Yoga A VAIDIK discipline aimed at training the
consciousness for a state of perfect spiritual
insight and tranquillity.
A system of exercises
practiced as part of this discipline to promote control of the body and
mind.
[Hindi, from Sanskrit yogaḥ, union,
joining.]
yogic yo'gic (-gĭk) adj.
Yoga
Definition
The term yoga comes from
a Sanskrit word which means yoke or union. Traditionally, yoga is a
method joining the individual self with the Divine,
Universal Spirit, or Cosmic Consciousness.
Physical and mental exercises are designed to help
achieve this goal, also called self-
transcendence or enlightenment. On the physical
level, yoga postures, called asanas, are designed
to tone, strengthen, and align the body. These
postures are performed to make the spine supple
and healthy and to promote blood flow to all the
organs, glands, and tissues, keeping all the
bodily systems healthy. On the mental level, yoga
uses breathing techniques (pranayama) and
meditation (dyana) to quiet, clarify, and discipline
the mind. However, experts are quick to point
out that yoga
is not a religion, but a way of
living with health and peace of mind as its aims.
Purpose
Yoga has been used to alleviate problems associated with high
blood pressure, high cholesterol,
migraine headaches, asthma, shallow breathing,
backaches, constipation, diabetes, menopause,
multiple sclerosis, varicose veins, carpal tunnel
syndrome and many chronic illnesses. It also has
been studied and approved for its ability to promote
relaxation and reduce stress.
Yoga can also provide the same benefits as any well-designed exercise program, increasing
general health and stamina, reducing stress, and
improving those conditions brought about by
sedentary lifestyles. Yoga has the added advantage
of being a low-impact activity that uses only
gravity as resistance, which makes it an excellent
physical therapy routine; certain yoga postures
can be safely used to strengthen and balance all
parts of the body.
Meditation has been much studied and approved for its benefits in reducing stress-related
conditions. The landmark book, The Relaxation Response,
by Harvard cardiologist Herbert
Benson, showed that meditation and breathing techniques
for relaxation could have the opposite
effect of stress, reducing blood pressure and other
indicators. Since then, much research has
reiterated the benefits of meditation for stress
reduction and general health. Currently, the
American Medical Association recommends meditation
techniques as a first step before
medication for borderline hypertension cases.
Modern
psychological studies have shown that even slight facial expressions can cause changes
in the involuntary nervous system; yoga utilizes
the mind/body connection. That is, yoga practice
contains the central ideas that physical posture
and alignment can influence a person's mood and
self-esteem, and also that the mind can be used
to shape and heal the body. Yoga practitioners
claim that the strengthening of mind/body awareness
can bring eventual improvements in all facets
of a person's life.
Description
Origins
Yoga
originated in ancient India and is one of the longest surviving philosophical systems in the
world. Some scholars have estimated that yoga is
as old as 5,000 years; artifacts detailing yoga
postures have been found in India from over 3000
B.C. Yoga masters (yogis) claim that it is a
highly developed science of healthy living that
has been tested and perfected for all these years.
Yoga was first brought to America in the late 1800s
when Swami Vivekananda, an Indian teacher
and yogi, presented a lecture on meditation in
Chicago. Yoga slowly began gaining followers, and
flourished during the 1960s when there was a surge
of interest in Eastern philosophy. There has
since been a vast exchange of yoga knowledge in
America, with many students going to India to
study and many Indian experts coming here to teach,
resulting in the establishment of a wide
variety schools. Today, yoga is thriving, and it
has become easy to find teachers and practitioners
throughout America. A recent Roper poll, commissioned
by Yoga Journal, found that 11 million
Americans do yoga at least occasionally and 6 million
perform it regularly. Yoga stretches are
used by physical therapists and professional sports
teams, and the benefits of yoga are being
touted by movie stars and Fortune 500 executives.
Many prestigious schools of medicine have
studied and introduced yoga techniques as proven
therapies for illness and stress. Some medical
schools, like UCLA, even offer yoga classes as
part of their physician training program.
Classical yoga is separated into eight limbs, each a part of the complete system
for mental,
physical and spiritual well-being. Four of the
limbs deal with mental and physical exercises
designed to bring the mind in tune with the body.
The other four deal with different stages of
meditation. There are six major types of yoga,
all with the same goals of health and harmony but
with varying techniques: hatha, raja, karma, bhakti,
jnana, and tantra yoga. Hatha yoga is the most
commonly practiced branch of yoga in America, and
it is a highly developed system of nearly 200
physical postures, movements and breathing techniques
designed to tune the body to its optimal
health. The yoga philosophy believes the breath
to be the most important facet of health, as the
breath is the largest source of prana, or life
force, and hatha yoga utilizes pranayama, which
literally means the science or control of breathing.
Hatha yoga was originally developed as a
system to make the body strong and healthy enough
to enable mental awareness and spiritual
enlightenment.
There are several different schools
of hatha yoga in America; the two most prevalent ones are
Iyengar and ashtanga yoga. Iyengar yoga was founded
by B.K.S. Iyengar, who is widely
considered as one of the great living innovators
of yoga. Iyengar yoga puts strict emphasis on
form and alignment, and uses traditional hatha
yoga techniques in new manners and sequences.
