Today things have changed. Hundreds of years ago royalty set the
trends and now our egalitarian society never tires of watching the
activities of the rich and famous. And a daily yoga practice is what a
lot of them are doing.
Yoga has become the holistic exercise of choice for thousands of
Americans who have finally caught onto its remarkably comprehensive
list of benefits.
In the arts; actors, artists, poets and writers extol
the virtues of this 5,000-year-old practice. In the corridors of power
enlightened corporations have added special yoga rooms where staff can
center themselves and stretch their tense and weary bodies.
Young mothers use it to prepare for, and recover from, the rigors of
childbirth while the baby boom generation is more glamorous and supple
than ever before as they embrace the golden years with a regular yoga
practice.
As the benefits of yoga are finally recognized yoga studios pop up
equally fast in giant metropolises as well as tiny hamlets across the
country.
Unlike the original practice that grew out of Eastern philosophical
thought and was practiced mostly by solitary aesthetes, yoga in the
west has been adapted to include the best of both worlds. While breath
and centering are still central, the age-old postures have been
modified to flow to music. Single postures are still practiced but a
relatively recent development called vinyasa or flow yoga has combined
all the postures into one single flowing yoga "dance" that is enjoying
a growing popularity.
The fact that yoga has moved from a peripheral activity practiced by
"oddballs" to the mainstream is really a sign of the times. As society
pays more and more attention to the bigger picture this holistic
approach impacts the fields of science, medicine and education to name
but a few.
Where exercise deals with the health of the physical body, yoga works
with the mental, psychological and spiritual as well as the physical.
Yoga sees no distinction between all the parts but rather one single
harmonious whole. Like other holistic schools of thought it sees the
balance of all the parts as crucial to the health of the whole person.
Other forms of exercise involve the dominance of the sympathetic
nervous system -- our fight-flight mechanism -- whereas yoga works with
the parasympathetic nervous system. Where exercise is a series of
rigorous repetitive movements that increase muscle tension yoga is slow
and dynamic encouraging the beneficial return to normalized muscle tone.
In yoga you are told to listen and respect the body and to work in
partnership with it. As you hold each posture you are taught to breath
and relax into the pose. Effort is not a part of the curriculum as it
is in exercise. It is understood that bringing the mind's attention to
the breath and the body creates a synergy that works with you so that
effort is rendered completely redundant .
In exercise you are told to focus on a goal and compete whether it is
with yourself or others. In a typical yoga session you are asked to put
aside all ideas of getting somewhere or doing better than the person
next to you.
The atmosphere is peaceful and relaxing, the act of tuning into your
own body possibly for the first time is quite magical. Yoga is
considered to be particularly beneficial for those in recovery from a
Type A lifestyle built around relentless speed and delivery.
Many people get into yoga as an alternative to regular exercise because
someone else recommends it. They are often surprised to notice the
far-reaching benefits of what appears to be a program of simple
postures practiced in a gentle and unspectacular way.
In this way yoga is like meditation. It is like a stopping. In a world
of "doing" it is allowing yourself to simply "be". A yoga session
is one of the few places in life where you get to be just you, with no
expectations. Though the practice seems peaceful and unassuming studies
show that it improves several aspects of brain functioning like
sharpening concentration, memory, attention and learning.
On the emotional front a regular yoga practice produces a growing sense
inner peace and general wellbeing. It is the ultimate de-stressing
activity and many who practice it swear that those visits to the
masseuse or chiropractor to undo the knots of tension become
increasingly unnecessary.
Spiritually yoga opens the consciousness to the nature of infinity
using the body as the vehicle. You begin to think fresh thoughts and
cynicism gives way to a growing sense of wonder. This is probably the
thing that surprises people the most about the practice of yoga. When
balance is restored we are so much more than simply fit and healthy.
Yoga gives us back a sound body, mind and spirit. All of that and it
takes as little as an hour three times a week.
Warning: once you start yoga you may never be able to stop. When your
body gets used to the mindful care and attention it receives in the
postures it will settle for nothing less. You will find yourself
touching your toes in the office and twisting luxuriously in your desk
chair. Stretching is what the body was made for and it is as delicious
and rewarding as that long awaited sneeze.
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By: Mugdha R Kasarekar Posted: Jan 24 2006 10:15:21 AM