The Benefits of Yoga

Yoga is a healing system of theory and practice. It is a combination of breathing exercises (pranayama), physical postures (asana), deep relaxation (yoga nidra) and meditation (dyana), practiced for more than 5,000 years.

While Yoga evolved as a religious practice in Hinduism, in the Western world has grown as a form of purely physiological, psychological, mental and spiritual practice. Most of the yoga practices in the western yoga have little or nothing to do with Hinduism, but are simply a way of keeping all levels of the human being, fit and healthy and this is only a part of the broad view of yoga. Through the practice of yoga, we become aware of the interconnection between our spiritual, mental, emotional and physical levels. Gradually this awareness leads us to an understanding of the more subtle areas of our existence.

Yoga practice prevents specific diseases and maladies by keeping the energy meridians (nadis) open and life energy (prana) flowing. Yoga is considered a mind-body intervention that is used to reduce the health effects of generalized stress.

Laboratory tests have proved the yogi's increased abilities of consciously controlling autonomic or involuntary functions, such as temperature, heartbeat and blood pressure.

Yoga acts both as a curative and preventive therapy. According to medical scientists, yoga therapy is successful because of the balance created in the nervous and endocrine systems which directly influences all the other systems and organs of the body.

Regular practice of poses (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama), deep relaxation (yoga nidra) and meditation, can help such diverse ailments such as: acidity , allergies, Alzheimer disease, anaemia, anger, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, bronchitis, cancer, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, colitis, common cold, constipation, depression, diabetes, epilepsy, eye problems, facial wrinkles, gastro-intestinal disorders, headaches, heartburn, haemorrhoids, hepatitis, high blood pressure, hypertension, immune-deficiency, impotence, menopause, menstrual cramps, migraines, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, nervous tension, obesity, osteoporosis, prostate, enlargement, sciatica, skin problems, sleep apnoea, slipped disk, sterility, stiffness, stress, insomnia, intoxication, thyroid problems, kidney stones, stuttering and stammering, urinary tract disorders for women, vaginal infections and many more.

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