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Yoga Anatomy

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Yoga is renowned for its ability to unite the body, mind, and spirit, which is related to the belief that both mind and body are one, and that bodies are able to reach perfect harmony enabling them to heal themselves.

Yoga has increased in popularity in recent years, with an estimated 6 million Americans currently engaging in regular workouts. Part of yoga’s popularity is simply that it provides so many health benefits. It assists a person in becoming more aware of their body: their posture, their alignment, and the way they move. Yoga helps people become more relaxed and centered, less prone to stress, more energetic, happier, healthier, and more peaceful.

The start of a class usually consists of breathing and stretching, which aids participants in preparing mentally as well as physically. During most classes, the asanas are performed either as individual poses, or linked together in vinyasana. The class usually ends by a period of relaxation and meditation in shavasana (corpse pose).

There are several forms of which can be practiced. Generally different forms of yoga produce different benefits. For example, Iyengar is for correct bodily alignment, and often utilizes props (including blocks, straps, or cushions). Bikram is also known as hot yoga, as it’s performed in a heated room. It generally consists of a set of 26 poses done in a particular order. These are both forms of Hatha yoga and are commonly practiced in the US, as they focus on the use of strengthening and breathing exercises.

How can you benefit? Yoga promotes excellent flexibility, is great for the circulation, and also increases muscle strength. The benefits go beyond the physical body, as it also promotes a calm and relaxed state. Yoga has, as one of it’s most basic goals, the aim of balancing a person’s life with respect to mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health.

Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years, but in recent years it has been studied scientifically. Modern medicine has demonstrated that it is beneficial for the body. There has been a great deal of research done into the health benefits over the years, both of the asanas (poses) and pranayama (breathing). Yoga produces physiological, psychological, and biochemical effects on the body.

Physiologically, yoga has been shown to decrease the heart rate and breathing rate, lower blood pressure, improve the efficiency of the cardiovascular system, improve excretion, assist in hand/eye coordination, aid in weight normalization, and decreasing pain. Psychologically, yoga benefits both mood and overall subjective well-being, it helps remove anxiety and depression, allows improved concentration and learning, and helps improve social skills, and general self acceptance. Biochemically, yoga brings about many changes in the body, from decreasing blood glucose, sodium, LDL and VLDL cholesterol and total white blood cell count, and increasing HDL, hemoglobin, and total serum proteins.

Yoga is a simple and profound practice which does more for people than other forms of exercise, and just a few yoga sessions a week are all a person needs to greatly increase their overall health and well-being.

Ana Paula Hernandez has over twenty years’ experience in yoga, and now teaches and consults full time. She believes correctly performed yoga poses and yoga postures are the key to success.