The first image that yoga often brings to our mind
is that of complicated postures and exercises. But
Yoga means Union. The word yoga comes from the
Sanskrit verb ‘yuj’, and means “to control”or “to
unite”.Yoga uses breathing techniques, exercises
and meditation to achieve a balance between our
physical and spiritual form.
What is the overall benefit of yoga?
Through yoga, one can achieve a total overhaul of the
body and spirit and help in maintaining a calm and
peaceful state throughout the day.
In traditional Hatha Yoga, one gets into specific
asanas or postures and stays in that pose for some
minutes. These Yoga asanas tone up all the organs of
the body and facilitate a harmonious coordination
between all the systems of the body. Thus the
muscles, joints and nerves are strengthened and the
circulatory, digestive and breathing systems are
also stimulated.
Breathing in particular is enhanced by increasing
lung capacity. Tight clothes and work stress cause
our breathing to be shallow. Yoga teaches how to use
the entire breathing system – the lungs, chest,
diaphragm and abdomen – to take in more of the
life-giving oxygen, thus charging the body and
spirit with vital energy.
Proper breathing also balances our frame of mind.
Anger makes breathing sharp and shallow. Peace
brings about deep and healthy breathing. Fear can
make us hold our breath and almost suffocate. The
‘pranayama’ technique involves balancing the ‘prana’
(breath or life-energy) by proper breathing and
posture.
The practice of yoga involves less risk of joint or
tissue injury, lower calorie consumption, focus on
internal awareness and optimized effort as compared
to other forms of exercises and aggressive sports.
The physiological, psychological and bio-chemical
benefits of yoga are well documented.
You don’t need any kind of expensive equipment or
facilities to practice and reap the benefit of yoga.
All you need to bring to the practice is your ‘mind,
body and spirit’ along with loads of discipline and
a strong desire to achieve a physical-spiritual
balance.
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