Thursday, June 10, 2010

The Benefits of Yoga



I know I am most likely preaching to the converted here but since it is a blog on the wisdom of beauty I could not avoid the very important topic of exercise and most importantly the one practice I consider most relevant for mind, body and spirit and that is the practice of Yoga.

The tradition of Yoga was developed over five thousand years ago in India and has been evolving ever since with many different schools and philosophies. Yoga was primarily developed to help those who sought meditation for long periods of time without discomfort (I'm talking days, weeks, months). The longer you meditate the longer you are capable of reaching enlightenment and this inner focus as a means to enhance the sensory and human condition is the root of all Yoga.

I started taking Yoga classes in my last semester of college for a Physical Education credit. I must have fallen asleep in just about every Yoga class as I laid out on the floor exhausted from all the schoolwork I had crammed in my last semester. My Yoga instructor was okay with me falling asleep in the classes as she said it is common to feel sleepy when you start practicing Yoga. I noticed after a while it didn't take long to be able to master the poses and was pleasantly surprised from the "Yoga High" I felt after my classes were done.

Over the years I continued my practice and have tried all different varieties of yoga: Hatha (great for the beginner as it is slow paced), Vinyasa (breath-synchronized movement which tends to be a more vigorous style), Ashtanga (very physically demanding because of the constant movement from one pose to the next), Kundalini (based on the breath in conjunction with physical movement), Bikram (a set series of 26 poses practiced in a 95 to 100 degree room - not for the faint hearted), Anusara (combines a strong emphasis on physical alignment to open the heart - good for all levels), Jivamukti (takes inspiration from Ashtanga yoga and emphasizes chanting, meditation, and spiritual teachings) and my all time favorite Restorative (focuses on relaxing the body in restful postures). These are to just mention some of the most popular types of Yoga practices available to us today.

What are the physical benefits of yoga? They are:
  • Increased flexibility (which helps all other exercises).
  • Increased lubrication of the joints, ligaments and tendon.
  • Massaging of all organs of the body (stimulation and massage of the organs in turn benefits us by keeping away disease and providing a forewarning of disease).
  • Complete detoxification (helps in the flushing out of toxins from every nook and cranny).
  • Toning of the muscles (weak muscles are stimulated to shed excess flab and flaccidity).
In my practice over the years my favorite benefit of Yoga is what it does to harmonize the mind with the body. How often do we find that we are unable to perform our activities properly because of the confusions and conflicts in our mind weigh us down? Moreover, stress which in reality is the #1 killer affecting all parts of our physical, endocrinal and emotional systems can be corrected through a Yoga practice of meditation. 

Yoga has helped me through many stressful times as it creates a remarkable calmness and a positive outlook, which also has tremendous benefits on the physical health of the body. 

Yoga is open to all people regardless of your age or what kind of shape you are in. It is one of the nicest activities I can do for myself and for me illustrates the concept of "self-love" which all spiritual practices are based on. The nicer I am going to be to myself, the more I can take of myself, the nicer I can be to others and take care of them.

So if your life is centered around taking care of others and feeling drained? I highly recommend you take the time to recharge your batteries and practice yoga a few times a week whether at home or a studio. Self-love and peace of mind is one of the best examples and gifts you can give your loved ones and just makes for a better life.

Thanks!

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