Health benefits of Yoga and Meditation

Mindfulness Meditation Yoga Toronto

~ Yoga benefits both strength and flexibility. ~

Yoga is an excellent way to cultivate strength and flexibility. The misconception is that you have to be strong and flexible to do yoga. A qualified yoga instructor will modify and teach yoga to clients with very different abilities or limitation. Start somewhere and work towards the more advanced postures over time. The magic words are “just start somewhere, start anywhere, just start”. Yoga can be done by all individuals of all ages and physical abilities. Studies have shown that if you take a slow and steady approach your strength and flexibility will improve within a short period of time.

~ Yoga benefits and improves posture. ~

Yoga poses cultivate core strength. This includes but is not limited to strengthening the abdominal muscles which are important for stabilizing the spine. Yoga also helps individuals develop body awareness, so that during our day we are more likely to notice poor posture.

Take a moment and notice your posture right now. Is your spine long or are you slouching? Take a deep inhale and as you do this imagine there is a string at the crown of your head drawing the head and neck up to the sky, and lengthening the spine. When your spine is long, but still comfortable and relaxed, exhale fully. Inhale again and draw your shoulder blades down away from the ears and back towards each other. Notice how this feels?

~ Yoga benefits and changes how you breathe. ~

Yoga teaches conscious breathing. There are several different types of breathing techniques to help us learn to breathe deeply. You might wonder what might be the benefit of doing this. Consider what happens to your breath when you experience anger, anxiety, stress or some other physical or emotional pain. If you are not sure then the next time you experience a stressful or painful event notice your breath. Under these circumstances, we react by holding our breath or rapid shallow irregular breathing. We can begin to reverse the stress response by consciously slowing and deepening the breath. The more we practice conscious slowing and deepening of the breath the more grounded and calmer we will feel, even in the face of difficult circumstances.

~ Yoga benefits stress reduction and results in less anxiety and greater calm. ~

Mindfulness practices such as yoga have a cumulative effect over time. As noted above conscious breathing reverses the stress response. However, the repeated stresses of working and living in a hectic cosmopolitan culture like Toronto can be muscle tension. Some theorize that we hold negative or difficult emotions such as anger or fear in our muscles. If you are having a stressful day then take a moment and notice if you're the muscles around the forehead, shoulders or hands are tight. Massage therapy can be very helpful in releasing the body held tension. Yoga practice teaches one to become aware of the body, and relax into the body, releasing tension through the breath. The natural outcome of regular yoga practice is less stress, increased periods of stillness and an improved sense of well being.

~ Yoga benefits and cultivates mindfulness, improved concentration and mood. ~

Several research based protocols such as Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy developed at the University of Toronto and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction both include yoga as part of their programs. Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy now has a validated role in the treatment of depression. By reducing stress levels and cultivating mindfulness and improving sleep, yoga can also improve concentration and focus.

~ Yoga benefits and improves the cardiovascular system. ~

Dean Ornish MD is a well known physician from the USA, developed a lifestyle program for those with heart disease. The program included yoga as one of its fundamental core strategies. Yoga can be helpful in slowing down the heart rate and reducing blood pressure. Research into how yoga might benefit those with heart disease or at risk of heart disease is its infancy. Stay tune for updates.

~ Yoga benefits other medical conditions and chronic illness. ~

Yoga benefits other medical conditions and chronic illness.

The term Yoga Therapy has been increasingly used to describe the use of yoga as a way of treating illness. In India the birthplace of yoga, it is common to find yoga interweaved into the medical system. The National Institute of Health in the USA has funded several trials on yoga, with promising results.  A search on a database of medical research called “pubmed.com” revealed 1369 research articles under the search term “yoga”. Although research into yoga is in the early stages, results have demonstrated that yoga can have a positive impact on depression, anxiety, insomnia, and lower levels of  inflammatory markers (CRP) etc. Yoga can also play a useful role in treatment of chronic illnesses such as chronic pain, fibromyalgia, etc.

~ Yoga and Spirituality ~

In our western culture yoga largely represents a physical practice. However, yoga originally developed as a spiritual practice in India about 5000 years ago. If you search the online medical database called pubmed.com for  articles and research on spirituality and health you will get references to over 4000 articles on this subject. There is a significant collection of research to indicate that spirituality not only plays a role in the treatment of illness but also plays a role in ongoing health maintenance and prevention of illness. For example, studies have shown that patients with addiction who maintain a spiritual practice are much more likely to maintain a healthy recovery from addiction. Since yoga originally developed as a spiritual practice, there is a foundation of wisdom underlying yoga practice, related to how we might choose to live and relate to the world and universe. My investigation into this body of wisdom has led me to believe that it is nearly identical to spiritual teachings also found in Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. At some point I will post an article on this topic. What is important is the recognition that spirituality, health and emotional well being Seek it in your own way. Yoga has a body of spiritual wisdom which you have the option of exploring. There is, in my opinion, nothing magical about it that makes it uniquely superior to other spiritual traditions. Most importantly you do not need to delve into the spiritual side of yoga to obtain the benefits of yoga practice.