Yoga may bring to mind images of people holding seemingly impossible pretzel poses. But this form of exercise and meditation is about far more than flexibility. The word "yoga" is derived from the Sanskrit word yog which means "union." The practice of yoga is meant to be a harmonious union of the body and mind to help achieve a calm and peaceful state of being.
A Traditional Form of Exercise and Meditation
Yoga is system of exercises that promotes strength, flexibility and gentle endurance. It has gained an immense surge of popularity in the West and has become a mainstay in exercise, meditation, stress-relief, health programs, and even physiotherapy regiments.
Yoga is rooted in the Indus valley civilization of South Asia over 5000 years ago. The ancient wisdom of yoga was often a solitary study in forests, where teachers passed knowledge of asanas or poses and breathing techniques to students. Today's practice of yoga has come a long way from these earlier masters and today there are many spin-off forms of the practice.
Yoga relies on the body's ability to move through a series of poses that require concentration and stability and, in the process, helps to stretch, strengthen and tone the muscles. Over time, people who practice yoga notice physical, mental, and even spiritual benefits. For many people yoga provides stress relief and allows time for relaxation and meditation. It helps to focus on the body and appreciate its joints and movements, as the mind calms and fortifies itself through meditation, prayer and positive thinking.
Yoga Decreases Arthritis Pain and Improves Asthma, Osteoporosis and Lupus
There are many varying forms and skill-set levels of yoga, making this a suitable form of exercise for the young and old, experienced and inexperienced, the athlete and the couch. Individuals with painful and disabling conditions such as rheumatism, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, asthma and lupus can also benefit from the increased muscle strength and flexibility, and endurance through yoga.
In the treatment of osteoporosis, a condition that decreases the density of the bones, a combination of diet, supplements and weight-bearing exercises are beneficial. Because some poses in yoga exercises bear the weight of the body, it is low-impact and less strenuous than other forms of exercise. Hence yoga is also perfect for people who are unable to jog, run, or perform other kinds of high impact full body conditioning exercises.
Yoga methods have also been designed and incorporated into exercise plans for pregnant women. Stretching and toning muscles and practicing breathing techniques can help expectant mothers prepare for labor. For new mothers, yoga is an excellent way to relieve stress, banish the blues, increase energy levels and even bond with their babies in mother and baby yoga poses. Many women enjoy yoga because it is relieves tension builds elegant lean muscle strength, without bulking up.
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Noreen Kassem - Noreen Kassem is a hospital doctor based in London, UK. She has extensive experience in clinical research and an undergraduate honors ...
