Yoga is an ancient spiritual science that combines philosophical teaching with physical and mental practices. It has its origin in India, where the sacred text dating from 500 BC is mentioned for the first time in the Vedas. The beginnings of yoga are prior to this text, as it was developed by the Indo-Sarasvati civilization more than 5000 years before our era.
Yoga was brought to the West by gurus of India in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, where it was enthusiastically embraced for its health, physical, emotional and spiritual benefits.
There are many different styles of yoga, a little more physical than others. The best known types include Hatha, Ashtanga, Kundalini, Raja and Tantric Yoga . People usually choose one depending on their needs, physical abilities and preferences.
Yoga is often associated with a set of postures (or asanas), but there is much more to it, including the specific theory of human physiology, which involves the study of energy channels in the body.
To better understand the physical and psychological benefits that entails, yoga has been widely studied and is sometimes recognized as a form of alternative therapy.
What happens in the body when you do yoga could be described as follows (using medical / western terminology):
We have two types of autonomic nervous system: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (SNP). The first is responsible for the fight or flight reaction, while the second refers to the body's rest and digestion settings. In other words, the SNS refers to stress, while the SNP is all about relaxation. In these, busy, competitive, demanding and alienated days, the SNS is the one that works overtime, while the SNP is not active as often as it should, if we want to have a balanced body and mind.
When doing yoga, the SNP wakes up, which results in happy feelings of relaxation. Physiologically speaking, the SNP reduces blood pressure, reduces heart rate and redirects blood to the digestive system. Basically, it takes over the body parts that are set aside when the SNS is in charge.
Some yoga practices activate the SNP directly, as is the case with softer postures and deep diaphragmatic breathing (also known as pranayama). More energetic styles and physically demanding postures could initially stimulate SNS, but if the practice is finished off with a meditation, it finally brings a deep state of relaxation.
Yoga has been used to:
- Improve mood and reduce anxiety.
- Improve heart health and heart failure symptoms.
- Help with back pain.
- Reduces high blood pressure.
- Improves joint mobility and builds strength and flexibility.
- Improves posture and helps with some musculoskeletal disorders.
- Help with asthma symptoms and allergies.
- Reduce stress.
Yoga has also been used in cancer patients and people suffering from schizophrenia, especially to help control symptoms and improve their quality of life.
To begin, you will need some discipline and inspiration, but it is a very rewarding practice, so go ahead!
Below you can find a 20-minute yoga class for beginners.
Source: http://www.lavidalucida.com/
Yoga for beginners - more video of 20 minutes
