Yoga

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YOGA

Medically and scientifically proven at the physical and mental level, yoga can be successfully used as therapy by people who suffer from backache, arthritis, or rheumatism – in fact, yoga posture can help just about every physical ailment known to date. As a means of encouraging relaxation, normalizing high blood pressure, helping stave off anxiety, or dealing with stress, yoga is as effective today as it was thousands of years ago.

CAUTIONS AND CONTRAINDICATIONS

Yoga techniques should not be practiced by anybody who has real difficulty bending the back, especially if this results from spinal injury. Sufferers of high blood pressure, diabetes, hernias, and those with a history of ophthalmic problems should seek medical advice before taking up yoga. Certain postures should be carefully adapted for pregnant women.

WHAT CAN YOGA TREAT?

Yoga aims to improve overall health and well-being and through that, a number of conditions may be resolved. Most of the following will respond to regular practice:

• stress and stress-related disorders
• high blood pressure and circulatory problems
• back and neck pain
• asthma and other chronic illness
• digestive disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome
• arthritis and rheumatism
• anxiety and depression

FORMS OF YOGA

Traditionally, there are many forms of yoga. The best-known traditional forms, such as Hatha, Raja, Ashtanga, Kundalini, and Tantra, have been adapted, and in some cases mixed-and-matched, by such great modern masters (yogis) as Iyengar, Sivananda, and Jois.

Hatha Yoga:

Now usually understood to be the form that emphasizes physical positions or postures (or asanas) and breath-control techniques (or pranayama).

Raja Yoga:

Now regarded as primarily involving meditation, being based on the mental aspects of yoga rather than on the physical asanas.

Ashtanga Yoga:

Combines elements of Hatha and Raja. The basis of the practice is the linking of strenuous Hatha positions and postures into a flowing, almost continuous movement while using the mind to affect breath control, periodically divided by a number of physical “locks”.

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Kundalini Yoga:

Traditionally referred to as the “coiled serpent” at the base of the spine. Some Kundalini practitioners concentrate on “raising the Kundalini” – a process of awakening this dormant subtle energy so that it moves up the spine to the head, activating major energy centers (chakras) as it does so, and ultimately causing changes in consciousness.

Tantric Yoga:

Based on texts that emphasize the importance of awakening the Kundalini force and that give detailed descriptions of the body’s subtle energy centers. One part of Tantric yoga seeks to use sexual pleasure, awakened and sustained through ritualized intercourse, as a means of heightening awareness. But classic Tantra also includes the asanas and pranayama of Hatha yoga.

The different styles of yoga suit different temperaments and physical capabilities. Ashtanga yoga, for example, has a reputation as the most physically demanding. Some yogic teachers recognize this byy “prescribing” individual programs of asanas for their students and altering them as the students progress.

YOGA AS THERAPY

When yoga is used as therapy, certain positions and postures may be recommended to speed healing or recovery from illness or injury, based not only on traditional wisdom but on the modern medical and scientific research that confirms yoga’s benefits. In this way, yoga – like chi kung and t’ai chi – is accessible to all ages and all levels of fitness, and likewise noncompetitive.

The asanas have profound effects on the body and work progressively at many levels. As the muscles are toned up, the spine returns to a natural alignment and the inner organs are revitalized. Breathing and breath control are used as a bridge between body and mind. Positions and postures that at first are just awkward to get into are held longer and longer – a process intended to redirect the flow within blood and lymph vessels, alternately flushing and emptying. This has the effect of giving the internal organs a healthy massage.

The pranayama are yoga’s equivalent of chi kung. They promote and ability to focus and control the flow of life energy in the body. And, on a purely physical level, they have beneficial effects on the heart and lungs.

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THE CAT POSTURE

This is the cat posture, chakravakasana, which increases spinal flexibility.

1. Kneel up with back straight, arms by your side and look forward.

2. Bend forward, placing hands flat on the floor, keeping the spine straight and the body square.

3. Round the spine, moving the legs at an angle by pushing the spine up and the buttocks down.

4. Bring your buttocks up and spine down. Keep legs and hands as position 3.

5. Now push your spine up into the arched position once more.

6. Repeat exercise up to six times, ensuring that the spine is stretched as fully as possible.

(Round spine as far as is comfortable. Use hands for support only, not to push your spine up and down.)

