Ancient Wisdom in a Modern Era
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Yoga Exercise
Benefits, Health & Fitness
Yoga Physical Fitness
Beginners ~ Workout ~ Basics
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The most historically-rooted perspective taken on yoga is that of considering yoga’s spiritual linkages and implications. The foundational text for yoga is a Hindu scripture named Yoga Sutra. The Yoga Sutra is a compilation of sutras, or concise, instructional writings. There remains controversy over when the writings were published however. The Yoga Sutra is built on a foundation of Samkhya philosophy. The physical practices detailed in the Yoga Sutras are the manifestation of theory offered in the Samkhya philosophies. The sutras are divided into four parts, including:
Samadhi Pada: translated: “On being absorbed in spirit.” This section focuses on the ridding of one’s ego through practice of yoga or the “emergence of the spiritual man from the veils and meshes of the psychic nature”
Sadhana Pada “On being immersed in spirit.” This section is concerned with the growth of the spiritual self through practical spiritual training. This segment details methods for how to attain
Yoga for Health and Fitness
Yoga is a traditional Hindu physical and mental discipline originating in India. In a non-religious context, it has become popular as a kind of low-impact physical exercise, and is also used for therapeutic purposes as an adjunct to western medicine. Although in theory most schools of yoga in the West include meditation in their technical repetoire, in practice, few actually teach it, focusing almost exclusively on the physical asanas or poses of yoga exercise.
Both the meditative and the exercise components of yoga show promise for non-specific health benefits. Yoga teachers assert that yoga stimulates the flow of healing "life energy", or prana, and can treat a wide variety of illnesses and complaints.
Yoga has been studied as an intervention for many conditions, including back pain, stress, and depression.
A survey released in December 2008 by the US National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that yoga was the 6th most commonly used alternative therapy in the United States during 2007, with 6.1 percent of the population participating.
Ancient Wisdom in a Modern Era
Sources: Wikipedia
People practice yoga for a variety of reasons and there are many different styles and disciplines to choose from. One of the main goals of yoga is to improve overall well-being through teaching discipline and self-regulation. Recently, research has focused on the healing properties of yoga and how it relates to positive psychology. Researchers wonder what psychological advantages it can afford, in addition to the previously discovered physical benefits. Yoga has proven to offer different and multiple benefits for individuals ranging from consciousness
of one's body and its capabilities, satisfaction from challenging oneself physically, and increased energy and mental clarity and concentration. While the topic is still somewhat new and some research is still preliminary, results have shown significant improvements in both physical and mental health among a variety of subjects in various circumstances.
The practice of yoga traditionally includes both meditation and exercise, but in the West the focus is mainly on
Yoga Exercise Background & Overview
Yoga is an ancient practice, dating back over 5,000 years, and over the past few decades it has become popular all over the world. It was introduced to American society in the late 19th century by Swami Vivekananda, the founder of the Vedanta Society. He traveled and lectured on Indian philosophy in the U.S., and taught yoga in group classes, for three years. The physical poses of yoga, often referred to as Hatha Yoga, were actually not widely practiced in India up until the the first decades of the 20th century. But then several pioneering Indians, working apart from one another, began delving into the ancient practices of hatha yoga and making them available to the general public. Sri Krishnamacharya in south India, Swami Sivananda in the north, Sri Yogendra in Bombay, and Swami Kuvalyananda in Lonavala.
In the 1960s, students of these luminaries, including B.K.S. Iyengar, K. Pattabhi Jois, and Swami Vishnu-devananda, and Swami Satchidananda, traveled to the west and popularized a health-oriented approach to yoga. Most of the hatha yoga practice in the West today was inspired by this small group of pioneers. In the 1980s Dean Ornish, a follower of Swami Satchidananda, connected yoga to heart health, legitimizing yoga for many Westerners. A yoga boom followed.
