take a deep breath all day long. Relaxation techniques are considered deeply healing on many level. Pranayama, like mediation, also has profound effects. Both assist the mental and emotional response of the person to the health condition, You can detach from the disease and go to a higher level of existence. Most of us breathe very shallowly into the lungs and don’t give much thought to how we breathe. Yoga breathing exercises, called Pranayama, focus the attention on the breath and teach us how to better use our lungs.

With Yoga, as in life, we need a base from which to move. Each yoga posture has specific structural and functional effects. By lacing pressure on the organs, the poses massage and help tone them. by stretching the muscles it bring fresh blood to that area. Blood circulation improves and the lungs respond with a more efficient breath. Increased oxygen reaches the tissues and every cell, tissue, organ and system reaps the benefits.

Many poses act on the endocrine glands by bathing them with fresh blood, which carries oxygen and vital nutrients to help with the overall functioning. Other postures and well as breathing can regulate the nervous system.

Yoga helps clean blood of waste material (through lymphatic stimulation), and trains us to loosen muscles and joints that are ignored in our day-to-day lives. Routines like sun salutation get the blood flowing as we warm up and free our body to experience the new stresses we will face. The practice also gets us to handle the weight of our body more effectively, which builds bone and muscle strength so we are more resilient to the frailty that afflicts many. This is why power yoga practitoners have great bodies.

The stretching of yoga aims to expand, not strain. Straining blocks your ability to listen to what the body is telling you. See what your body can do. I call it a soft face, No frowning, clenching your jaw and holding your breath are signs that you need to back off the pose a little. As we age, it becomes increasingly difficult to do certain things such as; climbing the stairs, getting out of a chair. But practicing Yoga gives us the ability to continue to do these things into our old age.

As a whole body system, yoga develops body awareness and places emphasis on alignment. This means that the whereabouts of each body part (feet, knees, hips, spine, shoulder, head) affect all the others. We have limited mobility in our backs because in the normal day to day activities we have limited range of motion. We may bend a little to the front but not to the sides and certainly no back bending. This is a huge cause of “pulling our backs out”. This is where Yoga is so important. We are only as young as our spine is flexible. By flexing our spine by turning and back bending, we help our spine stay young.

The driving force of yoga is aimed at the monumental, life-changing discovery of who and what you actually are. This is precisely how yoga works, how it makes you feel good. Yoga helps you experience the truth. The truth- which, you discover is goodness. The implications of knowing the truth is massive. Thus Yoga gives you the strength to unravel the truth with which you will begin to live with security, confidence and inner psychological peace. Such great are the benefits and properties of Yoga. Yoga changes your life.

Yoga acts positively in maintaining the health of the human body. One of the most prominent benefits of Yoga is the ability to be young once again. Apart from revitalizing the mind, Yoga rejuvenates the body as well. People, who constantly practice Yoga, have found immense benefits from it and feel better than what they felt in their younger years. There is a very famous concept in Yoga philosophy. According to it, a person’s age is determined by the flexibility of his spine, not the number of years he has lived.

Yoga helps in slowing down the aging process, by providing elasticity to the spine, firming up the skin, removing tension from the body, strengthening the abdominal muscles, eliminating the likelihood of a double chin, improving the quality of loose arm muscles, correcting poor posture and so on. Thus, of the numerous benefits of Yoga, anti-ageing is an important one. All you need is patience (remember, there is no one day benefit policy!!) and the determination (you need to be strong willed to practice every day) to practice Yoga.

Yoga increases the mental competence in a person, making him/her feel younger. It possesses the power to fight the internal as well as the external diseases and dangers. This is the key to help an individual to live longer. There are various types of Yoga, of which Hatha Yoga basically aims at making people live long. Some of the anti-ageing properties of Yoga are long life, increased resistance to diseases, increased vitality, and rejuvenation of glands, looking young, improvement in vision and hearing and many other mental and emotional benefits.

