Benefits of Yoga - Why Yoga Exercise is Good for You
Yoga books tell us that Yoga, as we all know, is aimed to unite the mind, the body, and the spirit. Yogis view that the mind and the body are one, and that if it is given the right yoga kit and tools and taken to the right environment, it can find harmony and heal itself. Yoga therefore is considered therapeutic. It helps you become more aware of your body's posture, alignment and patterns of movement. It makes the body more flexible and helps you relax even in the midst of a stress stricken environment. This is one of the foremost reasons why people want to start Practicing Yoga - to feel fitter, be more energetic, be happier and peaceful.
Yoga is a science that has been practiced for thousands of years. It is consists of Ancient Theories, observations and principles about the mind and body connection which is now being proven by modern medicine. Substantial research has been conducted to look at the Health Benefits of Yoga - from the Yoga Postures (Asanas), Yoga Breathing (Pranayama), and Meditation. The information on Yoga Poses & Benefits are grouped into three categories-physiological, psychological, biochemical effects. Furthermore, scientists have laid these results against the benefits of regular exercise
Physiological Benefits of Yoga
- Stable autonomic nervous system equilibrium
- Pulse rate decreases
- Respiratory rate decreases
- Blood Pressure decreases (of special significance for hyporeactors)
- Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) increases
- EEG - alpha waves increase (theta, delta, and beta waves also increase during various stages of meditation)
- EMG activity decreases
- Cardiovascular efficiency increases
- Respiratory efficiency increases
- Gastrointestinal function normalizes
- Endocrine function normalizes
- Excretory functions improve
- Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increase
- Breath-holding time increases
- Joint range of motion increase
- Grip strength increases
- Eye-hand coordination improves
- Dexterity skills improve
- Reaction time improves
- Posture improves
- Strength and resiliency increase
- Endurance increases
- Energy level increases
- Weight normalizes
- Sleep improves
- Immunity increases
- Pain decreases
- Steadiness improves
- Depth perception improves
- Balance improves
- Integrated functioning of body parts improves
Psychological Benefits of Yoga
- Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
- Mood improves and subjective well-being increases
- Self-acceptance and self-actualization increase
- Social adjustment increases
- Anxiety and Depression decrease
- Hostility decreases
- Concentration improves
- Memory improves
- Attention improves
- Learning efficiency improves
- Mood improves
- Self-actualization increase
- Social skills increases
- Well-being increases
- Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
- Self-acceptance increase
- Attention improves
- Concentration improves
- Memory improves
- Learning efficiency improves
- Symbol coding improves
- Depth perception improves
- Flicker fusion frequency improves
Biochemical Benefits of Yoga
- Glucose decreases
- Sodium decreases
- Total cholesterol decreases
- Triglycerides decrease
- HDL cholesterol increases
- LDL cholesterol decreases
- VLDL cholesterol decreases
- Cholinesterase increases
- Catecholamines decrease
- ATPase increases
- Hematocrit increases
- Hemoglobin increases
- Lymphocyte count increases
- Total white blood cell count decreases
- Thyroxin increases
- Vitamin C increases
- Total serum protein increases
Yoga Health Benefits versus Exercise Benefits
- Yoga Benefits
- Parasympathetic Nervous System dominates
- Subcortical regions of brain dominate
- Slow dynamic and static movements
- Normalization of muscle tone
- Low risk of injuring muscles and ligaments
- Low caloric consumption
- Effort is minimized, relaxed
- Energizing (breathing is natural or controlled)
- Balanced activity of opposing muscle groups
- Noncompetitive, process-oriented
- Awareness is internal (focus is on breath and the infinite)
- Limitless possibilities for growth in self-awareness
- Exercise Benefits
- Sympathetic Nervous System dominates
- Cortical regions of brain dominate
- Rapid forceful movements
- Increased muscle tension
- Higher risk of injury
- Moderate to high caloric consumption
- Effort is maximized
- Fatiguing (breathing is taxed)
- Imbalance activity of opposing groups
- Competitive, goal-oriented
- Awareness is external (focus is on reaching the toes, reaching the finish line, etc.)
- Boredom factor
This article was contributed by: www.cyberastro.com and www.movingintostillness.com.
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Hello everyone! I don't know if this is the correct place to post this, but I was wondering if anyone would mind giving me their personal feedback/experience with the health benefits of yoga. I'm in fairly decent shape for a 55 YO from outward appearances, but I can literally feel myself deteriorating rapidly as I move into this older age category. And stress...need I say more? Hence, my investigation of yoga. From all that I've read, the potential positives are great, but I'd like to here from actual practitioners.
Also...and I hope I word this correctly...how long does it take to incorporate yoga into part of your daily routine? How long does it take to begin to feel the positive affects of yoga practice? I have some videos, but would you recommed a "home program" or should I take classes? Any other feedback or things I should know about? Also...can pilates and yoga be done at the same time or should I choose just one?
Obviously newbie questions, but I appreciate all thoughts on the subject. Thanks!
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| ranju |
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I have done the basic course of 'Art of living" by Shri Shri Ravishankar. I practice pranayam and 'sudarshan kriya' a powerful breathing technique, daily without fail, after which I do 'shavasana' for 10 minutes. Yesterday , I saw brilliant yellow light which was getting transformed into orange and red for sometime and then would dissappear and then whithin seconds it would appear again. It was brilliant, I saw with eye closed. What does it signify? please comment.
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I was wondering if I could use this article on my website with full acknowlegement of the sources including link. My website is www.my-yoga.com.
Thank you,
Cathy Breshears
Manipura Yoga Studio
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| anadalv |
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Hi, I hope that my answer will help you in your quest.
You're the one who decides on how to incoperate yoga into your life. I've done yoga poses, breathing and meditation since I was about 8 years old. I grew up in a military family and was introduced to parts of it from other kids at school. I'm now almost 50 and have shared this with others for years.
I have found that doing the sun salutations first thing in the morning helps to ease me into the day. Depending on what I'm doing throughout the day and how I'm feeling, I will do some seated stretches and breathing to reduce stress and/or pain. (A side note here. I was involved in a horrific collision with a drunk driver that has left me with various limitations.) I have worked in offices and as a professional driver and have developed routines that I was able to do at work to help me stay loose, retain my posture and reduce injuries or pain from sitting and repetetive motions.
Everyone is different so you may feel some benefits sooner. Ability to handle stresses, a more positive outlook, just a feeling of balance can ease into your existance without you really noticing. The release of toxins from your system will improve your immune responce, and your sence of balance and your muscle tone will also get better. Joint stiffness and some of your everyday aches and pains will decrease over time.
Videos are great if the weather keeps you from getting out, just have several so you don't get bored. Classes are wonderful for having a chance to learn new things, get a better understanding of things, and to meet like-minded people. The book "Yoga" by Erich Schiffmann is a great resource as it has pictures of the different poses and different routines based on your level. You can do other exercises as well. Most exercise programs that I have used recommend some form of stretching before working out, sounds like a short yoga session would fit this need. This loosens the joints and warms the muscles so that you are less likely to be suffer injuries. Remeber your breathing. As you exercise, your breathing helps to force toxins out of your system so that you will have less muscle fatigue and pain after your workout.
As you progress in yoga, you may want to look into Ashtanga (Power Yoga) or even try Bickram (Hot Yoga). Just realize that these are very physically demanding and you will want to check with your doctor to make sure that you won't suffer any health crisis from them. I find that I get a great workout from doing my Hatha yoga and I have been creating my own routines to keep it interesting and stimulating. I'm even looking at starting a class for couples sometime this year.
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| atulrulzz |
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