Enhance Your Health
With Yoga
Yoga, which means
"union," from the Sanskrit word yukti, is an ancient system of
practices. Developed in India, yoga aimed at integrating mind,
body, and spirit to enhance health and well-being. Its
principles were first set down systematically by Patanjali in
the second century B.C. in the Yoga Sutras.
There are many different forms of yoga. In
its original form, it was part of a larger spiritual and
philosophical system, but yoga has also proven beneficial to
millions of practitioners who have not been grounded in the
original traditions and meanings of yoga.
Hatha yoga is the most widely known form of yoga in the
West, and the most closely allied with Ayurvedic medicine.
It includes three practices that have been found highly
beneficial for health. They are:
1. Asanas: Yoga asanas involve a variety of physical
postures and exercises. They help to align the spine and
head, improve blood flow, induce a state of relaxation,
energize glands and organs, and improve well-being. Some
asanas have been used to treat specific medical conditions.
In Ayurvedic practice, specific asanas have traditionally
been prescribed to rebalance the doshas by stimulating the
organs associated with the prevailing dosha.
2. Pranayama: Pranayama is the control of breath, from the
Sanskrit prana, or life energy, and ayam, or control. Prana
is the life force, and is roughly equivalent to such
concepts as qi or chi in traditional Chinese medicine, or
"vital force" in homeopathy. Yoga teaches that interruption
of the flow of prana by such factors as stress, toxins, or
improper diet can have a
harmful effect on physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Pranayama breathing exercises are intended to remove such
blockages. Pranayama exercises often emphasize slow, deep
abdominal breathing.
3. Meditation: Dhyana, or meditation, is the third aspect of
classical yoga, Meditative practices have been demonstrated
to induce a relaxed state in the autonomic nervous system,
which has a beneficial effect on other systems, including
the immune system.
Yoga has proven beneficial in treating a variety of medical
conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure,
breathing problems, asthma, musculoskeletal problems,
stress-related illnesses, and mood disorders. Yoga is also
helpful in the management of pain, for improving respiratory
endurance and efficiency of breathing, for muscle strength,
and for motor control. It helps prevent musculoskeletal
problems and is beneficial for people with arthritis and
those recovering from bone fractures.
Yoga programs have shown the potential for helping to reduce
heart disease by influencing such risk factors as blood
pressure, anxiety, and negative reaction to stress. Yoga is
an essential component of the cardiovascular program to
manage and reverse heart disease.
A 1973 classic study by London cardiologist Dr. Chandra
Patel applied yoga and biofeedback as a combined relaxation
therapy. Five of twenty patients with high blood pressure
were able to stop using their anti hypertensive drugs, and
seven others were able to reduce their dosage by 33 to 60%.
According to an Indian study done in 1993, forty male
physical education teachers who were already very fit
practiced yoga daily for three months, and showed a
significant reduction in blood pressure, heart rate,
respiratory rate, and body weight, with decreased autonomic
or involuntary arousal.
A 1994 study of osteoarthritis patients found that after
eight weeks of yoga training, pain, tenderness, and range of
motion were improved.
In a controlled study of healthy female volunteers done in
1994 in Germany, one group of women practiced yoga while the
group sat and read. There was significant improvement among
the yoga group in psychological parameters, such as a higher
score in life satisfaction, with a decline in excitability,
aggressiveness, and psychosomatic complaints. Heart rate
fell during the reading activity in the control group, but
rose at follow-up. Among the yoga practitioners, heart rate
remained low.
Because yoga lacks the risks of high-impact aerobic
activities, research should be conducted to determine if
yoga might be beneficial for people who are reluctant to
engage in routine exercise, such as patients with heart
disease and arthritis. Yoga may be particularly beneficial
for older adults or individuals with disabilities. Beyond
their physical and mental benefits, the practices of asanas,
pranayama, and meditation have traditionally been believed
to contribute to an integration of mind, body, and spirit.
|
- Fight For Your Health
Every person in America who
values their life and their health needs to read this book - read
more
-
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
Recent studies have shown that there is
currently a worldwide autism epidemic. In fact, more than 1.5
million people are affected in the United States alone, with one in
every 250 children diagnosed.
It's true that early detection and early treatment are the two key
factors in improving prognosis -- but too often parents get bogged
down in denial or confusion about this still mysterious disorder,
and are unable or unwilling to take the necessary steps - read more.
-
- Prevent Yeast Infections
"17 Things You Need to Know to
Prevent Yeast Infections" was written to clear up some of the
misinformation, mythology and confusion about infections caused by
Candida albicans yeast.
It should be easy to find solid
information about such a common condition, all in one place. But
instead, the most important information she discovered would be very
difficult for most people to find.
The author was happy to find that some natural remedies really do
cure mild yeast infections, but she was concerned because other
commonly recommended home remedies can actually be dangerous - read
more.
-
- Mastering Leptin
Following the 5 Rules in the
book Mastering Leptin can significantly make healthy weight loss
easier. Why these rules work and how leptin plays an essential role
in your health is explained in this break through health book - read
more
-
- Detoxing For Better Health
The Verseo Detox
Foot Patch is an all natural patch that amazingly extracts heavy
metals and other forms of toxins from your system while you sleep.
It took Japanese scientists over 24 years to develop this
technology.
Verseo Detox Foot Patch
Using the highest
mix of all-natural pure ingredients, the foot patch provides powerful detoxifying ingredients,
which includes
tourmaline, the negative ion & far infrared producing mineral, to
provide unparalleled and effective cleansing .
Click To Learn More About The Verseo Detox Foot Patch
-
- Stop Acid Reflux
Are You Suffering
With Acid Reflux and Heartburn?
Do you want to join the other people who have discovered simple
methods for banishing painful, debilitating Acid Reflux once and for
all - Using only natural strategies?
A top selling writer, and sufferer of Acid Reflux/ Heartburn has
just released new information that you will find indispensible.
Here is some of the information that is covered:
|
|