Remember, there is no magic potion that can extend the longevity of life. If there is any key to longer healthy life, it has to be Yoga. One can successfully extend the period of life by constantly following Yogic practices. Even the tiniest detailing of ageing, such as gray hair can be dealt with Yoga. By practicing inverted Yoga postures, you can turn back gray hair to its natural color. These practices also delay the onset of gray hair, thereby making a person look younger. Even people with the inability to get up on their own, can enjoy replenished flexibility and freedom from joint pain, by practicing Yoga. Doing yoga cultivates a balance between the flexibility and strength of the muscles of the body, often the real culprit in back pain. Most people are tight in key areas affecting the spine, for example in the hips and shoulders. A system such as yoga, which releases the tension in the muscles, should improve back pain. While the emphasis is on stretching and flexibility, yoga also develops muscle strength.

The effects on children practicing yoga are great. Yoga helps make the children more flexible and coordinated. It helps increase self esteem in children as they gain control over their minds and bodies. It helps children learn self-discipline with the help of certain poses, which make them breath and think in certain ways. It helps children control stress and relax. It helps them calm down and focus in their studies in a better way. Yoga helps develop their creativity and imagination. They become more aware of their surroundings and their instincts are sharpened. Children practicing yoga eat better and choose healthier foods over junk food. Children develop better emotional responses and compassion, teamwork and leadership skills. Yoga improves their digestion power and strengthens their immune system. Hyper active children practicing yoga, learn to direct their extra energy and build stronger concentration power. Yoga has also proven to be beneficial for children suffering from down syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism. Yoga induces a person to discipline his body, breathing and thoughts. Therefore, many children learn to discipline themselves without any adult controlling them.

Meditation and relaxation helps heal the body and re-energizes the body. It allows you to be refreshed and brings your body, mind and spirit back into balance. This should be at least 20 minutes. While in mediation whenever your thoughts stray, bring them back to your body. A good relaxation practice would be to put a small object like a pebble between your eyebrows while lying down in corpse pose. This way you can concentrate on that object and not on what needs to be done today. Tense up an area of the body like your toes and then relax them. Go to the next part like your right leg and then relax it and continue this exercise until you get to the face. Practice breathing slowly (4 seconds on the inhalation and 8 seconds on the exhalation). You kind of take a mental holiday and become less preoccupied with the little worries of day-to-day life.

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The Health Benefits of Yoga

Monday, July 12th, 2010

By Amy Weisbrot

Yoga is an ancient science that originated in India, over 5,000 years ago. It is a system that incorporates breathing disciplines, moral codes and meditation techniques. Yoga is designed to improve well-being and achieve balance in all aspects of life.

The word Yoga is derived from the ancient Sanskrit language, meaning “to yoke, or join together.” Yoga promotes unity on different levels. It is based on the belief that the body, mind and breath are intimately connected or united. By controlling the breath (pranayama) and holding the body in asanas (postures), Yoga contributes to physical and mental rejuvenation.

Hatha Yoga is the physical branch of Yoga that focuses primarily on body postures to open the body and heart. Hatha Yoga is the most common form of Yoga practiced in the West. Ha means “sun,” and tha means “moon,” so Hatha Yoga is about combining the energy from the masculine sun energy and the feminine moon energy. Together, they produce harmony and balance. There are many branches of Hatha Yoga, and they all incorporate asanas or postures. Some asanas help to develop strength and improve balance. Other asanas are gentle stretches that improve flexibility.

The regular practice of asanas and breathing exercises (pranayamas), helps to ensure overall health, flexibility and strength. This paper will attempt to explain how the practice of Yoga benefits one’s health.

The human body has two nervous systems: sympathetic and parasympathetic. Most people know the sympathetic nervous system as the “fight or flight” system. It causes the breath to quicken, the blood pressure to elevate and the body to be flooded with stress hormones. Historically, hunters experienced the fight or flight response when fighting with dangerous animals. In today’s world, we experience the fight or flight response when we are stressed out from everyday life. (deadlines, traffic, unrealistic demands at work, short staffing, etc.) The health consequences from overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system can be high blood pressure, ulcers, migraines, and even heart disease. I remember the first lecture in nursing school was “stress is the number one killer,” (followed by the next lecture: “good hand-washing techniques.”) Getting a handle on stress is what brought me to pursue the study of Yoga in a deeper way.

