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Yoga is a peaceful approach to mind and body interaction that recently has attracted an increasing number of fans. Perhaps the attraction lies within the yoga principle: a whole person consists equally of body, mind, and spirit. All three must be fully developed before an individual can realize true inner potential.

Yoga is beneficial for several reasons. You may want to practise yoga because it can aid in spinal alignment as well as open up joints and the lung region. Or you may choose yoga to keep your body fit and feel as energetic as possible. Or you might select this 5,000-year-old practice as a form of meditation, stress relief, and relaxation.

The system of yoga is based on the following main structures:

• exercise
• breathing
• meditation

Primary among these is mindful breathing. While holding yoga poses, you maintain calm by breathing in and out through the nostrils to fill the abdominal cavity, allowing the lungs to be filled to their greatest capacity. A calm breathing pattern is maintained during all postures, which are done with as much care as possible in order to realize the stretching and strengthening benefits of the various poses.

Once you have mastered the breathing technique, you will be able to increase the length of time you hold the yoga poses. In addition, yoga enthusiasts will tell you that learning to breathe in a calm and mindful way can help in your daily life, allowing you to stay calm and peaceful in stressful situations.

Attending yoga classes with a qualified instructor will help you perfect your technique and learn modifications to better suit your body type.

When beginning, ensure that you are wearing comfortable clothing. Yoga is done in bare feet on a non-slip mat or a towel. Always do a gentle warm-up before beginning any session.

When the principles of yoga are incorporated into your lifestyle, they lead to an overall awareness of your body and help you achieve inner and outer balance. Give yourself the opportunity to experience yoga’s amazingly relaxing benefits. Namaste.

Begin with Mountain Pose

Mountain pose will allow you to improve posture and balance.

Stand with feet together, hands at your sides, eyes looking forward. Spread your toes and ensure that your entire foot is touching the floor. Raise your chest up and out. Stretch your fingers down to the floor. Contract your thighs.

Hold the posture for 5 to 10 slow breaths. On your next inhale, raise arms over head and hold for several breaths. Lower your arms on an exhale.

As a warm-up, try synchronizing the raising and lowering of your arms with your breath: raise, inhale; lower, exhale.

Repeat 5 times.

Move into Forward Bend

Begin in mountain pose. Inhale and raise arms overhead. Exhale, bend at the hips, bring the arms forward and down until you touch the floor. It’s okay to bend your knees.

Breathe in and out for 30 seconds. To come out of the pose, curl up one
vertebra at a time, leaving the head down until last. Repeat this pose 2 times.

Relax in Child’s Pose

Kneel on the ground with your big toes together and your knees about as wide as your hips. Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs. Lay your hands on the floor, palms up alongside your torso. Allow your shoulders to drop toward the floor.

Relax in this pose from 1 to 3 minutes.

Laina Shulman, DC, the co-founder of Pure Health, is a chiropractor, author, and speaker residing in London, Ontario. www.pure-health.com.

Source: alive #282, April 2006