Iyengar yoga can be good for physical therapy because
it allows the use of props like straps and
blocks to make it easier for some people to get
into the yoga postures. Ashtanga yoga can be a
more vigorous routine, using a flowing and dance-like
sequence of hatha postures to generate
body heat, which purifies the body through sweating
and deep breathing.
The other types of yoga show some of the remaining ideas which permeate yoga. Raja yoga
strives to bring about mental clarity and discipline
through meditation, simplicity, and non-
attachment to worldly things and desires. Karma
yoga emphasizes charity, service to others, non
-aggression and non-harming as means to awareness
and peace. Bhakti yoga is the path of
devotion and love of God, or Universal Spirit.
Jnana yoga is the practice and development of
knowledge and wisdom. Finally, tantra yoga is the
path of self-awareness through religious rituals,
including awareness of sexuality as sacred and
vital.
A typical hatha yoga routine consists of a sequence of physical poses, or asanas, and the
sequence is designed to work all parts of the body,
with particular emphasis on making the spine
supple and healthy and increasing circulation.
Hatha yoga asanas utilize three basic movements:
forward bends, backward bends, and twisting motions.
Each asana is named for a common thing
it resembles, like the sun salutation, cobra, locust,
plough, bow, eagle, tree, and the head to knee
pose, to name a few. Each pose has steps for entering
and exiting it, and each posture requires
proper form and alignment. A pose is held for some
time, depending on its level of difficulty and
one's strength and stamina, and the practitioner
is also usually aware of when to inhale and exhale
at certain points in each posture, as breathing
properly is another fundamental aspect of yoga.
Breathing should be deep and through the nose.
Mental concentration in each position is also very
important, which improves awareness, poise and
posture. During a yoga routine there is often a
position in which to perform meditation, if deep
relaxation is one of the goals of the sequence.
Yoga routines can take anywhere from 20 minutes to two or more hours, with
one hour being a
good time investment to perform a sequence of postures
and a meditation. Some yoga routines,
depending on the teacher and school, can be as
strenuous as the most difficult workout, and
some routines merely stretch and align the body
while the breath and heart rate are kept slow and
steady. Yoga achieves its best results when it
is practiced as a daily discipline, and yoga can be a
life-long exercise routine, offering deeper and
more challenging positions as a practitioner
becomes more adept. The basic positions can increase
a person's strength, flexibility and sense
of well-being almost immediately, but it can take
years to perfect and deepen them, which is an
appealing and stimulating aspect of yoga for many.
Yoga
is usually best learned from a yoga teacher or physical therapist, but yoga is simple enough
that one can learn the basics from good books on
the subject, which are plentiful. Yoga classes
are generally inexpensive, averaging around 10
dollars per class, and students can learn basic
postures in just a few classes. Many YMCAs, colleges,
and community health organizations offer
beginning yoga classes as well, often for nominal
fees. If yoga is part of a physical therapy
program, it can be reimbursed by insurance.
Preparations
Yoga
can be performed by those of any age and condition, although not all poses should be
attempted by everyone. Yoga is also a very accessible
form of exercise; all that is needed is a flat
floor surface large enough to stretch out on, a
mat or towel, and enough overhead space to fully
raise the arms. It is a good activity for those
who can't go to gyms, who don't like other forms of
exercise, or have very busy schedules. Yoga should
be done on an empty stomach, and teachers
recommend waiting three or more hours after meals.
Loose and comfortable clothing should be
worn.
Precautions
People with injuries, medical
conditions, or spinal problems should consult a doctor before
beginning yoga. Those with medical conditions should
find a yoga teacher who is familiar with
their type of problem and who is willing to give
them individual attention. Pregnant women can
benefit from yoga, but should always be guided
by an experienced teacher. Certain yoga
positions should not be performed with a fever,
or during menstruation.
Beginners should exercise care and concentration when performing yoga postures, and not try to
stretch too much too quickly, as injury could result.
Some advanced yoga postures, like the
headstand and full lotus position, can be difficult
and require strength, flexibility, and gradual
preparation, so beginners should get the help of
a teacher before attempting them.
Yoga is not a competive sport; it does not matter how a person does in comparison with
others,
but how aware and disciplined one becomes with
one's own body and limitations. Proper form
and alignment should always be maintained during
a stretch or posture, and the stretch or posture
should be stopped when there is pain, dizziness,
or fatigue. The mental component of yoga is just
as important as the physical postures. Concentration
and awareness of breath should not be
neglected. Yoga should be done with an open, gentle,
and non-critical mind; when one stretches
into a yoga position, it can be thought of accepting
and working on one's limits. Impatience, self
-criticism and comparing oneself to others will
not help in this process of self-knowledge. While
performing the yoga of breathing (pranayama) and
meditation (dhyana), it is best to have an
experienced teacher, as these powerful techniques
can cause dizziness and discomfort when done
improperly.
Side effects
Some people have
reported injuries by performing yoga postures without proper form or
concentration, or by attempting difficult positions
without working up to them gradually or having
appropriate supervision. Beginners sometimes report
muscle soreness and fatigue after
performing yoga, but these side effects diminish
with practice.