The parasympathetic nervous system slows down the breath and lowers blood pressure. When the blood does not need to rush to the muscles, it is free to travel to other organs that are needed for our health, and consequently, long-term survival. This allows the body to repair the damage incurred during our stressed out lifestyle. Pranayama encourages the parasympathetic nervous system to allow stress reduction and this subsequent healing to occur.

Perhaps one of the most important lessons I have learned by studying Yoga is: “the mind follows the breath.” By focusing on your breath, you can slow down your nervous system. My Yoga teacher frequently says: “the quality of the breath reflects the quality of the mind.” There is a total connection between our breathing and our emotional, mental and psychological state of mind. When we are stressed out or scared, our breath becomes quick and shallow. When we are relaxed, our breath is slow and deep. So, we can actually choose to change our mental state by changing our breathing.

Yoga practice also focuses on asanas or posture to improve strength and suppleness and unblock energy. Yoga differs from other forms of exercise by using motions that don’t cause strain on the body, yet it uses almost every muscle. Each asana is performed slowly, in fluid-like movements. By avoiding violent movements, lactic acid build-up (which can cause fatigue) is not produced, as it is in other forms of exercise.

Yoga exercises are based on a scientific formula of deep breathing, stretching, relaxation, concentration and increasing circulation. Daily Yoga practice is scientifically proven to increase focus and concentration. It is also linked to the relief of depression and increased creativity. It improves muscle tone and strength.

Yoga asanas have a wide range of therapeutic effects on both the body and mind. Examples of this can be seen in the following postures:

Back bends help us to face our fears and to be brave.

Balancing poses increase awareness and confidence.

Compensation postures help to neutralize tension after a posture.

Inversions stimulate the thyroid and boost the immune system.

Restorative poses help us to go inward and relax.

Seated poses calm the mind and rejuvenate the organs.

Standing poses help improve posture and strength.

Sun Salutation creates body heat and increases energy.

Twists help the body to rid itself of toxins.

Yoga increases blood circulation and oxygen through deep breathing. Also, when a posture is held and then released, a surge of oxygenated blood bathes different organs and tissues that might not ordinarily receive this healing energy.

Other benefits of Yoga include:

Improved digestion through deeper breathing that stimulates abdominal organs.

Increased oxygen supply to the brain, which contributes to clear thinking.

Increased energy levels and improved vitality.

Improved immune system through reduced stress, fear and anger.

Yoga is an powerful agent for personal change and growth. Yoga practice shows greater results than any tranquilizer without the side effects of drugs. It teaches you how to focus your mind and improves concentration. Yoga philosophy assists with transcending problems and suffering. I have personally witnessed women who are addicted to pain killers and anti anxiety medications, become more alert, focused, relaxed, and less anxious through regular practice of yoga and meditation.

I sincerely believe that Yoga is for everyone. Many of the women I work with are hesitant to try Yoga, because they are intimidated by the physical practice of asana. While the benefits of asana are important physically, I explain that the deep connection to ourselves and the rest of the world has an equally important benefit. Yoga is incomplete without meditation and spiritual knowledge. I try to impart that feeling of oneness when sharing Yogic teachings.

Children benefit from Yoga just as much as adults! It helps to increase their body awareness, flexibility, coordination, and strength. Yoga also helps their concentration and ability to focus. My granddaughters love to practice Yoga with me, and I have used Yogic breathing techniques on many occasions to help them to relax when they are in stressful situations. (test anxiety, dentist appointments, first trip to the acupuncturist, etc.)

Studies have shown that children who practice Yoga and/or meditate develop self confidence that helps them to excel at school. Children who practice Yoga also learn to tune into their bodies at an early age, developing self-awareness and coordination that can help them throughout their lives.

Studies have shown that Yoga is an effective self-help therapy for children with Autism, ADHD, and ADD. Yoga has been reported to be beneficial in reducing hyperactivity in children. Children with special needs have shown an increase in the ability to pay attention for longer periods of time without fatigue.

