Hatha Yoga
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Yoga is defined as “a Hindu discipline aimed at training the consciousness for a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility. [It is also] a system of exercises practiced as a part of this discipline to promote control of the body and mind” (Webster). There are many different styles of yoga, but in the West, hatha yoga is the most commonly practiced. In 1893, Swami Vivekananda introduced hatha yoga to the United States in Chicago at the World Parliament of Religions, yet it took two more decades for the discipline to become popular in the United States. Yoga is based on exercises called asanas, or postures, and focuses on pranayama, or breathing exercises. The combination of the two are centered around chakras, which are located between the base of your spine and the crown of your head. Each chakra has a corresponding color, perception, sound, and biological function (Budilovsky and Adamson 5). There are many qualities about yoga that are appealing such as getting physically fit, becoming healthier, and achieving mental wellness.
Yoga can be essential in becoming physically fit. Whatever your fitness level, yoga offers an exercise program that is challenging which builds strength and endurance along with increased elasticity of muscles and balance. Any athlete as well as a couch potato can benefit from hatha yoga. Yoga is an isometric form of exercise which is easier on your muscles than lifting weights, yet super effective for building up strength. One of the main principles of yoga is about being centered, so all of the asanas have an opposite posture as well, which keeps the body physically centered. When yoga is introduced into an athletes routine, the benefits are mainly seen in increased agility as well as flexibility. Professional sports teams such as the Philadelphia Eagles have added yoga to their workouts. To someone who is a beginner to physical fitness, the ease and convenience of yoga is alluring. One can practice this five-thousand year old discipline in the comfort of their own home or in a yoga studio. Yoga as a fitness program is different than other programs since each asana involves activating your body in small ways. Every movement involves muscles, joints, and breathing to adjust here, stimulate there, stretch here, strengthen there, compress, release, expand, and reach (Budilovsky and Adamson 17).
There are many health benefits associated with practice of yoga. Following this discipline has been linked “to healing and/or managing a wide range of medical conditions, including: hypertension, coronary atherosclerosis, chronic neck and back pain, migraine headaches, insomnia, and depression” (Finger 14) to name a few. The asanas and deep breathing create a “internal massage” of the tissues, muscles, and organs. The benefits of yoga can be seen in the formation of long, lean muscles, better posture, a stronger immune system, and improved circulation. There are numerous yoga techniques that are adaptable to different lifestyles and health concerns. Research shows that everything from colds and allergies, to diabetes and managing multiple sclerosis, can be helped with hatha yoga (Toth). The holistic approach that is yoga is based on the unison of the mind-body-spirit, thus ridding your body of imbalances and impurities that can cause health concerns. Part of the discipline is eating well. There are three groups of food, sattvic, raja sic, and tama sic. Sattvic foods are pure foods that are fresh, such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. Rajasic foods are foods are sour, spicy, and bitter, such as all meats, fishes, and peppers. Tamasic foods include all things processed, preservative filled and addictive. Applying the principles of yoga to healthy eating has a profound affect on the diet, in turn creating a healthier whole-being.
The third attribute of adopting a yoga routine is mental wellness. Yoga says that the mind needs to be still from time to time to keep it at its peak performance, and this is attained through meditation. Meditation is a large part of yoga and is described as “the process of attaining