Facts About Yoga

*Answered by PosemasterK

What does Yoga mean?
The most literal answer to your question is a simple translation of and ancient Sanskrit word into english. Yoga means "yoke" or 'to join". The word Yoga is usually used with the word "Hatha". Hatha is the union of two Sanskrit words, Ha-Sun, & Tha-moon. So we have: Sun-moon-yoke, This is a way of saying "the union of opposites". This idea of creating harmony out of opposition is the philosophical foundation that yoga is is based on.
If I may answer the unspoken question, "What can Yoga mean to me?" Yoga means something a bit different to everyone who practices it. I might ask each person considering taking their first yoga class, what do you want from practicing Yoga? Flexibility? stress reduction? recovery from and injury? avoiding a back surgery? quieting neurotic thoughts? Any of these reasons for starting Yoga practice is valid and Yoga can benefit any of these intentions.
It is a very common occurrence that someone will start Yoga for one reason, but in the course of practicing it and learning more about what it has to offer, they will continue for reasons that they did not expect when they started.

What are the known benefits of Yoga?
During the past 20 years there has been a great deal of scientific study regarding the health sbenefits of practicing Yoga. The International Association of Yoga Therapy a great deal of documented case studies of the benefits of yoga practice for such conditions as asthma, depression, multiple sclerosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, high blood pressure and the list goes on. For the scientifically oriented, you can review their studies at: www.iayt.org
If you are considering starting Yoga practice, you have probably heard that it is good for stretching. This is true but it is only the tip of the iceberg. There is a relationship between the nervous system, muscles, and organs. So when the muscles stretch and contract you are also having an effect on the organs of the body via the nervous system. So yoga postures also improve the functioning of the organs. When the organs function more effectively, the breathing improves, blood sugar balance, digestion, and all other organic functions improve. The improvement of organic function also improves the mood and results in the stress reduction that is such a well known benefit of yoga practice.

Can everyone do Yoga?
The answer is a resounding yes!! However there is a caveat to this answer, you must find the right way to practice for you. There are so many different ways to practice yoga that you might attend one school and get an idea of what yoga is and it might not feel right for you, too hot, to fast, not fast enough, not enough information on what to do, to much information, and you will think that yoga is not for you. But realize that there are other ways to practice and you will have to to some research to find the best way for you.

Yoga Class Etiquette

• * Arrive early or check in before class starts. Many Studio doors get locked during class.
• * Allow at least 1-2 hours to digest a heavy meal before taking class
• * Tell the teacher it's your first class (you probably won't be the only one).
• *Tell the teacher if you have any injuries.
• *Don't wear shoes into the yoga room. Yoga requires bare feet during class.
• feel free to make friends with the people around in you, but don't talk during class.
• * Ask the teacher for help if you need it.
• * Keep in mind that there may be more advanced students in class so do not compare yourself to them or feel bad if you cannot get into the pose like them. Yoga is not a competition and poses may look different on everyone and every body type.
• *A regular practice is 2-4 times a week.

BENEFITS OF YOGA

RELIEVES STRESS. Practicing Yoga has been proven to reduce the physical effects of stress on the body by lowering levels of stress hormone, cortisol in the body and boost immune systems. Yoga has also been shown to lower blood pressure, heart rates and help with depression, adrenal exhaustion, insomnia.

BREATH. What makes Yoga different from other fitness programs is that it teaches people how to breathe during practice. Fuller deeper breathing helps improve lung function, trigger the body's relaxation response and increase the amount of oxygen available to the body.

INCREASES FLEXIBILITY. Yoga improves flexibility and mobility, increasing range of movement. Practitioners learn to use the correct bones and muscles and overtime create correct poses for their body and increase flexibility.

RELIEVES PAIN:. Practicing Yoga helps ease pain and relieve muscle tension. Scientific research and studies have shown that practicing yoga asanas (postures), meditation or a combination of the two, reduce pain for people with conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, auto-immune diseases and hypertension as well as arthritis, back and neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, eczema, irritable bowel syndrome and other chronic conditions. Some practitioners report that even emotional pain can be eased through the practice of yoga.

CREATES BODY ALIGNMENT: Alignment before Strength. Yoga helps to improve body alignment which is crucial aspect to staying fit. If we get strong and are not in alignment (if we have bad posture, or a bad back) then our conditions may worsen because we have not given them the correct foundation from which to build upon. Yoga helps correct bad alignment and posture, pelvis function and more helping to relieve back, neck, joint and muscle problems.

INCREASES STRENGTH: Yoga asanas (postures) use every bone and muscle in your body to help you increase your own strength and stay fit.

PROVIDES WEIGHT MANAGEMENT:. Any style of Yoga can aid weight control efforts by regularizing your metabolism, reducing the cortisol levels, burning excess calories off and reducing stress. Yoga also encourages healthy eating habits and provides a heightened sense of well being and self esteem.

IMPROVES CIRCULATION: Yoga helps to improve circulation, moves oxygenated blood to cells and nourishes the organs with fresh blood and detoxifying poses such as twists.

CARDIOVASCULAR: Even gentle yoga practice can provide cardiovascular benefits by lowering resting heart rate, increasing endurance and improving oxygen uptake during exercise.

BEING PRESENT: Yoga helps us take our attention to the present which helps us take our worry or fears off of the past or future things we cannot control. When we are present we are aware of how to better listed to our body and health. Yoga also improves coordination, reaction time and memory. Lastly yoga helps us be less reactive to situations that we might have once easily stressed the body from.