Yoga is a non-competitive activity that encourages children to co-operate

with one another and experience a feeling of oneness that they don’t often have the opportunity to encounter at school. There is no “best!” (or worst!) Children can challenge themselves, and help each other learn different postures, too! Childhood is an ideal time to introduce yoga. Their young minds are curious and eager to learn about their environment. The younger they are when they begin Yoga, the easier it becomes for them to start a practice. By practicing different poses with names of animals and wildlife (“eagle pose,” “cat/cow,” “cobra,” etc.) Yoga can teach children about nature, inspire their imaginations, and stimulate creative thinking. Kids learn by playing, moving and imitating. They learn by watching each other, and practice compassion by helping one another toward a mutual goal.

Children have the advantage of already being flexible, and Yoga provides an opportunity for them to maintain this suppleness and develop a strong, healthy body. Yoga also teaches children to value their breath. Breath control is a valuable skill that they can use for the rest of their lives to slow down and become more inward focused.

Yoga helps kids to develop good listening skills. Additionally, they develop their ability to concentrate, and their memory improves. Children that are relaxed and self-assured tend to be more calm and to learn better. When children practice Yoga regularly, they are good at problem solving, more composed and less likely to get angry. Children who practice Yoga regularly are able to manage their daily challenges with more success.

Practicing Yoga with children is a natural way to relax, focus, exercise and strengthen the mind/body/spirit connection. It is a wonderful way to spend time with children. And of course, they have so much to teach us, as well! We ALL benefit from practicing Yoga!

Practice for me is a way to become more physically and spiritually connected to myself and my surroundings. Yoga practice continues to refine my life’s purpose and journey. It is a life-long, always evolving, practice.

Yoga brings together many of my interests: service, wellness, breath work, strengthening relationships, and community building. I enjoy learning everything I can about Yoga, and sharing what I have learned. I like making Yoga accessible to everyone, and I learn from each individual’s unique journey.

My Yoga teacher says: “Yoga touches everything in life…it is like the sun, in that it brightens everything it comes in contact with!”

Bibliography

Butera, Robert. The Pure Heart of Yoga. Woodbury, MN, Llewellyn Publications, 2009.

Dillman, Erika. The Little Yoga Book. New York, Warner Books, 1999.

Groves, Dawn. Yoga for Busy People. New York, Barnes & Nobel Books, 1995.

Hewitt, James. The Complete Yoga Book. New York, Schocken Books, 1977.

Iyengar, B.K.S. Light on Yoga. New York, Schocken Books, 1979.

Iyengar, B.K.S. Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health. London, Dorling Kindersley Press, 2001.

Lalvani, Vimla. Yoga Basics. Hamlyn Publishing, London. 2008

Lee, Cyndi. Om Yoga. San Francisco, Chronicle Books, 2002.

Schiffmann, Erich. Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness. New York, Pocket Books, 1996.

Shyam, Metha and Silva, Mira. Yoga: The Iyengar Way. New York, Dorling Kindersley, 1990

Sparrowe, Linda. Yoga Planner. Petaluma, Pomegranate Communications, 2009.

Thompson, Judi. Healthy Pregnancy the Yoga Way. New York, Dolphin Books, 1977.

Vishnu-devananda, Swami. The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga. New York, Three Rivers Press, 1960, 1988.

Amy Weisbrot is a Registered Nurse and a Certified Yoga Teacher.  She teaches Yoga sessions in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area.

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Prenatal Yoga Benefits

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

By Karen Nardi

This article will discuss the benefits of practicing yoga during pregnancy as child birth is one of the greatest acts performed by women. It can be a great emotional experience. The psychological and physical aspects can’t be separated. For some women labour is a time of apprehension of fear and agony. But with a proper antenatal preparation the majority of women can have and labour that is easy and painless or almost painless and she can actually enjoy the labour and experience a sense of fulfilment (Iyengar, 2001).

Yoga eases many of the problems present during pregnancy like nausea, cramping, high blood pressure etc. It maintains good posture, and thus eliminates back pain. The deep yoga breathing and yoga meditation techniques cause mental relaxation and thus the pains during pregnancy and childbirth are minimized. The relaxation also aids in speedy recovery of the body after the childbirth (Plakans, 2001).

