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THE SCIENCE OF YOGA AND ITS BENEFITS

Achieving a peaceful co-existence is the science behind yoga asanas. Described in


vedic indie texts, it is called as heart and soul of the very existence of a human spirit. A
spirit that encourages human freedom and skills required to achieve the ultimate goal of
yoga; which is meditation. It is the art that assists in performing a yoga asana. That is
the first step towards striking down all the health related ailments from the body. Over
the years, there are numerous research works that have been initiated in this field to
explain the reason these asanas and positions are detrimental behind reducing stress.

Yoga is the real discipline behind creating various neurons that act as antidepressants
and is behind increasing cognitive function of the brain.
Yoga is an ancient Indian philosophy that enhances personal growth and well being.
Although it is a systematic philosophical approach, yoga is not a religion but
complimentary with most spiritual paths. Asanas and poses in yoga are solutions to
numerous problems that help to cleanse your mind and make your body fit and fine.
Yoga teacher training is very beneficial for a yoga beginner.

The most basic unit of life, the cell, can teach you an enormous amount about yoga. In fact, the
most essential yogic concepts can be derived from observing the cell’s form and function. This
chapter explores breath anatomy from a yogic perspective, using the cell as a starting point.

Comparative Analysis of Yoga Using a Cell


Cells are the smallest building blocks of life, from single-celled plants to multitrillion-celled
animals. The human body, which is made up of roughly 100 trillion cells, begins as a single,
newly fertilized cell.
A cell consists of three parts: the cell membrane, the nucleus, and the cytoplasm. The
membrane separates the cell’s external environment, which contains nutrients that the cell
requires, from its internal environment, which consists of the cytoplasm and the nucleus.
Nutrients have to get through the membrane, and once inside, the cell metabolizes these
nutrients and turns them into the energy that fuels its life functions. As a result of this metabolic
activity, waste gets generated that must somehow get back out through the membrane. Any
impairment in the membrane’s ability to let nutrients in or waste out will result in the death of
the cell via starvation or toxicity. This observation that living things take in nutrients provides a
good basis for understanding the term prana, which refers to what nourishes a living thing.
Prana refers not only to what is brought in as nourishment but also to the action that brings it
in. Of course, there has to be a complementary force. The yogic concept that complements
prana is apana, which refers to what is eliminated by a living thing as well as the action of
elimination.2 These two fundamental yogic terms—prana and apana—describe the essential
activities of life. Successful function, of course expresses itself in a particular form.
Certain conditions have to exist in a cell for nutrition (prana) to enter and waste (apana) to exit.
The membrane’s structure has to allow things to pass in and out of it—it has to be permeable. It
can’t be so permeable, however, that the cell wall loses its integrity; otherwise, the cell will
either explode from the pressures within or implode from the pressures outside A key element
that distinguishes yoga practice from gymnastics or calisthenics is the intentional
integration of breath, posture, and movement. The essential yogic concepts that refer to
these elements are beautifully expressed by a handful of coupled Sanskrit terms:
 prana/apana
 sthira/sukha
 brahmana/langhana
 sukha/dukha
This information on Yoga is based on the regular practice of traditional âsana,
prânâyâma, and meditation. Please note that while pulse rate may increase during the
practice of various âsanas, some forms of prânâyâma, and some stages of meditation.
The powerful workout that this practice provides is a conjunction of the series of asanas
along with breathing exercises (pranayama). It also includes meditation, normally in the
shape of five minutes at the end of the workout. This combination is good to help the
practitioner relax the mind as the body stretches and strengthens. As the practitioner
relaxes, he or she releases the tension along with stress during and after a session.
A very interesting and intriguing form of yoga is the Power Yoga. Power Yoga is famous
for its physical advantages, which include increased adaptability, more stamina, and
stronger muscles. Since Power Yoga is designed to give the practitioner with a dynamic
session, there is lesser importance on aspects, such as: Meditation, mantra, mudras, and
chanting, amid a logical session. Due to the emphasis on physical conditioning, the
emotive supremacy provided by this form of Yoga is frequently omitted. Practitioners of
dynamic physical types of Yoga could benefit emotionally from this workout because
they are able to release nervousness and stress from their lives. Furthermore,
practitioners learn to concentrate their minds and recall with more clearness. Yoga has
many benefits but the psychological benefits are listed below;
 Controlling weight and cholesterol level
Stepping aside from all the physical activities yoga is the effective tool that harmonizes
both mind and body. The use of cosmic energy is a vital element that forms the core in
various yoga postures. Shedding those extra mass from your weight reduces the risk of
obesity.
 Monitoring your periodic hormonal growth
Several yoga asanas are comprised with scientific application of self-restructuring, which
sometimes results in manage overgrown cells that affect the body and could result in
cancer or tumor.
 Boosting the immunity of the body
Health preservation is the best remedy for the body. Yoga enhances the resilience by
creating antibodies that help to counter the germs and disease of the human body. The
fact and figures by a scientific study indicate that a human body is protected against
toxic elements that are harmful to the health.
 Mental alertness
The successful usage of dynamic Yoga depends on the practitioner's ability to centralize
as each posture flows and fluidly moves into the next one. The practitioner learns to let
go of any other concerns and focuses solely on the moment. This benefit then extends
into another aspect of one's life, allowing the practitioner to become more attentive of
life's details and to centralize on any activity within the instant.
 Flexibility
Yoga increases flexibility as it offers positions that act upon the various joints of the
body including those joints that aren’t always in the forefront of notice ability. Various
yoga positions exercise tendons and ligaments of the body. The body that may have
been quite rigid begins experiencing a remarkable flexibility in even those parts which
have not been consciously worked upon.
 Stress management
The regular practice of yoga asana increases your intelligence quotient and act as an
antidote towards tension and stress. A devoted yoga practitioner gets relieved from
tension and anxiety; thus making you calm and peaceful. It creates neurons which
accelerate the real-time responsiveness and develops the nervous system of the person.
 Improves breathing
Practicing yoga revives your respiratory system by 25%. It assists to carry out all the
actions that a body has to take in order to revitalize the breathing process. An active
yoga enthusiast develops a large diaphragm and improves breathing per minute; hence
enlarging lungs which engulf more oxygen into the blood vessels.