Since then, yoga has been used as supplementary therapy for diverse conditions such as cancer, diabetes, asthma, and AIDS. The scope of medical issues where yoga is used as a complementary therapy continues to grow.
exercise. There are two major approaches to yoga as exercise. The more classical approaches, such as Iyengar Yoga, move at a more deliberate pace, emphasize proper alignment and execution, hold poses for a longer time. They aim to gradually improve flexibility, balance, and strength. More athletic approaches, such as Ashtanga or Power Yoga, shift between poses quickly and energetically, and provide a more vigorous workout.
Nearly all types of yoga practices include asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), and savasanas (relaxation techniques).
Major Theoretical Approaches
Positive Psychology
One of the most recent trends in the practice of and research about yoga as alternative therapy is how it relates to the field of positive psychology. Positive Psychology is the study of that which contributes to the overall well-being of and supports the optimal functioning of individuals. As more research is released in support of yoga contributing to a better state of being, yoga becomes more in line with positive psychology's focus on developing alternate strategies for healing and bettering individuals' lives. Positive psychology refutes the concept of dualism and scientists in this field believe that the body and mind cannot be separated. This logic indicates that all physical benefits resulting from the practice of yoga are coupled with mental benefits such as development of inner consciousness, positivity, awareness, and appreciation of nature, combining to offer a whole-body therapy. Drawing from recent research on the mental and physical benefits of practicing yoga, positive psychologists have begun to look deeper into the possibilities of utilizing yoga as a positive psychology therapy.
Yoga & Religion
closeness with the divine spirit. The Sadhana Pada offers commandments to be followed in order to live a truly yogic life and attain genuine closeness with one’s spiritual self.
Vibhuti Pada “On supernatural abilities and gifts.” This section details the progression of one attaining closeness with one’s spiritual self and subsequently revealing the inherent spiritual talents that were previously clouded and hidden by worldliness. The only way to reveal these strengths is through genuine, dedicated and thorough practice of the guidelines set in the two previous Padas.
Kaivalya Pada “On absolute freedom.” This final section discusses the “mechanism of salvation,” referring to “the ideally simple working of cosmic law which brings the spiritual man to birth, growth and fullness of power, and prepares him for the splendid, toilsome further stages of his great journey home.”
Mindfulness
Mindfulness has been a fundamental aspect of yoga since its early documentation in the Yoga Sutra. Mindfulness is defined as “attending to relevant aspects of experience in a nonjudgmental manner”. Mindfulness is attained through the practice of yoga in that one is able to maintain awareness of the present, releasing control and attachment of beliefs, thoughts and emotions. By letting go of one’s thoughts and mind, allowing the mind to be calm and at peace, one is able to attain a greater sense of emotional well-being and balance. Researchers have recently begun to take interest in the healing benefits of mindfulness through yoga. Research has indicated that there are health benefits of applying mindfulness-based approaches to pain management, physical functioning, and ability to cope with stresses in everyday life.
Physical Aspects of Yoga
Yoga has been highly Westernized in recent years, and a majority of the result of this westernization and modernization is the heightened profile of the physical aspect yoga has to offer. This physically-exerting practice is typically hatha yoga, which combines asanas that exert the participant's physical self. The therapeutic healing benefits of yoga were recently discussed by Van der Kolk, who posited that regulation of physical movement is a fundamental priority of the nervous system. For this reason, focusing on and developing an awareness of physical movement allows for the mind and body to connect and be in sync. This is beneficial for humans, especially those suffering from psychological conditions such as depression and PTDD (the focus of Van der Kolk’s work) because the connectedness of mind and body allow for feelings of control and understanding of their “inner sensations” and state of being.
The physical benefits of yoga are linked to the release of β-endorphins and the shift caused in neurotransmitter levels linked to emotions such as dopamine and serotonin. These benefits are most likely in high-intensity practices of yoga. Lower-intensity yoga practices, which includes a majority of yoga, typically spark the “relaxation response” as defined by Dr. Herbert Benson. This response is typified by a “physiological de-activation” of tenseness and control over one’s body. Benson related this release of control to the implicit dominance of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).