Research and general acceptance
Although yoga originated in a culture very different from modern America,
it has been accepted
and its practice has spread relatively quickly.
Many yogis are amazed at how rapidly yoga's
popularity has spread in America, considering the
legend that it was passed down secretly by
handfuls of adherents for many centuries.
There
can still be found some resistance to yoga, for active and busy Americans sometimes find
it hard to believe that an exercise program that
requires them to slow down, concentrate, and
breathe deeply can be more effective than lifting
weights or running. However, ongoing research
in top medical schools is showing yoga's effectiveness
for overall health and for specific
problems, making it an increasingly acceptable
health practice.
Resources
yoga
The word ‘yoga’ refers primarily to an ancient Hindu spiritual
tradition intended to overcome the
narrow sense of individual selfhood, though its
usage ranges from the very general to the specific
and highly technical. The word is probably derived
from the Sanskrit root yuj, which implies a
yoke or harness, invoking the notion that when
the ox and the cart are connected via the yoke, the
resulting complex is greater than the sum of its
parts. In its most general sense, yoga involves
harnessing or integrating the forces of embodiment
(mind, body, and spirit) in order to transcend
embodiment.
Sometime around 200 BCE, a man named Patanjali
developed a system of yoga which ostensibly
synthesized previous yogic traditions. It corresponds
to a model of the human organism found in
the sacred Hindu texts, the Vedas. This model is
known as the ‘sheath’ model, and describes the
human organism as a series of concentric sheaths
or envelopes, all composed of matter of
varying degrees of fineness or subtlety. The spectrum
of human material ranges from the most
crude or dense, to the most absolutely fine or
subtle, and therefore the most ‘real.’ The goal of
Patanjali's yoga is to identify progressively with
the finer aspects of one's being until purification
leads to identification with the True Self, residing
at the core of the sheaths.
Patanjali's yoga, sometimes called Raja or ‘royal’
or ‘grand’ yoga because of its broadly
synthetic ambitions, involves eight steps or stages,
of which the first five are considered
‘external’ and the last three ‘internal.’
This relates to the sheath model. In Indian medical theory,
for instance, which also bases itself in part on
the sheath model, disease always begins from the
outside and works its way in, so that even mental
illness is a form of physical illness that has
progressed to the innermost sheaths. Healing, then,
must also begin with the physical and proceed
to the spiritual.
These eight steps of the yogic path are meant to
be accomplished sequentially. That is, one
masters the first, and adds the second. When the
second is mastered, the third is added, and so
on.
The first five or ‘external’ stages
are:
Yama or ‘restraint’
The path begins with self-discipline, or the adoption of a basic moral code of
non-karmic or
‘unselfish’ activity. The yogi forsakes
stealing, lying, cheating, killing, and other exploitative and
self-gratifying behaviours.
Niyama or ‘purity’
Purity
involves both hygiene and diet. In terms of hygiene, radical ablutions or cleansing rituals
are performed, such as swallowing a length of gauze
and pulling it back out again, in order to
scour the intestinal tract. Thus hygiene goes beyond
the superficial conception of cleanliness
which governs ordinary life. Diet is also important,
since the outermost sheaths are composed of
the food that we eat. Dense foods such as meat
are to be avoided, and subtle, refined foods are
to be preferred. Also important are the mode of
preparation and the sizes and times of meals.
Fasting is also an important purity practice, but
is seen as a hygienic concern, and not a dietary
one.
Asana or ‘postures’
The
twisting, bending, and stretching that are commonly associated with the practice of yoga
serve a number of purposes. The holding of postures
prepares the body to sit for long periods of
time in meditation, enables the overcoming of the
boredom reflex, and is held to stimulate the
endocrine system and thus to be important, since
the endocrine system affects our emotions; this
stage of yoga begins to affect the emotional as
well as the physical sheaths.
Pranayama or ‘breathing exercises’
Prana is the life force which enters the
body with the breath and which is metabolized from the
foods we eat. Breathing exercises improve the ability
of the body to metabolize prana. Also, since
breathing affects emotions, breath work helps to
regulate and refine the emotional sheath. Finally,
breathing also represents a bridge between those
physiological functions which we believe we can
control (voluntary) and those which we cannot (involuntary).
Adept yogis claim to be able to
control metabolism, reflex, and brainwave activity
— events slow or virtually stop the heartbeat.
Pratyahara or ‘sensory withdrawal’
At this stage, the
yogi is able to use the power of concentration to withdraw attention and
identification from the outermost, physical, ‘external’
sheaths. This means that sensory input is
blocked out or ignored through an effort of will.
The only sound one hears is the pounding of the
heart, and this explains why a yogi might want
to slow or stop the heartbeat, in order to establish
true peace and quiet and facilitate inwardness.
The last three, or ‘internal’ stages
are:
Dharana or ‘concentration’
Concentration in this sense involves what is described as single-pointedness,
that is, the fixation
of mind, body, and spirit on a common focal point.
Here, the image of the third eye is invoked to
suggest the strengthening of spiritual vision to
the point where it is capable of sustaining a single
object for long periods of time, like an eye staring
at an object.
Dhyana or ‘meditation’
Dhyana refers to meditation, or a sense of radical self-awareness.
