Do You Really Need Yoga?
Madonna does it. So does Sting and Ashley Judd. What began
as a meditative practice in the East became a fitness trend
around the world. While yoga has been practiced for hundreds
of years, it captured the West's attention in the 1960s.
When interest waned in the succeeding decades, it got a
boost again from major celebrities. Pretty soon, it became
one of the most popular ways of attaining physical and
mental fitness.
Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word which means 'union' and
its concept refers to discipline. For most practitioners of
yoga, its practice promotes the union of the body, mind and
spirit. For most Buddhists, Hindus and Jains, yoga is one of
the methods of attaining release from karma and rebirth.
What we commonly know as yoga, that is, the series of
physical poses is referred to using asana, another Sanskrit
word. Although asana is just one of the many types of yoga,
it has become synonymous to what many recognize as yoga.
What are yoga's benefits?
When people think of yoga, stretching exercises
automatically come to mind. Although the practice does
include stretching, it is only a means to create and achieve
balance in the body by developing the practitioner's
flexibility and strength.
Yoga poses look deceptively easy and effortless, but they
are in fact designed to challenge the body's limits and each
pose has a physical benefit that is specific and targeted to
a certain body part and function. Yoga poses are also
created in succession and the effort of doing so creates
heat in the body and trains the muscles.
Since poses are also required to be held for several seconds
or even minutes, physical stamina is increased. More
importantly, yoga also involves a lot of breathing and
specific breathing patterns are required for certain poses.
The succession of yoga poses will induce sweat, allowing the
body to release harmful toxins.
Who needs yoga?
Yoga is basically for everyone and even children can
practice it, as long as there is adult supervision involved.
Yoga is beneficial to anyone who is concerned about the
proper way of breathing, increasing strength and flexibility
and developing stamina without using the rough and tough
approach of more conventional methods of physical exercise
such as aerobics and bodybuilding.
People who want to develop inner calm and peace can also
benefit from yoga, since it not only emphasizes physicality
but spirituality as well. It is also a discipline that can
accommodate anyone since different styles offer varied
degrees of ease and difficulty.
Which yoga type is for you
Yoga is a general term to refer to at least 8 types of
practice, each one slightly different from the other.
Probably the yoga practice that can be considered as a more
general way of doing physical yoga is Hatha, which can
include many of the yoga disciplines that require physical
practice. This type of yoga is gentle and the pace is slow,
which makes it a good choice for beginners.
Vinyasa is another yoga style that can also be used to
describe other types of yoga classes. This style
incorporates synchronized breathing into the physical
practice and the series of poses are done more vigorously.
Stretching exercises can be quite intense.
Bikram
Commonly known as 'hot' yoga, this type is practiced in a
room with elevated temperatures, typically ranging from 95
to 100 degrees. This yoga is great for people who want to
relax tense muscles and enjoy profuse sweating, which is
encouraged in Bikram yoga to promote cleansing.
Ashtanga
If you're fit and limber enough, you might enjoy the
intensity and fast pacing of Ashtanga yoga. Unlike most
forms, this type requires almost constant movements, with
practitioners 'flowing' from one pose to the next. Poses are
performed in a set series and in the same order every time.
Kundalini
Kundalini yoga is a discipline that emphasizes the 'serpent
power' that is located at the base of the spine and lies
dormant until the practitioner elevates it up the body to
achieve liberation. This serpent power is a form of energy
and Kundalini exercises help free this energy through
synchronized breathing and physical exercise. Kundalini yoga
involves fast and repetitive movements and chanting may be
used.
Iyengar
This style of yoga emphasizes alignment of the body and is a
good choice for people who want to improve their balance and
overall posture. Poses in Iyengar yoga are held over long
periods and may require straps and blocks to achieve maximum
body alignment.
Jivamukti
Founded by David Life and Sharon Gannon, Jivamukti is
inspired by Astanga yoga and involves physical exercises
interspersed with meditation, chanting and spiritual
instructions. If you want yoga that involves not only your
body and spirit but also your mind, this is a good style to
practice.
If you want more challenge and are quite fit to perform, try
Sivananda. Founded in 1957 by a disciple of Swami Sivananda,
this type of yoga focuses on 12 poses, proper breathing,
relaxation, a vegetarian diet and meditation. This is more
intensive and not for the those looking for a temporary fix
since this discipline will require some form of lifestyle
change. |