During pregnancy, many women turn to yoga in order to stay healthy, in shape and do what is best for your baby-to-be. Prenatal yoga is a wonderful way to do both. Whether you are new to yoga or already an experienced practitioner, you can enjoy the benefits of yoga while pregnant. Yoga classes are a great way to prepare for the birthing process as well as enjoy the company of other pregnant women. There is no better time to take care spiritually, physically and mentally (Jamieson, 2004).

All types of exercise can be beneficial to pregnant women, and specifically yoga can be very beneficial as it is completely safe, with a few modifications and precautions. If any poses make you feel uncomfortable on your back then that pose should be avoided. There are some concerns that laying on your back while pregnant may restrict the blood flow to the uterus causing dizziness and shortness of breath. Additionally, you should avoid lying directly on your stomach if it feels uncomfortable. Use a chair or the wall to help keep your balance. While your body is changing your center of gravity may be a bit skewed and falling could harm yourself or your baby. Bend from your hips, not your back. Inverted poses and back bends should be avoided during this time since they can harm your baby. Also don’t over stretch your muscles or increase the intensity of your practice (Iyengar, 2001).

Pregnancy is divided into trimesters and the appropriate adaptations and changes to yoga exercise practice will become more numerous as your baby grows. The first three months of pregnancy are a time of major changes in the body. Long before any signs of pregnancy are showing the body feels different on the inside and this is the challenge in first trimester yoga. Listening to your body is the challenge that is at the core of any yoga practice. Pregnant women may think they know themselves and what the body can do, but on any given day it is important to really tune in and respect the cues that the body gives. Taking the attitude that the body knows best will be a guide to the best way to prepare for childbirth (Iyengar, 2001). .

A pregnant woman in her first trimester should be able to do most basic yoga poses, but it is crucial that she listen to her body and respect when she feels like exercise and when she just needs to rest (Plakans, 2001).

Most standing poses Extended Triangle Pose, Extended Side Angle Pose, Warrior I-III Poses are fine in the first trimester. Even balance poses such as Tree Pose and Eagle Pose are okay, provided they are done near the wall in case the student loses her balance. Strengthening the leg muscles and the pelvic floor is important preparation for later phases of pregnancy, and it encourages good circulation in the legs to prevent cramping as blood pressure starts to drop. Standing twists such as Revolved Triangle Pose and Revolved Side Angle Pose, however, should be avoided because of the pressure they put on the abdominal cavity (Chuntharapat, 2008).

Open seated twists Revolved Head-of-the-Knee Pose relieves aches in the lower back and encourage proper posture. Hip openers should be a key focus because of the flexibility needed for delivery, but you must remind your students not to overdo it; the hormone relaxin is softening all the joints and they are easily dislocated if stretched too far. Stretches on the back Reclining Big Toe Pose is good, but should avoid any intense abdominal work because of the delicate situation in the uterus right now.

The second trimester is the glory days for prenatal yoga. Morning sickness will have probably passed (or will do so soon) and the belly is growing, but it hasn’t yet begun to hamper the ability to move freely. This is the time to get into a rhythm of regularly attending prenatal yoga classes. In addition to making a person more physically comfortable in the months ahead, prenatal yoga classes are often a great way to meet other pregnant women. The sense of community and support this fosters is a major benefit of prenatal yoga, one that is at least as important as the physical aspect.

As the third trimester progresses, prenatal yoga may become more difficult (just like walking up the stairs, tying shoes, and turning over in bed). The belly becomes a real factor, as do general tiredness and feeling cumbersome. If the mother to be is able to practice yoga with some vigour in the second trimester then it may be time to ease off. All poses that compress the belly should now be avoided. Take an increasingly cautious approach as the due date nears, but there is no reason to stop practicing prenatal yoga as long as you feel up to it (Chuntharapat, 2008).

Practicing yoga during pregnancy a person takes a philosophical and relaxed attitude accepting that pain during labour is inevitable, but temporary and will pass with a beautiful baby at the end it makes coping easier. With yoga practice and meditation the intensity of pain will be reduced considerably. Yoga during pregnancy prepares the mind and body and takes the person to a higher level of mind control.

When you’re in pain or afraid as is likely to happen during childbirth, your body produces adrenalin and may decrease the production of oxytocin, a hormone that makes labor progress. Learning how to do ujjayi breathing primes you for labor and childbirth by training you to stay calm. A regular yoga practice will help you fight the urge to tighten up when you feel pain, and show you how to relax instead.