To return to the metaphor of
the third eye, once it has been trained to stare
unblinkingly at a single object for a long period of
time, it then turns inward upon itself, watching
itself watch itself. This awareness takes place
without judgment or evaluation, and drives a wedge
between our experience and our Self. We
watch or ‘witness’ our own experience
as though it were only virtually real, as though it were a
drama or play. We cease to identify with it.
Samadhi
or ‘bliss-trance’
This condition is one of complete effacement of individuality. One no longer identifies with
one's
body or ego; one's actions are selflessly motivated
and non-karmic. This virtually guarantees that
liberation will occur with death, which will take
place once the consequences of past karmic
action have been borne.
— Alan Fox
yoga
A philosophical system attributed to the Hindu, Patanjali, who lived in India in about 150 BC In
Sanskrit, the word ‘yoga’ means ‘union’.
The yoga philosophy is based on developing a mystical
union between yourself and a personal deity through
a combination of self-hypnosis, meditation,
the adoption of special postures (asanas), and
ascetic practices. In the West, the meditation and
special postures have been adapted as a system
of physical exercise and relaxation techniques.
The exercises consist of slow stretching movements
performed in harmony with breathing. Yoga
tones all the muscles, flexes the joints and strengthens
the body. Some of the exercises have been
incorporated in a new form of aerobic activity
called ‘yogacise’.
n
A discipline that focuses on the body’s
musculature, posture, breathing mechanisms, and
consciousness. The goal of yoga is attainment of
physical and mental well-being through mastery
of the body, achieved through exercise, holding
of postures, proper breathing, and meditation.
Yoga
Definition
The term yoga comes
from a Sanskrit word that means yoke or union. Traditionally, yoga is a
method joining the individual self with the Divine,
Universal Spirit, or Cosmic Consciousness.
Physical and mental
YOGA POSITIONS
Name Description
Abdominal
massage Kneel with arms folded. Bend torso toward ground and lower forehead to
the floor. Slowly raise up, switch arms, and repeat.
Boat Lying
on stomach, raise head, torso, arms, and legs off the ground and stretch. Arms
should be outstretched and pointing towards feet.
Bow Lying
on stomach, hold ankles from behind and slowly raise head, torso, and thighs
off floor.
Bridge Lying on back with knees
bent and feet flat on floor, raise pelvis off floor and arch
back. Arms should be stretched out on floor with
hands grasped.
C On hands and knees, move head and buttocks as far left as possible. Inhale as you
return center and repeat on the right side.
Camel While
kneeling, arch back and bend head back toward feet. Hold heels with hands and
exhale while in movement.
Cat On hands
and knees, arch back and exhale while in movement, rounding shoulders and
back.
Child Kneeling with arms to the side,
roll torso to floor and rest forehead on the ground.
Cobra Stretched out on floor with stomach down, place elbows
parallel to shoulders and
raise torso up. Arms should straighten with hands
flat on floor.
Corpse Lie on back with feet and arms outstretched. Breathe deeply.
Dog On hands and knees,
dip back and lift head and buttocks up. Exhale.
Downward Dog On hands and knees form an inverted V by pushing pelvis
up and pressing
hands and heels to floor. Exhale while in movement.
Half
Cobra Stretched out on floor with stomach down, place elbows parallel to
shoulders and raise torso up. Keep arms bent and
only raise torso off the ground as far as the
navel.
Half Locust Lying on stomach with
hands beneath the body, raise legs one at a time
while tensing buttocks. Repeat with other leg.
Half
Lotus Sit with legs crossed (only one leg should be over the other) and knees touching the
floor.
Half-Moon Standing with feet together,
hold hands above the head with arms
outstretched. Exhale and stretch to the left. Inhale
and return to center. Repeat on other side.
Hand and thumb squeeze Make a fist around thumb and squeeze. Release slowly
and
repeat on other hand.
Head to knee Sitting
with right leg outstretched and the left leg bent toward the body with
the left foot touching the right leg, stretch head
to right knee. Repeat on other side.
Hero On hands and knees, cross left knee in front of right knee while sitting
back between
the heels. Hold heels with hands.
Knee down
twist Lying on back with arms outstretched, place right foot on left knee and
swivel right knee to the left side of floor. While
in movement, turn head to left side. Repeat on
opposite side.
exercises are designed to help
achieve this goal, also called self-transcendence or enlightenment.
On the physical level, yoga postures, called asanas,
are designed to tone, strengthen, and align the
body. These postures are performed to make the
spine supple and healthy and to promote blood
flow to all the organs, glands, and tissues, keeping
all the bodily systems healthy. On the mental
level, yoga uses breathing techniques (pranayama)
and meditation (dyana) to quiet, clarify, and
discipline the mind. However, experts are quick
to point out that yoga is not a religion, but a way
of living with health and peace of mind as its
aims.
Origins
Yoga originated in ancient India and is one of the longest surviving philosophical systems in the
world. Some scholars have estimated that yoga is
as old as
Locust Lying on stomach with hands under the body, squeeze buttocks and lift legs up and
outward. Keep legs straight.
Mountain Standing
with feet together, inhale while raising arms straight above the head and clasp
hands together. Exhale while lowering arms.
