Asana benefits

The physical building blocks of yoga are the posture (asana) and the breath. A series of poses held over a period of time and synchronised with the breath exercises every part of the body.

Benefits include:

• Spiritual. For those interested in the spiritual path, they are a stepping stone (third) in the quest for liberation or self-realisation.
• Mental. Asanas make the mind strong and able to endure pain and unhappiness. Determination, concentration and memory are enhanced.
• The Muscles, Bones, Nervous System, Respiratory, Circulatory and Digestive Systems. All are co-ordinated with each other. The body becomes more flexible, and more able to adjust to environmental changes. The sympathetic and para-sympathetic nervous systems are brought into a state of balance.
  
• Cardiovascular system (heart and arteries) - asanas are isometric, which means they rely on holding muscle tension for a short period of time. This improves cardiovascular fitness and circulation. Studies show that regular yoga practise may help normalise blood pressure.   

As an example, the stomach lift raises the diaphragm, which massages the heart from below. This strengthens the heart muscle, resulting in better circulation and less chance of heart disease

 

• Digestive system - improved blood circulation and the massaging effect of surrounding muscles speeds up a sluggish digestion.  Even if we eat the most nourishing food, it still has to be digested and assimilated properly and the toxins have to be eliminated efficiently.

As we get older the digestive system functions with gradually reducing efficiency. The asanas result in an improved blood and nerve supply to the digestive and eliminative systems, which in time will get them functioning at peak efficiency.

The stomach lift massages the digestive organs, as well as contracting and stretching them.

• Musculo-skeletal - joints are moved through their full range of motion, which encourages mobility and eases pressure. The gentle stretching releases muscle tension and increases flexibility.   The stretching of the joints in asanas causes the secretion of a lubricant called synovial fluid. This is released into the joints and keeps them supple, as well as removing waste products. The result is to reduce stiffness, which will prevent arthritis or improve it if you already have the condition.    Maintaining many of the asanas encourages strength and endurance. Weight bearing asanas may help prevent osteoporosis, and may also help those already diagnosed with osteoporosis, practised with care, under the supervision of a qualified Yoga teacher. Long term benefits include reduced back pain and improved posture.  

 

• Nervous system - improved blood circulation, easing of muscle tension and the act of focusing the mind on the breath all combine to soothe the nervous system. Long term benefits include reduced stress and anxiety levels, and increased feelings of calm and wellbeing.  Nerves from the brain and spine go to every tissue in the body and therefore the health of every tissue in the body depends upon the health of the brain and spine.  

The headstand causes an increase in circulation to the brain, which stimulates the brain's nerve cells. This results in increased vitality and improved brain function (intelligence and memory).

Since the nerves from the spine go to all the organs and glands of the body, a healthy spine obviously plays an important role in vitality and rejuvenation. In fact, the spine is more critical to our well-being than the brain, since the brain is well protected by the cranium or skull bone. Where the spinal nerves leave the spine and pass through the intervertebral foramina is a very vulnerable area. If a vertebra is slightly out of place, it may cause the nerve to be ‘pinched' in the intervertebral foramina. The spinal nerves do not have protection against mechanical insults as the brain does.

The ancient yogis fully understood the vulnerability of the spine and the tendency for slight spinal misalignments to occur. They also knew that if the spine was kept flexible by yoga asanas there would be much less chance of spinal misalignments. Some of the asanas will even correct some minor misalignments.

If you do nothing to improve your spine's flexibility as you get older, your spine will deteriorate further and the spinal nerves will be increasingly impinged upon. This will lead to further deterioration of your organs and glands, until eventually their actual structure becomes diseased. We call this organic disease. At this stage, not only is their function impaired, but their cells are actually dying. If the condition is too advanced, it is irreversible. It's at this stage that many people go to doctors and are told that they have, for example, cancer of some particular organ. The cancer has not appeared overnight; in reality it has been developing for many years.

• Healthy Skin. Stretching of the skin during the asanas causes stimulation of the skin cells. This results in firmer, healthier skin which won't sag or wrinkle
• The Endocrine System. Yoga asanas regulate and control the secretion of hormones from all glands in the body. Even if one gland is malfunctioning, a noticeable loss of health can be experienced.

About Article Contributor - Rod Hutchings

Rod has undertaken teacher training at the Australian Institute of Yoga Therapy (CAE) and is a member of the Yoga Teachers Association of Australia (YTAA). Rod Hutchings offers both corporate  and private yoga lessons throughout Melbourne, Victoria.  Rod’s day job is internet development/consulting and web hosting work.  Rod is keen to help other Yoga teachers with limited budgets share their story/ promote their teaching online.