It is the mind which makes or breaks a situation. The essence of harmoniously handling a glorious pregnancy lies in the ability to gain complete control over the mind, the body will follow. Yogic practice brings harmony and develops positive, restful attitudes towards life.

Yoga can be an ideal way to stay in shape during pregnancy and a great way to take care of yourself and your growing little one.

Prenatal yoga exercises often focus on opening the hips and stretching the lower back. These exercises gently work on the reproductive organs and pelvis to ensure a smooth pregnancy and a relatively easy childbirth. At the subtle level, these ensure optimum supply of blood and nutrients to the developing fetus. Through yoga, you will remain limber, the muscles will stay toned, balance and circulation will improve and there will be very little impact on joints.

Yoga is also beneficial because it teaches powerful breathing techniques. This will come in handy during the physical demands of labor and childbirth and even motherhood. The ujjayi pranayama is one of the most common forms of yogic breath and one of the first learnt in a typical yoga class. This breath requires you to fully take in air through the nose, filling the lungs while you gently constrict the vocal chords at the back of the throat. Each exhale is deep and full until the stomach compresses (Iyengar, 2001).

Another benefit of yoga during pregnancy is meditation. Meditation will help enhance concentration and inner focus as well as relax. As a therapeutic tool it can be used to help you resolve any fears or conflicts which are common during pregnancy. Meditation brings awareness of oneself and a deeper sense of connection to your unborn child (Jamieson, 2004).

If one is not relaxed, at the contraction of the uterus it will result in pain and difficulty. Without yoga practice during pregnancy a person may have pain in labour then fear, apprehension and tension may appear which result in release of adrenalin, leading to spasm of the uterus which results in more intense pain, and ultimately prevent desired progress in a process of labour. The end result is long and painful labour. Good routine of pranayama, meditation and asanas will allow the person to remain relaxed centred and distressed which will result in less pain during the labour process (Iyengar, 2001).

Yoga breathing exercises, and the act of controlling the energy (or Prana) provides your baby with vital oxygen and the energy from that oxygen. Yoga breathing techniques can help ease the tension of labour and could help decrease the possibility of postpartum depression. Once you learn meditation through yoga you will have an incredible self awareness that will put you in tune with your baby. It is well known that meditation can help alleviate stress, poor health and fatigue (Devananda, 2000)

In conclusion there are many benefits gained from practicing yoga during pregnancy. The yoga postures that are recommended during pregnancy enable the body to gradually improve flexibility and supple while increases tone to the body parts used during labour. Yoga will provide greater strength and stamina which is needed during labour and birth. Yoga is beneficial because it allows the person to develop physically, mentally and spiritually or emotionally.

Yoga breathing exercises, meditation and relaxation techniques are all things that will help distress and deal with the emotional demands of pregnancy, labour and birth. It is important to practice yoga in order to alleviate joint and muscle pain associated with pregnancy.

Practicing yoga during pregnancy is a gentle safe way to enjoy light exercise and relaxtion. Yoga exercise benefits the participant physically, emotionally and mentally and it maintains flexibility and strength during pregnancy while preparing for labour and child birth.

Reference:

Chuntharapat S, Petpichetchian W, Hatthakit U. 2008, Effects of Yoga on Maternal Comfort, Labour Pain and Birth Outcomes, Comlementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. 2008. 14. Pg 105 – 115.

Devananda, Swami Vishnu. 2000, The Sivananda Companion to Yoga, Simon and Schuster: New York

Jamieson, T. 2004, Yoga for Pregnancy, Hinkler books: Australia

Iyengar, B.K.S. 2001, Yoga the path to holistic health, Dorling Kindersley Book: London

Plakans, Brenda, 2001 , Yoga Journal Tools for teaching pre natal yoga, 12. 86- 94.

Karen Nardi teaches Yoga classes in Appin, New South Wales, Australia.

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Benefits of Chair Yoga for Your Students Part I

Monday, November 16th, 2009

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Yoga and Health

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

Yoga at the beachBy 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

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