Pigeon Kneeling,
slide the left leg straight out from behind and inhale, stretching torso up.
Release and repeat on other side.
Plow Lying
on back, inhale and raise legs over head while keeping hands flat on floor for
support.
Posterior stretch Sitting with
legs outstretched and feet together, stretch head to toes.
Rag Doll While standing, exhale and bend over toward toes,
cupping elbows with hands.
Breathe deeply.
Seated angle Sitting with
legs outstretched in a V shape, stretch arms to toes and head to
floor.
Shoulder crunch With back straight,
slowly lift shoulder to ear and lower. Repeat on other
side.
Shoulder stand Lying on back, lift
legs up and support back with hands. Slowly angle legs
over head and then extend upward.
Sphinx Lying
on stomach with elbows parallel to shoulders and palms on the ground, push
torso up and look upward.
Spider Press
fingertips together and move palms in and out.
Spinal twist Sit with right foot crossed over left leg and right leg
held with left arm. Twist
while supporting body with right hand on the floor.
Repeat on other side.
Standing angle Inhale and step into V position, stretching arms out and then down toward
floor.
Standing yoga mudra Standing with
arms at sides, inhale and raise arms in front. Exhale and swing
arms to back.
Tree While standing, place
one foot on the opposite thigh and outstretch arms above the
head. Hold hands above with index fingers straight
and the remaining fingers clasped.
Triangle With arms parallel to floor and legs outstretched, turn one foot out and
stretch to that
side, keeping arms straight. Repeat on other side.
Upward
Dog Lying on stomach with hands down near the chest, lift torso off the floor
while raising on toes. Hands should raise, but
remain palms down. Arch back slightly.
Warrior I Raise arms over head with palms together and lunge forward with one
foot, keeping
thigh parallel to the ground.
Warrior II With
arms straight out and parallel to the ground and legs in V, turn one foot out and
lunge to the side, keeping hips straight.
Yoga
Mudra Sitting on heels, round torso to the ground with forehead to the floor while
stretching arms overhead. Inhale while in movement
and exhale while lowering arms.
5,000 years; artifacts detailing yoga postures have been found in India from over 3000
B.C. Yoga
masters (yogis) claim that it is a highly developed
science of healthy living that has been tested
and perfected for all these years. Yoga was first
brought to America in the late 1800s when
Swami Vivekananda, an Indian teacher and yogi,
presented a lecture on meditation in Chicago.
Yoga slowly began gaining followers, and flourished
during the 1960s when there was a surge of
interest in Eastern philosophy. There has since
been a vast exchange of yoga knowledge in
America, with many students going to India to study
and many Indian experts coming here to
teach, resulting in the establishment of a wide
variety of schools. Today, yoga is thriving, and it
has become easy to find teachers and practitioners
throughout America. A recent Roper poll,
commissioned by Yoga Journal, found that 11 million
Americans do yoga at least occasionally
and six million perform it regularly. Yoga stretches
are used by physical therapists and
professional sports teams, and the benefits of
yoga are being touted by movie stars and Fortune
500 executives. Many prestigious schools of medicine
have studied and introduced yoga
techniques as proven therapies for illness and
stress. Some medical schools, like UCLA, even
offer yoga classes as part of their physician training
program.
Benefits
Yoga has been used to alleviate problems associated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
migraine headaches, asthma, shallow breathing,
backaches, constipation, diabetes, menopause,
multiple sclerosis, varicose veins, and many chronic
illnesses. It also has been studied and
approved for its ability to promote relaxation
and reduce stress. On the other hand, some
researchers are now questioning claims that yoga
is beneficial for such conditions as carpal tunnel
syndrome.
As of late 2002, yoga is increasingly
recommended for dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome,
and other disorders in premenopausal women, in
Europe as well as in the United States.
Yoga can also provide the same benefits as any well-designed exercise program,
increasing
general health and stamina, reducing stress, and
improving those conditions brought about by
sedentary lifestyles. Yoga has the added advantage
of being a low-impact activity that uses only
gravity as resistance, which makes it an excellent
physical therapy routine; certain yoga postures
can be safely used to strengthen and balance all
parts of the body. A study published in late 2002
summarized recent findings about the benefits of
yoga for the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal
systems. The review noted that yoga is still viewed
as a "trendy" form of exercise rather than one
with documented medical benefits.
Meditation
has been much studied and approved for its benefits in reducing stress-related
conditions. The landmark book, The Relaxation Response,
by Harvard cardiologist Herbert
Benson, showed that meditation and breathing techniques
for relaxation could have the opposite
effect of stress, reducing blood pressure and other
indicators. Since then, much research has
reiterated the benefits of meditation for stress
reduction and general health. Currently, the
American Medical Association recommends meditation
techniques as a first step before
medication for borderline hypertension cases. Some
2002 studies indicate that yogic meditation
by itself is effective in lowering serum cholesterol
as well as blood pressure.
Modern psychological studies have shown that even slight facial expressions can cause changes
in the involuntary nervous system; yoga utilizes
the mind/body connection. That is, yoga practice
contains the central ideas that physical posture
and alignment can influence a person's mood and
self-esteem, and also that the mind can be used
to shape and heal the body. Yoga practitioners
claim that the strengthening of mind/body awareness
can bring eventual improvements in all facets
of a person's life.
