YOGA – A Versatile Tool For Living by Anna Blackmore, Yoga and Shiatsu therapist

What is Yoga?

Yoga, for the majority of people, conjures up images of bending and twisting oneself into strange contortions and they are often under the false impression that one has to already be flexible in order to do it. Others equate yoga more with relaxation and a smaller number of people relate it to meditation and finding inner peace. While all of these are true, yoga also offers us very much more. It is a philosophy of life, sometimes also described as a practical science, which can help us achieve or attain whatever we want. It helps us gain mastery over our body, emotions, thoughts, behaviour and actions and enables us to grow and develop in all areas of life.

The word yoga means union in Sanskrit and refers to the realisation of the unity or oneness behind the apparent separation of the individual person from the rest of creation. Thus the practice of yoga, in it's various forms, is aimed at integrating the body, mind and emotions to bring about a state of balance and harmony where the sense of effort disappears, our mind becomes quiet and we can be aware of that which is beyond the mind and body and beyond life and death.....

“When the restlessness of the mind, intellect and self is stilled through the practice of Yoga, the yogi by the grace of the Spirit within himself finds fulfilment. Then he knows the joy eternal which is beyond the pale of the senses which his reason cannot grasp”.
Quote from the Bagavadgita

The philosophy of yoga

There are many forms or paths of yoga. Some of the more well known ones are:

• Hatha Yoga – Mastery of the physical body to purify the mind [ha] and vital energy [tha] through various practices, including asanas,* and based on the Hatha Yoga Pradipika written by Swami Swatmarama in the 15th century
• Raja Yoga – Based on the Astanga Yoga of Patanjali (see below), probably written around 200 BC and sometimes described as the path of meditation.
• Jnana Yoga – Wisdom or direct knowledge of the true self, closely related to the Advaita Vedanta philospphy of Hinduism
• Bhakti Yoga – Spiritual devotion
• Karma Yoga – Selfless service or acting according to divine will, without personal attachment to the outcome, as taught in the Bagavadgita

In the Yoga Sutras of ancient India, the sage Patanjali outlines eight (astha) stages or 'limbs' (anga) of yoga. These are used as the basis for most teaching of yoga philosophy today:

1. Yama Abstentions
2. Niyama Observances
[1 & 2 are basic codes of conduct of daily life and include such things as truthfulness, non-violence, non-stealing, sexual continence, cleanliness, contentment, self development, spiritual study]
3. Asana Postures (see above)
4. Pranayama Exercises for breath control to increase vital energy
5. Pratyahara Withdrawing attention from ephemeral sensory gratification
6. Dharana Concentration, keeping the mind focused on one point, like a lazer beam
7. Dhyana Meditation - the state of relaxed, thought free consciousness
8. Samadhi Bliss / Enlightenment

Hatha Yoga, the most well known in the West, is the physical form of yoga (although the term is now often used to denote a style of yoga which is not based on the teaching of a particular guru or does not carry a trademarked name). It consists mainly of postures (asanas) and breathing exercises (pranayama) which relax, strengthen and energise the body and calm and focus the mind. Other practices include physical locks (bandhas), sealing gestures (mudras) and internal cleansing processes (kriyas). The purpose is to promote free circulation of energy (prana) throughout the whole body-mind system and to create a state of both stability and ease. The ultimate aim was traditionally to enable the yogi to achieve the long periods of stillness necessary for deep meditation. Yogis recognised long ago that it is hard to accomplish this ultimate aim of yoga when we are sick or in pain, as our attention is distracted and not free to contemplate the infinite nature of being. Hatha Yoga is thus a method aimed at creating such a high level of health and ease in the body that we can forget about it!

The obvious benefits, in all areas of life, of having a strong, flexible body and calm steady mind are what have made hatha yoga so enormously popular in the West today. Yoga is also enjoyable and imparts an immediate feeling of well-being.

* How Yoga Works

There are some physiological principles on which the postures (asanas) are based;

1. Circulation:
- Rhythmic movement stimulates the heart and lungs and circulation of blood and body fluids.
- The different positions of the body in the asanas exert a ‘squeeze and soak’ action, by which the organs and tissues are alternately compressed, squeezing blood out and then released, so fresh blood flows in.
- The action of gravity drains the blood and fluids from particular areas of the body and increases the flow to others. Inverted poses, for example help drain and relax the legs and enhance circulation in the upper body.

2. Stretching:
- This releases energy held in the muscles as excess tone or tension, relaxes them, increases their range of movement and overall flexibility and helps reduce the occurrence of injuries. It is always essential to stretch safely, within a range where one can relax and to learn how this can vary from day to day.

3. Alignment:
- Moving slowly and consciously into and out of postures, while taking care to keep the joints correctly positioned and working within a comfortable range, helps correct muscular and skeletal imbalances. This improves posture and joint stability and reduces age related 'wear and tear'

4. Breathing:
- Entering and exiting postures on the breath and holding them with slow, deep breathing regulates the breathing, increases the oxygen supply, blood circulation, energy (prana) levels and enhances physical and mental relaxation.

5. Awareness:
- Giving attention to the breath and to specific body areas engages the mind and increases the blood flow and prana supply to the target area,
- Focusing the mind on parts of the body builds self awareness and understanding, mastery and control of the body and lays the groundwork for meditation and higher states of consciousness.

6. Relaxation
- In the conscious deep relaxation of 'savasana' (corpse pose) one systematically relaxes each part of the body releasing all the muscles and allowing the joints to open up. This thoroughly replenishes the body and calms the mind and the nervous system.
- in this process, we learn to observe the physical sensations, thoughts and emotions as ever changing currents of energy which flow through us but are not the essence of who we are. Thus Yoga teaches us that consciousness and thoughts are not the same thing and sets us on the path to realising the true nature of being.

Yoga is best used as preventive medicine, but many of its practices also have specific therapeutic value and this forms the basis of yoga therapy It can help those suffering from a range of difficult physical conditions, including musculo-skeletal problems, degenerative diseases and arthritis, internal organ diseases, also mental/emotional problems including depression, anxiety, panic attacks and painful issues from both past and present.

Yoga thus provides us with a wonderfully versatile tool for living and used to achieve whatever we want; to stretch, tone and sculpt the body, massage the internal organs, calm and steady the mind and balance energy levels. It helps us develop strength and flexibility, release tension and relax more efficiently, enhance our mental powers, and improve resistance to colds and flu. It also lifts the spirits, boosts confidence and helps us to clarify and realise our goals in life. Above all, yoga enables us to be more at peace with ourselves, happy and at one with the world.

Coyright 2006 Anna Blackmore | www.yogabodymind.co.uk