Yoga

Encyclopedia of Medicine by Leonard C. Bruno

Definition

Yoga is a system that benefits the body, mind, and spirit by teaching self-control through a series of postures and exercises, as well as through breathing, relaxation, and meditation techniques.

Purpose

The ultimate goal of yoga is self-realization -- so that each individual can attain his or her complete physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual potential. Another, and more limited, goal of yoga as a system of exercises is to restore the whole person to balance and to improve and maintain good health.

Precautions

Although most yoga exercises employ postures that emphasize relaxation and avoidance of muscle stress or pain, individuals who are overweight, or suffer from high blood pressure, arthritis, or spinal disk injuries should consult a physician before doing yoga; and a well trained yoga teacher is recommended when there are any medical or physical problems.

Description

Yoga is an ancient practice that has undergone a major revival in the late 20th century, especially in the West. Some say that yoga was being practiced as far back as 4000 BC. The recovery of seals from the Indus Valley that date to around 2000 BC showing people in recognizable yoga positions, suggests that it was an accepted practice at least that early. Yoga did not enter the American consciousness in any major way until the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago when the charismatic Swami Vivekananda gave a much-publicized talk at the World Parliament of Religions. Following this beginning of a yoga awareness in the United States, interest in yoga remained at a fairly low level until the 1960s youth movements focused interest on Eastern ideas and techniques of consciousness-raising. Interest in yoga increased steadily, and by the 1990s, some aspect of yoga could be found as part of nearly all exercise and fitness regimens, and the number of yoga classes being offered in American gyms and health clubs is rising each year. Once the accepted image of yoga changed from an exotic, mystical or religious movement to that of a practical system of living and exercising that had obvious benefits, yoga was ready to enter the mainstream of alternative health therapies.

The word "yoga" derives from the Sanskrit language and means "union." This meaning can be applied to yoga in the broadest sense of the word, implying such notions as a oneness of body and mind, being at one with nature, being one with others, and many other similar connotations of the word. For yoga, it is an appropriately descriptive term since yoga's principles are based on the notion that the body and mind cannot and should not be considered as being separate from each other. However, because of its ancient origins and its adoption into the Hindu religion, yoga is often identified as part of an Eastern religion. On the other hand, some consider yoga to be only a system of meditation, while others think of it as just a series of strange exercises or poses. Nonetheless, despite its spiritual aims and its sometimes deeply philosophical schools or branches, yoga is not a religion. Nor is it simply a way to concentrate deeply or to exercise well. Rather, it is a way of trying to live properly in order to maximize one's full potential. Since it stresses the unity of the whole person, it contains several methods or "paths" that emphasize the physical, spiritual, and mental aspects of being human. While some individuals may attempt to take advantage of all that yoga has to offer, many people participate in only one or two of its branches, choosing, for example, "Hatha Yoga" with its emphasis on the body and its functions.

Altogether, there are six major "paths," schools, or styles of yoga -- known by such names as Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Tantra Yoga -- each is distinguished by a different approach. Despite the different focus or emphasis of each, all paths emphasize proper breathing techniques and meditation, and all are grounded in the belief that internal balance of mind and body is essential to good health.

Yoga also is often described as a great tree of many branches, with each branch or school suited to a different personality, lifestyle, and overall approach to life. The branch of yoga that most people recognize and which has become the most popular in the West is Hatha Yoga. The goal of this branch of yoga is simply good health. The word "hatha" means force or forceful, and it refers to the force or energy ("prana") that is believed to course through all our bodies. While the ancient practice of Hatha Yoga was very demanding physically and involved arousing what was called the "serpent power," the modern westernized version is far less demanding. Hatha Yoga concentrates on three main aspects: postures or exercise ("Asana"), breathing ("Panayama"), and meditation ("Dhyana"). The posture, or pose, aspect is what most people first think of when they consider yoga, since it is responsible for the well-known meditative, cross-legged sitting position called the Lotus. Most of the different positions practiced by Hatha Yoga fall into one of two categories: meditative or therapeutic. Those positions that facilitate being able to meditate are graceful and slow poses that perfectly align the head and spine and promote proper blood flow. This is intended to relax and clear the mind and increase the ability to focus on one thing, or to concentrate.

Therapeutic positions are geared to improving a physical condition and are often used by people with back, neck, and joint pain.

The numerous different positions that are part of Hatha Yoga were originally designed to prepare the body for meditation. Since, during meditation, the individual was required to sit straight and still for long periods of time, and to be able to breathe easily and freely, the positions or postures were developed to give the early yogis the strength, energy, and balance to maintain prolonged meditation. Those qualities of strength, energy, and balance are exactly what make Hatha Yoga so appealing and appropriate to many in today's modern world. There are many variations of Hatha Yoga, with some more vigorous than others; and nearly everyone -- from athlete to sedentary office worker -- can find a program that suits his or her interests, physical ability, and goals. Despite the variety of styles, from Power Yoga or Aerobic Yoga to traditional, all versions of Hatha Yoga are similar in terms of the basics. Those basics are founded primarily on breathing properly. Since the respiratory system is considered the link between the body and the mind, breathing becomes a tool to achieve some specific relationships between them. Yoga teachers emphasize that by slowing down breathing we relax, and by speeding it up we energize ourselves. The strictly meditative aspects of Hatha Yoga need not be practiced by the individual for it to be beneficial, although learning how to meditate -- or to stop thinking -- can be deeply relaxing and even physically strengthening.