Description
Classical
yoga is separated into eight limbs, each a part of the complete system for mental,
physical, and spiritual well-being. Four of the
limbs deal with mental and physical exercises
designed to bring the mind in tune with the body.
The other four deal with different stages of
meditation. There are six major types of yoga,
all with the same goals of health and harmony but
with varying techniques: hatha, raja, karma, bhakti,
jnana, and tantra yoga. Hatha yoga is the most
commonly practiced branch of yoga in America, and
it is a highly developed system of nearly 200
physical postures, movements, and breathing techniques
designed to tune the body to its optimal
health. The yoga philosophy believes the breath
to be the most important facet of health, as the
breath is the largest source of prana, or life
force, and hatha yoga utilizes pranayama, which
literally means the science or control of breathing.
Hatha yoga was originally developed as a
system to make the body strong and healthy enough
to enable mental awareness and spiritual
enlightenment.
There are several different schools
of hatha yoga in America; the two most prevalent ones are
Iyengar and ashtanga yoga. Iyengar yoga was founded
by B.K.S. Iyengar, who is widely
considered as one of the great living innovators
of yoga. Iyengar yoga puts strict emphasis on
form and alignment, and uses traditional hatha
yoga techniques in new manners and sequences.
Iyengar yoga can be good for physical therapy because
it allows the use of props like straps and
blocks to make it easier for some people to get
into the yoga postures. Ashtanga yoga can be a
more vigorous routine, using a flowing and dance-like
sequence of hatha postures to generate
body heat, which purifies the body through sweating
and deep breathing.
The other types of yoga show some of the remaining ideas that permeate yoga. Raja yoga strives
to bring about mental clarity and discipline through
meditation, simplicity, and non-attachment to
worldly things and desires. Karma yoga emphasizes
charity, service to others, non-aggression and
non-harming as means to awareness and peace. Bhakti
yoga is the path of devotion and love of
God, or Universal Spirit. Jnana yoga is the practice
and development of knowledge and wisdom.
Finally, tantra yoga is the path of self-awareness
through religious rituals, including awareness of
sexuality as sacred and vital.
A typical hatha
yoga routine consists of a sequence of physical poses, or asanas, and the
sequence is designed to work all parts of the body,
with particular emphasis on making the spine
supple and healthy and increasing circulation.
Hatha yoga asanas utilize three basic movements:
forward bends, backward bends, and twisting motions.
Each asana is named for a common thing
it resembles, like the sun salutation, cobra, locust,
plough, bow, eagle, and tree, to name a few.
Each pose has steps for entering and exiting it,
and each posture requires proper form and
alignment. A pose is held for some time, depending
on its level of difficulty and one's strength
and stamina, and the practitioner is also usually
aware of when to inhale and exhale at certain
points in each posture, as breathing properly is
another fundamental aspect of yoga. Breathing
should be deep and through the nose. Mental concentration
in each position is also very
important, which improves awareness, poise, and
posture. During a yoga routine there is often a
position in which to perform meditation, if deep
relaxation is one of the goals of the sequence.
Yoga routines can take anywhere from 20 minutes to two or more hours, with
one hour being a
good time investment to perform a sequence of postures
and a meditation. Some yoga routines,
depending on the teacher and school, can be as
strenuous as the most difficult workout, and
some routines merely stretch and align the body
while the breath and heart rate are kept slow and
steady. Yoga achieves its best results when it
is practiced as a daily discipline, and yoga can be a
life-long exercise routine, offering deeper and
more challenging positions as a practitioner
becomes more adept. The basic positions can increase
a person's strength, flexibility, and sense
of well-being almost immediately, but it can take
years to perfect and deepen them, which is an
appealing and stimulating aspect of yoga for many.
Yoga
is usually best learned from a yoga teacher or physical therapist, but yoga is simple enough
that one can learn the basics from good books on
the subject, which are plentiful. Yoga classes
are generally inexpensive, averaging around 10
dollars per class, and students can learn basic
postures in just a few classes. Many YMCAs, colleges,
and community health organizations offer
beginning yoga classes as well, often for nominal
fees. If yoga is part of a physical therapy
program, its cost can be reimbursed by insurance.
Preparations
Yoga
can be performed by those of any age and condition, although not all poses should be
attempted by everyone. Yoga is also a very accessible
form of exercise; all that is needed is a flat
floor surface large enough to stretch out on, a
mat or towel, and enough overhead space to fully
raise the arms. It is a good activity for those
who cannot go to gyms, who do not like other forms
of exercise, or have very busy schedules. Yoga
should be done on an empty stomach, and
teachers recommend waiting three or more hours
after meals. Loose and comfortable clothing
should be worn.
Precautions
People with injuries,
medical conditions, or spinal problems should consult a doctor before
beginning yoga. Those with medical conditions should
find a yoga teacher who is familiar with
their type of problem and who is willing to give
them individual attention. Pregnant women can
benefit from yoga, but should always be guided
by an experienced teacher. Certain yoga
positions should not be performed with a fever,
or during menstruation.
Beginners should exercise care and concentration when performing yoga postures, and not try to
stretch too much too quickly, as injury could result.
