The science of yoga

Millions of Americans do yoga, but many may not know about the numerous benefits of the poses, or that yoga is a complete system for mind-body-spirit wellness with a long history behind it.

Background and Philosophy

Based on archaeological evidence from India, it is surmised that yoga has been practiced for at least 5,000 years. While it arose from the Hindu tradition, yoga became a distinct spiritual and physical path in its own right. It is not a religion but a means of accessing greater wisdom about one's own self, one's relationships and the nature of the world. Hindus and Buddhists can practice yoga alongside Christians, Jews, Muslims, adherents of other faiths and agnostics.

The term yoga literally means "yoking" or "union" and refers to the unification of body, mind and spirit that many believe is a fruit of regular practice. "I feel empty but full of possibilities," said Dave Selsky, a conflict transformation professional and yoga practitioner, after a yoga session with a final relaxation.

In Sanskrit, the ancient language that provides the vocabulary for yoga, a male practitioner of yoga is called a "yogi;" a female practitioner is a "yogini".

There are types of yoga that have very little to do with the physical practice and that you won't find advertised in gyms: Karma Yoga (the yoga of selfless service to others), Bhakti Yoga (the yoga of devotion) and Jnana Yoga (the yoga of knowledge).

The word hatha is an umbrella term that encompasses many varieties of physically focused yoga and includes the schools of Iyengar, Bikram or Hot Yoga, Power Yoga and many other yogas practiced in studios and gyms with mainly physical benefits in mind.

In contrast, Kundalini Yoga focuses primarily on awakening the subtle or spiritual energy in the body through gentle physical movement, meditation, chanting and other practices.

Numerous styles of yoga are somewhere in between. They consciously cultivate spiritual energy and mental clarity through physical postures as well as meditation, chanting, breath work and relaxation. Kripalu Yoga is one such style; its motto is "meditation in motion," seeking to bring greater body awareness through attention to alignment in the postures and mental calm through attention to the breath. Spiritual benefits may flow from there.

But the physical form of yoga that Westerners are most familiar with may consist of vigorous and energetic movements performed in a constant flow—a more cardiovascular version. Or it may be gentle, relaxing and restorative—or a combination of both elements. You don't have to be flexible or strong to practice yoga, but yoga will help you become more flexible, stronger and healthier. "It's a natural way of moving," stated Selsky.

For many, it also leads to a greater sense of ease and peacefulness in the midst of the chaos and stress of contemporary life. "If I do yoga at least once a week, I feel in synch with my body. But it's also a spiritual thing. Yoga is a reminder of how to be in tune with your body and your mind," said Sariel Ende, a yoga practitioner in Washington, D.C.

Martye Cirioni, a Kripalu practitioner and teacher from Maryland admitted that yoga has helped her through many difficult times and that practicing yoga has become a way of life—something she knows she must do.

Raja Yoga, the yoga of eight branches or limbs, is a complete system that most hatha, or physical practices, are drawn from. However, only one of the limbs, asana, refers to physical posture. The other eight limbs concern ethical precepts such as non-harming (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), conscious breath control, withdrawing the senses from the outside world in order to witness the inner world and meditation and concentration that lead to samadhi, or a state of perpetual bliss and peace (known to many as enlightenment). Most teachers and advanced practitioners accept the eight-fold path as a necessary part of practicing yoga.

Benefits

In physical yoga, the major actions are forward bends, back bends, lateral bends, inversions (with the head below the heart) and twists. There are poses that work on building strength, flexibility or balance; some poses work on all three.

The muscles at the core of the body—in the abdomen and pelvis—are worked and strengthened in yoga, allowing movements to be more graceful and centered because they are supported by the deepest muscles in the body. In addition, yoga focuses on creating a strong and supple spine, enhancing range of motion and quality of life.

Whereas in Chinese martial arts the vital energy in the body is referred to as chi, in yoga it is called prana. Yoga postures are designed to awaken and move prana in the body.

Yoga reduces blood flow in certain parts of the body for short periods and aids circulation because fresh blood rushes back to that area upon release. Inversions such as Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) and Headstand (Sirsasana) are particularly good for circulation, bringing oxygenated blood to the brain and re-energizing and centering the practitioner.

Postures that open up the chest and heart area (many of us tend to collapse forward over keyboards, books, steering wheels, babies, etc.), such as Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II), help us breathe more deeply and fully. In fact, a major objective of yoga is to bring our attention to the breath and facilitate the distribution of oxygenated blood throughout our bodies. Attention to the breath is also a technique of meditation because it brings our minds from their natural wanderings to the here and now.

Yoga aids digestion by stimulating the abdominal organs in belly-down postures and twists, such as Knee-Down Twist (Supta Matseyendrasana). Yoga can also help boost the immune system by stimulating the lymphatic glands. Backbends such as Cobra (Bhujangasana) or Bridge (Setubandasana) improve our fight or flight response by soothing the adrenal glands, located on the kidneys. As a result, we can be calmer and less prone to act quickly and irrationally when stressful situations arise. Morgan Bell, a yoga teacher and practitioner in Delaware, said that yoga helps her "be kinder to myself and others."

Yoga may lead to the achievement and maintenance of optimum weight for a few different reasons. First, it is physical exercise that, if practiced vigorously, can be quite a workout. Second, certain postures, such as Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana), work on the thyroid gland, which regulates and maintains the body's metabolism. Third, yoga practice brings greater mindfulness and reflection to our lives, aiding us in deciding, among other things, to eat healthy portions of food and to practice moderation in our helpings of sweets and fats.

Yoga has the potential to produce tremendous physical benefits. Exploring the deeper dimension of yoga can also bring peacefulness and richness to the rest of our lives. Quite simply, Bell said she practices yoga because "it makes me feel alive."