Panic and nervousness are made by every day events, which creates excess energy in
the body. Dynamic styles of Yoga release energy as well as stress inside the body and
mind. A calm mind is the end outcome of a Power Yoga workout. In turn, this helps the
practitioner live life with a state of clarity that is not constantly simple to obtain. Clarity
of mind leads to better decisions, overall health, along with poignant stability.

Other intention of Power Yoga is balance. When the practitioner moves into a pose, he
or she must be able to hold each pose in optimum balance. This search for balance also
affects the mind. A serene mind is an emotionally balanced mind, which allows a person
to deal with detrimental and emotive situations, without losing control.
References
Anantharaman, V., and Sarada Subrahmanyam. Physiological benefits in hatha yoga
training. The Yoga Review, 3(1):9-24.
Arpita. Physiological and psychological effects of Hatha yoga: A review of the literature.
The Journal of The International Association of Yoga Therapists, 1990, 1(I&II):1-28.
Beth Shaw, YogaFit Workout 10 – 20
Bhole, M. V. Some neuro-physiological correlates of yogasanas. Yoga-Mimamsa, April
1977, 19(1):53-61.
Cole, Roger. Physiology of yoga. Iyengar Yoga Institute Review, Oct 1985.
Corby, J. C., W. T. Roth, V. P. Zarcone, Jr., and B. S. Kopell. Psychophysiological correlates
of the practice of Tantric Yoga meditation. Archives of General Psychiatry, May 1978,
35(5):571-577.
Davidson, Julian M. The physiology of meditation and mystical states of consciousness.
Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, Spring 1976, 19:345-379.
Leslie K. Amy M., Sharon Ellis. Yoga Anatomy, 2007, 1-10

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