Some advanced yoga postures, like the
headstand and full lotus position, can be difficult
and require strength, flexibility, and gradual
preparation, so beginners should get the help of
a teacher before attempting them.
Yoga is not a competitive sport; it does not matter how a person does in comparison with
others,
but how aware and disciplined one becomes with
one's own body and limitations. Proper form
and alignment should always be maintained during
a stretch or posture, and the stretch or posture
should be stopped when there is pain, dizziness,
or fatigue. The mental component of yoga is just
as important as the physical postures. Concentration
and awareness of breath should not be
neglected. Yoga should be done with an open, gentle,
and non-critical mind; when one stretches
into a yoga position, it can be thought of as accepting
and working on one's limits. Impatience,
self-criticism, and comparing oneself to others
will not help in this process of self-knowledge.
While performing the yoga of breathing (pranayama)
and meditation (dyana), it is best to have an
experienced teacher, as these powerful techniques
can cause dizziness and discomfort when done
improperly.
Side Effects
Some people have
reported injuries by performing yoga postures without proper form or
concentration, or by attempting difficult positions
without working up to them gradually or having
appropriate supervision. Beginners sometimes report
muscle soreness and fatigue after
performing yoga, but these side effects diminish
with practice.
Research & General Acceptance
Although yoga originated in a culture very different from modern America,
it has been accepted
and its practice has spread relatively quickly.
Many yogis are amazed at how rapidly yoga's
popularity has spread in America, considering the
legend that it was passed down secretly by
handfuls of followers for many centuries.
There
can still be found some resistance to yoga, for active and busy Americans sometimes find
it hard to believe that an exercise program that
requires them to slow down, concentrate, and
breathe deeply can be more effective than lifting
weights or running. However, ongoing research
in top medical schools is showing yoga's effectiveness
for overall health and for specific
problems, making it an increasingly acceptable
health practice.
Training & Certification
Many different schools of yoga have developed in America, and beginners
should experiment
with them to find the best-suited routine. Hatha
yoga schools emphasize classical yoga postures,
and raja yoga schools concentrate on mental discipline
and meditation techniques. In America,
there are no generally accepted standards for the
certification of yoga teachers. Some schools
certify teachers in a few intensive days and some
require years of study before certifying teachers.
Beginners should search for teachers who show respect
and are careful in their teaching, and
should beware of instructors who push them into
poses before they are ready.
Yoga
Definition
The term "yoga" comes from a Sanskrit word meaning "union."
Yoga combines physical
exercises, mental meditation, and breathing techniques
to strengthen the muscles and relieve
stress.
Purpose
Yoga has been practiced for
thousands of years as a life philosophy to join the individual self
with what practitioners call the Divine, Universal
Spirit, or Cosmic Consciousness. However, very
few individuals in the United States as of 2004
practiced yoga in this way; rather, yoga is
performed as part of an exercise program to increase
general health, reduce stress, improve
flexibility and muscle strength, and alleviate
certain physical symptoms, such as chronic pain.
Because yoga is a low-impact activity and can include
gentle movements, it is commonly used as
part of physical therapy and rehabilitation of
injuries.
Clinical and psychological studies have demonstrated that performing yoga has the following
benefits:
Physical postures strengthen and tone
muscles, and when performed in rapid succession, can
provide cardiovascular conditioning.
Meditation
and deep breathing can reduce stress, thereby lowering blood pressure and inducing
relaxation.
Mind/body awareness can influence
mood and self-esteem to improve quality of life.
In addition to exercise and stress reduction, yoga is also used therapeutically
to help children and
adolescents with medical conditions. Yoga instructors
experienced in adapting yoga postures for
individuals with special needs teach yoga to children
and adolescents with Down syndrome,
cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, spinal cord
injury, multiple sclerosis, cancer, autism, Asperger's
syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD), psychiatric disorders, learning
disabilities, and other disabilities to help improve
physical and mental functioning. Many
physicians may recommend yoga for patients with
hypertension, asthma, stress-related disorders,
and depression. Growing interest in alternative
and complementary medicine has increased the
popularity of yoga in the United States and spurred
research into its medical benefits. Many
hospitals offer alternative or integrative medicine
centers that include yoga classes.
Some yoga instructors have even pioneered yoga for infants and toddlers, practiced with
one or
both parents. Yoga for infants and toddlers can
improve sleep, ease digestive problems, facilitate
neuromuscular development, strengthen the immune
system, deepen parent-child bonds, serve as
an outlet for creative play and self-expression,
and reduce stress and anxiety for both parents and
children.
Description
Yoga originated in
ancient India and is considered one of the longest surviving philosophical
systems in the world. Some scholars have estimated
that yoga is as old as 5,000 years; artifacts
detailing yoga postures have been found in India
from over 3000 B.C. A recent poll conducted
by Yoga Journal found that 11 million Americans
do yoga at least occasionally and 6 million
perform it regularly.
Hatha yoga is the most
commonly practiced branch of yoga in the United States, and it is a highly
developed system of nearly 200 physical postures,
movements, and breathing techniques. The
yoga philosophy maintains that the breath is the
most important facet of health, as the breath is
the largest source of "prana," or life force, and
hatha yoga uses "pranayama," which literally
means the science or control of breathing.
