Yoga... For the Body and the Mind

Enlarge Image Image Gallery

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

Suffering from the "post-holiday heavies?" Try this ancient form of exercise.

Not many exercise regimens can boast of having no special requirements for space or equipment . . . a rich spiritual background . . . and techniques that can be mastered by anyone between the ages of 5 and 95 . . . while virtually guaranteeing their followers increased agility and energy, plus trimmer bodies and clearer minds. Yoga, however, can make such claims, because it's no ordinary training program: It's an integral part of a centuries-old Hindu philosophy that concentrates on helping the practitioner to realize his or her true nature, and—as a result of that achievement—to feel a sense of closeness with what the Eastern tradition calls the Universal Spirit.

Yoga—which was first described in 2,000 B.C., in the Sutras of the Indian scholar Patanjali—takes its name from a Sanskrit word meaning bond, attachment, or union . . . and is divided into several branches, which include the yoga of action, the yoga of mental mastery, the yoga of knowledge, and the yoga of devotion. These and other practices are traditionally considered landmarks along the path to liberation of the self . . . a journey that takes as its starting point hatha yoga (the yoga of physical force).

Masters of yogic philosophy believe that, in order to purify their minds (and thus enable themselves to experience a state of cosmic consciousness), they must first gain control over their physical bodies through a series of cleansings, breath control exercises, and the peculiar positions—or asanas —of hatha yoga. Over the past few years, a growing number of Westerners have become familiar with that physical aspect of the regimen, and hatha yoga is now commonly taught in recreation centers, theaters, schools, retirement homes, prisons, and athletic clubs across North America.

The term hatha is derived from the Sanskrit "ha" (sun) and "tha" (moon), and symbolizes the duality of body and mind (the twin complementary parts of the whole self, which form a complete being when brought together). Although it's basically a preparatory discipline, to be mastered prior to tackling the more meditative branches of yoga, hatha can be studied by individuals who have no intention of pursuing the more advanced yogic techniques . . . and many Westerners have found that surprising results—both physical and mental— can be achieved by conscientious practice of the asanas.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

While yoga can't provide the heart-pumping workout possible with aerobic exercise, it does offer quite a few long-range benefits for both the body and the mind. The slow, measured movements of the asanas develop balance, agility, and flexibility as they massage the body's muscles and joints through repeated sequences of contraction and relaxation. Furthermore, the physical benefits are usually reflected in an improved mental equilibrium . . . that is, the student experiences the tranquillity of a quiet, free -flowing state of mind. Finally, the novice yogi or yogini—by learning to sustain each posture for several seconds—often develops a fine-tuned power of concen tration that can be an aid in his or her daily work.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print