Yoga and Meditation

The practice of yoga is designed to unite mind, body, and spirit, and is based on the yogic premise that the mind and body are one, and that by the correct practice of yoga it is possible for the body to reach a place of harmony and heal itself.

There are now almost 6 million Americans who are believed to have experienced the benefits of yoga firsthand. Awareness of the body is assisted through the practice of yoga, improving a person’s posture, their movement, and their alignment. Through the regular practice of yoga, people become centered and relaxed, less stressed, have more energy, and feel more peaceful, healthier and happier.

At the beginning of a class there are usually mild stretching exercises and breathing, which assists mental as well as physical preparation. In general sessions are conducted by performing the yoga poses (or asanas) either individually or in vinyasana (which means they are linked in flows). The class concludes with meditation and relaxation in a pose known as the corpse pose, or shavasana.

Many forms of can be practiced, and there are many classes offered. There are different benefits to be gained from engaging in the various forms. Iyengar is great for promoting the right bodily alignment, and may use props like straps, blocks, and cushions. Bikram (also known as hot yoga), is performed in a heated room. There are usually 26 poses performed in a particular order in a class. Hatha yoga includes both Iyengar and Bikram, and both are common in the US, for their promotion of good breathing and strengthening.

What can yoga do for you? Firstly, it is extremely beneficial in the promotion of excellent flexibility, and is also excellent for circulation and development of muscle strength. However, the benefits extend beyond the physical, by promoting relaxation and calm. One of the basic tenets is that it helps to balance all areas of a person’s life by improving physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

While it has been practiced for thousands of years, more recently it’s also been the subject of scientific studies. Through these studies, modern medicine has demonstrated the practice of yoga to be beneficial. The health benefits of yoga have been studied, through both the asanas and pranayama (breathing). The result is that it benefits the body in three ways, physiological, psychological, and also biochemical.

Physiologically, yoga has been shown to decrease the heart rate and breathing rate, lower blood pressure, improve the efficiency of the cardiovascular system, improve excretion, assist in hand/eye coordination, aid in weight normalization, and decreasing pain. Psychologically, yoga benefits both mood and overall subjective well-being, it helps remove anxiety and depression, allows improved concentration and learning, and helps improve social skills, and general self acceptance. Biochemically, yoga brings about many changes in the body, from decreasing blood glucose, sodium, LDL and VLDL cholesterol and total white blood cell count, and increasing HDL, hemoglobin, and total serum proteins.

Yoga is a simple way of improving overall health, as it can do so much more than other forms of exercise for all over body benefits.

As a passionate yoga advocate and instructor, Ana Paula Hernandez enjoys teaching and writing about yoga. She firmly believes in teaching the basic yoga poses correctly so students have the right grounding for yoga.