A
typical hatha yoga routine consists of a sequence of physical poses, called asanas, and the
sequence is designed to work all parts of the body,
with particular emphasis on making the spine
supple and increasing circulation. Each asana is
named for a common thing it resembles, like the
sun salutation, cobra, locust, plough, bow, eagle,
tree, and the head to knee pose, to name a few.
Poses named after animals are especially appealing
to children, and children's yoga programs
focus on those poses that mimic animals and trees.
Each pose has steps for entering and exiting
it, and each posture requires proper form and alignment.
A pose is held for some time, depending
on its level of difficulty and one's strength and
stamina, and the instructor cues participants when
to inhale and exhale at certain points in each
posture, as breathing properly is a fundamental
aspect of yoga postures. Breathing should be deep
and through the nose. Mental concentration in
each position is also very important, which improves
awareness, poise, and posture. During a
yoga routine there is often a position in which
to perform meditation, called dyana, if deep
relaxation is one of the goals of the sequence.
Yoga
routines can take anywhere from 20 minutes to two or more hours, with one hour being a
good time investment to perform a sequence of postures
and a meditation. For children, 30
minutes may be the maximum span of attention for
practicing yoga. Some yoga routines,
depending on the teacher and school, can be as
strenuous as the most difficult workout,
especially those called ashtanga, or power, yoga.
Other routines merely stretch and align the body
while the breath and heart rate are kept slow and
steady. Power yoga is only appropriate for
children and adolescents who have practiced yoga
for some time, or who are engaged in
advanced athletic activities. Yoga achieves its
best results when it is practiced as a daily
discipline, and yoga can be a life-long exercise
routine, offering deeper and more challenging
positions as a practitioner becomes more adept.
The basic positions can increase a person's
strength, flexibility, and sense of well-being
almost immediately, but it can take years to perfect
and deepen them, which is an appealing and stimulating
aspect of yoga for many.
Precautions
Children and adolescents with injuries, medical conditions, or spinal problems
should consult a
physician before beginning yoga. For children with
special needs, parents should find a yoga
teacher who is properly trained and experienced
and can give children individual attention. Certain
yoga positions should not be performed by a person
who has a fever or is menstruating.
Children and adolescents who are beginners at yoga should always be properly supervised,
since
injuries are possible, and some advanced yoga postures,
like the headstand and full lotus position,
can be difficult and require strength, flexibility,
and gradual preparation. Proper form and
alignment should always be maintained during a
stretch or posture, and the stretch or posture
should be stopped if pain, dizziness, or excessive
fatigue occurs.
While yoga can be used therapeutically to help alleviate certain symptoms in children with various
medical conditions, it is not a cure. A physician
should be consulted for standard medical
treatment.
Risks
Injuries have been reported
when yoga postures were performed without proper form or
concentration, or by attempting difficult positions
without working up to them gradually or having
appropriate supervision. Beginners sometimes report
muscle soreness and fatigue after
performing yoga, but these side effects diminish
with practice.
Parental Concerns
Parents should make sure that the yoga instructor is qualified to teach yoga to children.
Yoga
instructors experienced in teaching adults may
not understand that teaching children requires
different skills and methods. Yoga certifications
and/or training in teaching children are available.
Yoga classes for children, adolescents, and teens are held at local
schools, community centers,
fitness clubs, and YMCAs. In addition, yoga videos
for children are available online at
www.collagevideo.com. For children who want to perform yoga at home, parental supervision is
necessary.
Yoga
One of the six
orthodox systems (darshans) of Indian philosophy, which has had widespread
influence on many schools of Indian thought. It
is better known through its practical aspect than
its intellectual content, which is largely based
on the philosophy of Samkhya. Holding that the
evolution of the world occurred in stages, Yoga
attempts to reverse this order so that a person
reenters his or her state of purity and consciousness.
Generally, the Yoga process involves eight
stages, which may require several lifetimes to
pass through. The first two stages are ethical
preparations emphasizing morality, cleanliness,
and devotion to God. The next two stages are
physical preparations that condition the body to
make it supple, flexible, and healthy; the physical
aspects of Yoga have been most successfully popularized
in the West. The fifth stage involves
control of the mind and senses to withdraw from
outward objects. The remaining three stages
entail the cultivation of increasingly concentrated
states of awareness, which will ultimately lead to
release from the cycle of rebirth. See also chakra,
kundalini.
Yoga
The Hindu school, associated with
the school of Samkhya as the practical method for achieving
the understanding of the self. Yoga is the discipline
(or ‘yoke’) necessary for the pure subject to
recognize itself, and separate itself from the
empirical reality with which it is confused. Various
kinds of involvement with the ego and desires and
aversions are responsible for ‘fluctuations of
the mind-stuff’ that can only be overcome
by training. Yoga includes moral restraints, and
spiritual imperatives, as well as the familiar
exercises (asanas) designed to withdraw
consciousness from the senses, focus the mind,
and ultimately achieve meditation in which the
self is completely and transparently understood
(samadhi).
yoga
(Sanskrit, yoking, joining). Any form of
spiritual discipline aimed at gaining control over the mind