Yoga exercise research
A 2010 literature review of the research on the use of yoga for treating depression said that preliminary research suggests that yoga may be effective in the management of depression. Both the exercise and the mindfulness meditation components may be
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helpful. However the review cautioned that "Although results from these trials are encouraging, they should be viewed as very preliminary because the trials, as a group, suffered from substantial methodological limitations." At the same time, a 2009 individual study found that the regular practice of yoga helps to decrease levels of depression significantly. For individuals who practiced yoga twice weekly for a period of two months, depression levels decreased as well as levels of state and trait anxiety..People also found evidence of improved mood and increased energy after an hour-long class.
Evidence also indicates that yoga has a significant effect on lowering levels of anxiety and stress. A study on the effects of Hatha yoga showed that the emphasis on breath awareness, internal centering, relaxation, and meditation enabled participants learn to avoid ‘mental and emotional blockages. These strategies helped participants experience significantly lower stress and anxiety levels in addition to higher quality of life scores.
While the healing properties of yoga help individuals with clinically diagnosed anxiety and depression problems, they also help people learn to navigate and cope with daily sources of stress. A study conducted with a group of medical school students revealed lowered stress overall in addition to less stress on the mornings of exams. Significantly less students in the experimental group (those who received the yoga treatment) failed their exams than in the control group. Students in the experimental group said that they had a better sense of well-being, improved concentration, self-confidence, and lower levels of irritability. These findings have significant implications, as most people encounter stress on a daily basis. This study indicates that the positive psychological effects of yoga can be extended to a non-clinical population.
More recent studies have looked into how yoga can help participants cope with symptoms from more physical conditions, such as cancer. Learning breathing and relaxation techniques help patients manage pain, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and fatigue. The patients reported that their overall quality of life significantly improved in addition to mood, distress, sleep quality, and severity of cancer symptoms. A yoga intervention program designed for overweight women showed significantly lower instances of binge-eating and higher instances of additional physical activity both during and after the intervention. Women lost weight and most became self-motivated to participate in other forms of exercise outside of the intervention.
Yoga Exercise Benefits
Yoga exercise for anxiety & depression
The effect of yoga on symptoms of anxiety and depression is one of the most-well studied aspects of yoga's effect on the body and mind. Although researchers are optimistic about the effectiveness of yoga in alleviating depression, a 2010 review of research says that studies to date, while suggestive, are not yet conclusive. However, some research says that regular yoga practice (at least once weekly) helps to decrease levels of depression significantly. Twice weekly yoga practice for two months showed a significant decrease in levels of depression as well as levels of both state and trait anxiety. Some studies also indicate that Hatha yoga has a significant effect on lowering levels of anxiety and accompanying stress. Hatha yoga encourages an increased awareness of breath, internal centering, relaxation, and meditation. These strategies helped participants experience significantly lower stress and anxiety levels in addition to higher quality of life scores.
A rigorous randomized control trial on yoga in literature compared kundalini yoga with the relaxation response and mindfulness meditation in obsessive compulsive disorder patients found a significant treatment difference in favor of kundalini yoga. Moreover, a 2005 systematic review of the research on Yoga and anxiety presented encouraging results, particularly with anxiety-related disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Similarly, a present study assessed state anxiety, depressive mood, and subjective well-being and analyses of variance for repeated measures revealed mood improvement following yoga sessions. Other studies have shown that yoga practices reduce anxiety and depression, all the while improving well-being.
In terms of its effects on individuals in educational institutions, recent research has found that yoga benefits to students, not only in reducing basal anxiety levels, but also in attenuating further increases in anxiety as they experience stressful situations like exams. Additionally, differences in mood before and after class of college students taking different courses (swimming, body conditioning, hatha yoga, fencing exercise, and lecture) were analyzed and results suggest that courses which meet four requirements involving aerobics, non competitiveness, predictability, and repetitiveness may reduce stress. These alternative methods of healing offer applications for positive psychology, broadening the scope of the field as yoga garners more support as a viable method of healing.
Yoga exercise for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
A 2010 Cochrane Review concludes that there is insufficient evidence to assess the effectiveness of meditative practices such as yoga in the management or improvement of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Other research shows that there is little support for yoga as treatment for ADHD alone, but it is has merit as a complimentary treatment to medication.
