Yoga is an ancient system designed to promote health, harmony and self-awareness.
In India, its country of origin, yoga is known as the science of healthy living. Although one aspect of yoga, the asanas, or physical postures, has been popularized in Western culture in the last 50years, asanas have traditionally been practiced in the wider context of an integrated system that includes breath work, meditation, and spiritual development. The focus on the physical aspect of yoga is often the first step a person takes on the Path of Yoga.
Yoga means to “yoke,” or “union,” in the Sanskrit language of the ancient yogic texts. Originally, yoga practitioners (yogis) sought to join their individual consciousness with the universal or God consciousness. In more practical and accessible terms, in the practice of yoga, the mind is joined to the breath, mental focus is yoked to physical movement, and the unity of the various aspects of the self is acknowledged. The practitioner becomes aware of mental, emotional and physical patterns and how a disturbance on one level affects the others. These patterns create blockages that adversely affect health and wholeness by restricting the free flow of both physical and subtle energies in the body. By observing the patterns and working with them, the mind becomes calmed, emotions are balanced, and the physical body becomes strong, flexible, and free to move. Prana, or life force energy, can then circulate through the body more easily, resulting in increased energy, mental clarity, and emotional equanimity.
The two primary reasons people start yoga are to relieve discomfort and to maintain physical and mental health in our increasingly stressful society. The science of yoga views illness as an imbalance in the body and seeks to achieve coordination and balance so that health is enhanced. Yoga benefits every system of the body.
Muscular – Increases flexibility, tone, external & core strength; Relaxes tight muscles; Decreases pain, headaches & tension; Body becomes more symmetrica.l
Skeletal – Increases body density; Improves joint mobility and lubrication; Spine becomes supple; Arthritis can be alleviated.
Respiratory – Breath becomes deeper and fuller; Improves breathing disorders such as asthma; Breathing becomes smoother and easier.
Circulatory – Improves digestion and elimination; Organs are massaged and stimulated; Calms the system in Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Immune – Strengthens the system; Adrenal glands are soothed; Endocrine – Stimulates proper function of glands.
Lymphatic- Lymphatic drainage stimulated; Edema can be reduced.
Nervous – Calms the mind, decreases anxiety & emotionality; Increases ability to handle stress.
Eliminatory System – Promotes elimination of toxins
Pain V’s Discomfort
Pain is ALWAYS a contraindication. If you experience pain in any posture, your body is complaining about being asked to do something it is not ready for or capable of doing. A moderate amount of discomfort can be worked with by using the breath and slight adjustments in body position, or by using props. If you are working slowly and with awareness you will always know when the pain threshold is being approached. Respect it.
Awareness – Awareness is one of the most important principals of yoga. Moment to moment attention to the interplay between your mind, breath and movement cultivates the habit of mindfulness. With your attention turned inward, you can be receptive to signals from your body about what needs to happen in a posture. Awareness is only possible if movement is slow enough to allow your brain to register sensations. When you are in a pose, your awareness can shift back and forth between:
- The physical movement of the pose, with a focus on the sensations arising from the bones, muscles and joints.
- The synchronization of movement and breathing, which results in deep relaxation.
- The movement of energy, or prana, in the body, which may be experienced as tingling, heat, cold, or a subtle vibration.
Alignment – When your body is in alignment, it is in a balanced position, with your weight transferred directly through the bones, the middle of the joints, and into the earth. Muscular effort is minimized. Your whole body finds a comfortable and balanced relationship with gravity, making breathing easy and free. Never sacrifice alignment to accomplish an idealized posture. Alignment is not an externally imposed set of instructions; rather it is learning to sense what position of each body part results in strength, stability and balance.
You should not struggle to stay in a posture. Being able to hold a posture without struggling can only be accomplished when you create a solid structure from the inside out, learning to sense alignment from within and learning to move from the core of the body. Once you develop an awareness of alignment, it will start spilling over into the rest of your life. Driving your car, standing in line at the supermarket will all become opportunities to tune into your breath and alignment, and adjust as necessary. This is one way that yoga becomes part of your life.
The “Edge” – Injuries most often result when a person disregards the body’s message to stop and tune into what is happening to the muscles and joints. The “Edge” in yoga is the point in the posture where a mild, tolerable sensation of stretch is experienced. This threshold of discomfort is the learning point of the posture. If you patiently work at the edge with breath, awareness, and thoughtfulness, you will be rewarded by a satisfying opening or release of an energy blockage.
Connecting breath and awareness to movement will usually prevent injuries because you must move slowly to maintain connection. Always be respectful of the limitations of your own body. There is no point in pushing your way into a posture; the benefits result only when you go at your own pace and listen to what your body is telling you.
Yoga Asana – There are six main groups of Asanas, each affecting various parts of the body and influencing the mind. In each group, different organs are massaged, stimulated and nourished with blood and prana. Stress is released from the muscles, organs and the mind. The can prevent and alleviate many medical conditions. See Below:
Standing & Balancing Postures: Strengthen leg muscles; Improve joint function of hips, knees, and ankles; Improve balance and alignment; Increase spinal flexibility; Increase circulation in legs; Tone cardiovascular system-energizing.
Seated Postures: Promote elasticity in hips, knees, and ankles; Decreases tension in diaphragm so breath is easier and fuller; Enhance circulation; Invigorate the spine.
Forward Folds: Massage digestive organs; Relax and calm the mind and emotions; Decrease pulse and blood pressure; Soothe adrenal glands; Enrich blood circulation.
Back Bends: Energizing; Stimulate nervous system; Relieve headaches and hypertension; Improve function of liver and spleen; Encourage deeper breathing.
Twists: Aid digestion; Relieve Spine and hip disorders; Invigorate the spine; Increases energy levels.
Restorative Postures: Calms the mind, Refreshes the body; Relaxes the muscles & nervous system.
Next yoga blog post to follow: Spiritual Development in Yoga & Life.
