medical benefits of yoga

             BOONS OF YOGA

       The literal meaning of the Sanskrit word Yoga is 'Yoke'. Yoga can therefore be defined as a means of uniting the individual spirit with the universal spirit of God. According to Maharishi Patanjali, Yoga is the suppression of modifications of the mind

Other physical benefits of yoga include:

·                                 increased flexibility.

·                                 increased muscle strength and tone.

·                                 improved respiration, energy and vitality.

·                                 maintaining a balanced metabolism.

·                                 weight reduction.

·                                 cardio and circulatory health.

·                                 improved athletic performance.

·                                 protection from injury.

     Yoga is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India. Yoga is one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophical traditions. There is a broad variety of yoga schools, practices, and goals in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. The term "yoga" in the Western world often denotes a modern form of Hatha yoga, yoga as exercise, consisting largely of the postures called asanas.

Goals

The ultimate goal of Yoga is moksha (liberation), although the exact form this takes depends on the philosophical or theological system with which it is conjugated.

According to Jacobsen, Yoga has five principal traditional meanings:

1.     a disciplined method for attaining a goal;

2.     techniques of controlling the body and the mind;

3.     a name of a school or system of philosophy (darśana);

4.     with prefixes such as "hatha-, mantra-, and laya-, traditions specialising in particular techniques of yoga;

5.     the goal of Yoga practice.

According to David Gordon White, from the 5th century CE onward, the core principles of "yoga" were more or less in place, and variations of these principles developed in various forms over time:

1.     a meditative means of discovering dysfunctional perception and cognition, as well as overcoming it for release from suffering, inner peace and salvation; illustration of this principle is found in Hindu texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and Yogasutras, in a number of Buddhist Mahāyāna works, as well as Jain texts;

2.     the raising and expansion of consciousness from oneself to being coextensive with everyone and everything; these are discussed in sources such as in Hinduism Vedic literature and its Epic Mahābhārata, Jainism Praśamaratiprakarana, and Buddhist Nikaya texts;

3.     a path to omniscience and enlightened consciousness enabling one to comprehend the impermanent (illusive, delusive) and permanent (true, transcendent) reality; examples are found in Hinduism Nyaya and Vaisesika school texts as well as Buddhism Mādhyamaka texts, but in different ways;

4.     a technique for entering into other bodies, generating multiple bodies, and the attainment of other supernatural accomplishments; these are, states White, described in Tantric literature of Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as the Buddhist Sāmaññaphalasutta; James Mallinson, however, disagrees and suggests that such fringe practices are far removed from the mainstream Yoga's goal as meditation-driven means to liberation in Indian religions.

TOP 10 YOGA POSTURES HELPS IN CURBING SOME MAJOR DISEASES:-

1.Thyroid: Also known as Adams apple regulates metabolic activities of the human body and a disorder in the discharge of hormones can cause grave problems to the body.
Symptoms: Low energy level, Skin problems, Depression, Anxiety, Neck swelling, Hair loss, Constipation.

Suggested yoga poses:
Halasana/ Plough pose: This pose will give compression to the neck and stimulates the thyroid glands.
Matsyasana/ Fish pose: Matsyasana provides adequate stretching to the neck triggering the thyroid gland.

                                            PLOUGH POSE

                                     FISH POSE

2.Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome disease: PCOS is a common occurrence in women at reproductive age. Women suffering from obesity are more prone to PCOS. It crops up when a woman's ovaries or adrenal glands produce more male hormones than normal. Presently, many women have started recognising the role of yoga as a safe PCOS treatment option. Symptoms: Irregular or no menstrual periods in women of reproductive age, excess hair growth on the face and body, thinning scalp hair, acne, weight gain, ovarian cysts (polycystic ovarian morphology) 

Suggested yoga poses:
Dhanurasana/ Bow pose: This posture helps in galvanising reproductive organs.

Bhujangasana/ Cobra pose: It helps in activating ovarian functions.

                                   BOW POSE

                                     COBRA POSE

3.Arthritis: Arthritis is a common rheumatic condition among adults aged 65 or more. These days' people of all age groups can be affected by arthritis which includes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around one or more joints. Symptoms: Pain, Stiffness, Swelling, Redness, Decreased range of motion.

Suggested yoga poses:
Child Pose/ Shishuasana: This asana can help you straighten your vertebra.
Adho Mukha Svanasana/ Downward facing dog pose: It improves flexibility of the body and stretches the spine.