Yoga exercise for back pain
There is fair evidence that yoga may be effective in the management of chronic, but not acute, low back pain.[38] A pilot study using a modified hatha yoga treatment showed that this was an effective treatment for chronic lower back pain, but further examination is needed specifically through studies with larger sample sizes.[39]
Yoga exercise for cancer
Practice of yoga may improve quality-of-life measures in cancer patients. It is unclear what aspect(s) may be beneficial or what populations should be targeted.
Other studies show improvements in how participants cope with symptoms from more physical conditions, like cancer. Learning breathing and relaxation techniques help patients manage pain, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and fatigue. The patients reported that their overall quality of life significantly improved in addition to mood, distress, sleep quality, and severity of cancer symptoms. The positive effects of yoga can be soothing to survivors as well and help them to deal with post-cancer distress.
Yoga exercise for dementia
A 2008 Cochrane Review concludes that the evidence was insufficient to determine whether adding mild physical activity, such as yoga, to usual care is effective in managing or improving health outcomes in patients with dementia.
Yoga exercise for epilepsy
A Cochrane Review found no evidence to support the use of yoga in treatment of epilepsy as of 2009. Another study found a greater than 50% seizure reduction in 6 out of 20 subjects.
Yoga exercise for menopause
Yoga has not been shown to have any specific effect for the treatment or management of symptoms of menopause.
Yoga exercise for pediatrics
A 2009 systematic review concludes that there is insufficient evidence to support the use of yoga for any indication in the pediatric population. No adverse events were reported, and most trials were positive but of low methodological quality.
Yoga exercise for stress
While the healing properties of yoga help individuals with clinically diagnosed anxiety and depression problems, they also help people learn to navigate and cope with daily sources of stress. A study conducted with a group of medical school students revealed lowered stress overall in addition to less stress on the mornings of exams. Significantly less students in the experimental group (those who received the yoga treatment) failed their exams than in the control group. Students in the experimental group said that they had a better sense of well-being, improved concentration, self-confidence, and lower levels of irritability.
Controversy
In regard to the practice of yoga itself, especially hatha (physically active) yoga, there are controversies over the legitimacy of “prescribing” yoga for individuals afflicted with particular conditions due to the risk of injury associated with the practice. There have been reports of yoga-related injuries and this is one reason why the practice of yoga as alternative therapy is questioned. These include carotid artery tears, bulging intervertebral discs, rotator cuff injuries, ganglion cysts, compression of the spine (vertebral column), vertebral artery dissection, and hyperextension of the neck.
According to Gary Kraftsow, author of Yoga for Transformation, many yoga positions aren't suitable for everyone. Orthopedic surgeon Jeffrey Halbrecht, medical director for the Institute for Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine in San Francisco, warns that both experienced and novice yoga practitioners can experience injuries. “Yoga is marketed as such an innocuous thing,” says Loren Fishman, assistant clinical professor of rehabilitation medicine at Columbia University in New York City. “But without care, injuries can absolutely happen.” 'Strenuous' yoga has been connected to a form of stroke in young women. Practice of yoga has also been linked to causing hyperextension or rotation of the neck, which may be a precipitating factor in cervical artery dissection.
While much of the medical community views the results of yoga research to be significant, others argue that there were many flaws that undermine results. Psychologists such as Max Weber have pointed to the “irrationality” of yoga as a reason to discount its affects. Much of the research on yoga has been in the form of preliminary studies or clinical trials of low methodological quality, including small sample sizes, inadequate blinding, lack of randomization, and high risk of bias. As of 2011, evidence suggests that yoga may be at least as effective at improving health outcomes as other forms of mild physical exercise when added to standard care. What is found most concerning regarding the legitimacy of yoga as a method of healing is the current lack of specificity and standardization regarding the practice of yoga. One recent study examined the difficulties of implementing yoga-based therapies and methods of healing without any detailed, standardized and vetted descriptions of the postures promoted as being beneficial for healing. This research calls for the creation of supported intervention practices that could be distributed and applied for use in clinical practice for patients.