THE TREE POSE

This is the tree pose, vrksasana.

1. Start with your arms by your side, bend one leg, and rest the toes of the bent leg on the heel of the straight one.

2. Bring the foot of the bent leg farther up the straight leg. Keep arms by your sides, but support the bent leg if necessary.

3. When you feel balanced, bring your hands into a praying position in front of you.

4. This is the ideal position. Bring the foot of the bent leg as far up the straight leg as possible and raise the arms, with the flats of the hands together, above your head. You can stop this exercise at any stage and practice until you have learned to balance well enough to go on.

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YOGA FOR THE BEGINNER

Beginners generally start with a set series of postures that can be repeated many times. A famous example is the series of 12 movements known as the Salute to the Sun, in which the final five postures represent the first five in reverse order, so ending once more at the beginning.

From such relatively simple exercises, practitioners may progress to more complicated asanas that involve twists and stronger stretches. Two exercises are described below. One combines the seated forward bend and the head-knee posture. The other is the half spinal twist.

This is a seated forward bend, dandasana, moving into the head-knee posture, janu sirsasana.

1. Start by sitting in a dandasana pose with legs straight, hands by the side of your hips. Keep the back straight.

2. Bend one knee so that the foot of the bent leg touches the inside of the straight one at a comfortable position.

3. Stretch both arms above the head in this position. This is the start of the janu sirsasana.

4. Bend over into the forward bend position as far as you are able. Repeat the exercise on the other side. The aim is to get your head on to your legs. You may need to bend your knees but aim to keep them straight.

This is an exercise to twist the spine and increase its mobility. It is called ardha matsyendrasana, the half spinal twist. This is a progressive sequence: you can stop at any stage and practice until you feel confident.

1. Keep one leg as straight as possible on the floor and place the other leg over it with the foot flat on the floor as far as is comfortable. Keep the spine straight. Repeat on both sides.

2. Bring the bent leg underneath you, keeping the other straight. Keep the spine straight. Repeat on the other side.

3. Use your hand behind you to help balance before you twist. Some people have to work toward this stage.

4. Twist the torso from hips upward – spine, stomach, shoulders, head – using hands to balance. Reverse the process to work on the other side of the body.

THEMES AND VARIATIONS

There are hundreds of other yoga postures, all of which have a therapeutic effect. Two are described here. The warrior posture is considered one of the most auspicious asanas; there are several versions of it. It strengthens the legs and hips, firms the muscles of the back and chest, and tones the nervous system. The other posture described here is the shoulderstand, also known as the complete posture or the candle posture.

This is one version of the warrior posture, virabhadrasana.

1. Stand with the feet spread wide apart.

2. Turn right foot fully to right and left foot slightly to right. Raise arms to shoulder height, palms down.

3. Bend the right knee until it is in line over the heel and lower and upper leg are at right angles.

This is the shoulderstand, sarvangasana.

1. Lie flat on your back on the floor, arms by your sides and legs extended.

2. Bend your legs and raise your knees onto your chest.

3. Bring your knees onto your forehead and support the trunk with your hands placed in the small of your back.

4. Bring the trunk into a vertical position and extend the legs upward to form a straight line, perpendicular to the floor.

5. To come down safely, slowly lower the knees onto the forehead, before uncurling the body ack down onto the floor.

*I bet some of you have done these yoga techniques many times during your life but didn’t know it was actually “yoga”! You just thought they were “warm up exercises” and “cool downs”. These are the techniques that I used to do when I was in my 20s and thought you might be interested to know them to try for yourself.

It leaves you feeling “light”, “loose”, “pressure-free”, like a weight has been lifted off your shoulder, “calm”, and so relaxed! Even your mind feels “cleared”.

For the meditation part of yoga. The full lotus position (padmasana), is the classic position for meditation. It lengthens the spine, allowing you to control breathing. The mind is better able to focus and concentrate on problems or empty itself of worry.

Sit on the floor “Indian style” (left heel brought up to your right lap, right foot brought up to rest on left lap and over left leg – not to the point where it hurts, but loosely); spine straight; controlled breathing; loose hip and knee joints; thumb and first finger closed together to “lock in” energy, allowing it to circulate freely around the body; and a clear, relaxed mind.