                                       CHILD POSE

                                       DOWNWARD FACING DOG POSE

4.Diabetes: The numbers of Diabetic people have highly increased in the past decade. It is a condition which affects a person's metabolic system as the glucose level rises because of inadequate insulin production or due to the insufficient response of the body to insulin.
Symptoms: Hunger and fatigue, peeing more often and being thirstier, dry mouth and itchy skin, blurred vision.

Suggested yoga poses:
Ardha Matsyendrasana/ Half Spinal Twist: People suffering from diabetes can do this asana to control body sugar level.
Chakrasana/ Wheel pose: Chakrasana can help people suffering from diabetes

HALF SPINAL TWIST

WHEEL POSE

5.Indigestion/ Stomach Disorder: Stomach disorder and indigestion can lead to a number of health issues such as Gastritis, Diarrhoea, heartburn etc.  Symptoms: Nausea and vomiting, bloating and gas, weight loss or loss of appetite, blood with bowel movement, severe abdominal pain, ongoing vomiting or diarrhoea.

Suggested yoga poses:
Apanasana/ Knees to chest pose:  If you are battling any sort of stomach disorder then this pose can relieve you from constipation, indigestion, bloating and acidity. It is beneficial for digestion and helps in removing toxic substances from the entire system.
Paschimottanasana/ Seated Forward Bend Pose:  This simple stretch can relieve you from digestive problems.

KNEES TO CHEST POSE

                               SEATED FORWARD BEND POSE

6.Migraine:  A chronic neurological disease which can lead to recurrent moderate to severe headaches.
Symptoms: Hyperactivity, pain on one side or both sides of your head, sensitivity to light, sounds and sometimes smells nausea and vomiting, blurred vision.

Suggested yoga poses:
Padmasana/ Lotus pose: This asana relaxes the mind and alleviates headache.
Sirsasana/ Headstand or Salamba Sirsasana/ Supported headstand: It is also known as King of all asanas and increases the flow of blood in brain. If the Queen of Belgium can perform this exercise in her 80's then you can definitely make an attempt.

                                      LOTUS POSE

                                     HEADSTAND

7.Depression: Depression, a psychological condition which makes a person gloomy, discouraged, hopeless, unmotivated, disinterested, or bleak. When these feelings last for a long period of time one is sure into depression.
Symptoms: Reckless behaviour, loss of interest in daily activities, appetite or weight changes, sleep changes, anger or irritability, self-loathing, concentration problems etc.

Suggested yoga poses:
Baddha Konasana/ Bound Angle Pose: This yoga can help you out of depression.
Sukhasana/ Easy Pose: Do not confuse it with other traditional postures. In this asana, there should be a comfortable gap between the feet and the pelvis. It is helpful in alleviating mind from depressing thoughts.

                                            BOUND ANGLE POSE

                                             EASY POSE

8.OBESITY: If we look around, there is a huge market for slimming treatment. We have all been “educated” to stay lean and slim. This could be for cosmetic reasons; there are also health related issues.

Yoga is absolutely a gift to humanity from our ancestors. I believe they were very advanced in their thoughts about future generations, intentionally or unintentionally taking into account the constraint of space and time. Yoga practice neither requires any machines nor much space. Yoga has the solution for a healthy life style. It is a complete package with wonderful cardio, dynamic workout, meditative posture and influence on one’s behavior and life style. Regular practice of asana, pranayama and kriya lead to a holistic life style.

9.Piles or haemorrhoids: are swollen blood vessels that are found insider or around the anus, according to the NHS.

Symptoms of piles can be difficult to spot, and many people won’t even realise they have haemorrhoids.

But, on some occasions, the condition can cause bleeding after passing a stool, an itchy bottom, and a mucus discharge after passing a stool.

                                      KNEES TO CHEST POSE

                                     FISH POSE

10.Lower back pain: The most intricate part of the human body is the lower back. Long hours of desk work can cause severe problems.
Symptoms: Fever and chills, sudden bowel and/or bladder incontinence - either difficulty passing urine or having a bowel movement, or loss of control of urination or bowel movement, severe and continuous abdominal pain.

Suggested yoga poses:
Supta Matsyendrasana/ Supine Spinal Twist: If you want to get relived from constant back pain try this asana.
Vrikshasana/ Tree Pose: This exercise is beneficial for the spine and balances the body.

                                       SUPINE SPINAL TWIST

TREE POSE