Yoga
Yoga
Finding Peace in the Chaos
You're looking for an oasis, a tranquil place where you can pull yourself together after a day of impossible deadlines, impossible people and impossible dreams.
For lots of women, the answer is yoga. If you're looking for something that will leave you feeling relaxed, limber, self-confident and youthful, it may be a perfect fit for you, too.
"So many things you do in life are energy users," says Alice Christensen, founder and executive director of the American Yoga Association in Sarasota, Florida. "But yoga provides a constant source of energy. When you practice yoga, you actually have more vitality and vigor. In that way, I really think it can help to make you feel younger."
New Health from an Ancient Art
Yoga has been around for thousands of years. Literally translated, it means "union." Yoga advocates believe that mind, spirit and body are inseparable. And they believe that exercises called asanas, or poses, can aid in flexibility, relaxation, increased strength and inner peace.
Though there are as many as eight different branches of yoga, most western women focus on hatha yoga. This yoga stresses relaxation through asanas and breathing techniques and is often taught in classes at local YM/YWCAs or fitness clubs.
Hatha yoga is not aerobic exercise. But studies show it can help soothe your body and mind in a number of ways.
The most obvious benefits appear to come in stress reduction and mood enhancement. A study of 170 college students showed that those taking beginner yoga classes had less tension, depression, anger, fatigue and confusion after class than they did before. The students' reported feelings were similar to others who had started more strenuous activities like swimming. The study reported that the students began to notice stress reduction after taking their first class.
Yogic breathing techniques also may help people with asthma. A British study of 18 patients showed yoga breathing could reduce symptoms of asthma, though it did not eliminate them. Some doctors are now prescribing yoga as part of therapy to help their asthma patients gain more self-control over their breathing difficulties.
Christensen says yoga also can be tremendously helpful to people with back pain, as long as they follow the yoga principles of stretching slowly and only as far as the body wants to go. And she says it may help people with arthritis as well. Though there are few studies linking yoga and arthritis, Christensen says many of her students with common age-related arthritis report feeling more flexible and in less pain after starting a yoga class. Christensen warns, though, that people with bone-crippling rheumatoid arthritis should not attempt yoga exercise when their joints are swollen and painful.
In addition to the physical advantages of yoga, there's a meditative side that's impossible to measure with a stethoscope. "Yoga quiets the constant talk that's in your mind," Christensen says. "You deal constantly with scattered thoughts, other people's voices, emotions, desires. And you don't even notice it after a while."
Yoga can help clear that from your mind. "It helps improve your concentration and allows you to become more observant of your thoughts, feelings and reactions," says Christensen. "Much of the time we move through the world like the steel ball in a pinball machine, bouncing off one thing after another. Yoga meditation increases awareness so you can make more conscious choices in your life."
Scan Away Your Stress
It's one of those days. Everything--from the car to the job to the trip to the grocery store--has gone wrong. Now you have a tension headache, a throbbing neck and shooting pains in your back and shoulders. All is not lost. An effective meditative method for dealing with pain is a yogalike exercise called the body scan. It can help you focus on those aches and slowly work them out of your body. Taught to patients at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, the body scan is a great way to identify and beat your own stress hot spots. Here's how to do it. Lie on your back, close your eyes and simply breathe. After a few minutes start concentrating on the toes of your left foot. Note the sensations: Are they warm, cold, tired or cramped? After a minute or so imagine releasing the weight of your toes, feeling them melt right into the floor. Now concentrate on your left leg, practicing the same routine on your foot, ankle, calf, knee, thigh and hip. Then do the same for your right leg. Move up your torso pausing at your pelvis, lower back, belly, upper back, chest and shoulders. On your arms, move on to the fingers of both hands, the back of the hands, the palms, the wrists, the forearms, the elbows, the upper arms and the shoulders. Finally, move on to your neck, then your head, paying attention to your chin, mouth, nose, eyes and eyebrows, forehead, ears and scalp. The American Yoga Association in Sarasota, Florida, advocates a similar complete relaxation exercise that is introduced just before meditation, though its plan works from the head down and then up the back of your body. "The subtle benefit of practicing this type of exercise is that you'll become more aware of your body on a daily basis," says Alice Christensen, founder and executive director of the American Yoga Association. "Then, even when you're sitting at your desk at work, you'll notice 'Oh, my stomach's tense' or 'I'm clenching my teeth.' " "The simple act of bringing awareness to the tense area will help you to release the tension." |
Getting Started
Sounds good, doesn't it? Here are some tips to help you reap yoga's considerable benefits.
Take a deep breath. Yoga begins with breathing, something we rarely think about. Most of us inhale from our chests taking quick, shallow breaths. Yoga practitioners, however, breathe from their diaphragms--the large, dome-shaped muscle that arches across the base of the lungs. When a person inhales deeply, the diaphragm expands, allowing more air into the lung's lower lobes.
To get started, sit comfortably on the floor, supporting your hips by sitting on a firm cushion. Or you can sit on the edge of a chair. Place your hands on your belly, a little below your navel. This is the area--not your chest--that should expand when you inhale. Remember to always breathe in and out through your nose. When you inhale, feel your hands rise. When you exhale, contract your belly. Breathe smoothly and evenly. After a few breaths, place your hands on your legs and continue breathing with your eyes closed, concentrating on the sound of the breath.
Ideally, you should breathe from your diaphragm all the time--at work, at home, in the car, wherever. Christensen says this helps you get more oxygen into your system, making you more alert. You'll also find yourself breathing at a more relaxing pace of maybe 10 or 14 times per minute instead of the typical 16 to 18 times. Remember, always breathe through your nose.
Find a good class. Lots of places offer yoga classes, but not every class is the same. Christensen suggests looking for a teacher who practices yoga every day and sees her own yoga teacher on a regular basis. Ask the teacher for references. Take a trial class before you invest long-term time or money. And if you have specific problems, like a bad back or arthritis, make sure you find a teacher who will individualize instruction for you.
Go for mail order. If you're having problems locating a class, the American Yoga Association has a correspondence course. The course packet includes an instruction book (The American Yoga Association Beginner's Manual) and an audiocassette on relaxation and meditation. The course can be helpful when you're practicing at home, even if you're enrolled in a class. The association also offers a videotape and other instructional materials. A catalog is available on request. For more information write to the American Yoga Association, 513 South Orange Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236.
Set your own pace. Yoga isn't a contest. You're not there to out-stretch or out-meditate or out-breathe your friends who practice yoga or the other people in the class.
"At the very least, you need to know that you should not compete," says Martin Pierce, director of the Pierce Program, a yoga studio in Atlanta. "If you are looking around at others thinking you must do as well as they do, you are going to create more stress for yourself." Direct your attention inward, Christensen says. "Pay attention to your own experiences and you will achieve the most lasting results."
Strike that pose. Lots of yoga stretches, or asanas, are easy for beginners, Christensen says.
Remember: Don't push your body. Stretch slowly and evenly. Don't bounce. And push only as far as your body lets you. "Going too far will injure you. Be a friend to your body," Christensen says.
Always check with your doctor before you start practicing yoga or any exercise program.
Stick with it. You may start feeling better after just one yoga session, but don't stop there. "People can't expect to benefit greatly from yoga without making a commitment to it," says Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester.
"Yoga practice should be regular--daily, if possible," Christensen says. "At the very least, if you want results, it demands three exercises and a few minutes of breathing and meditation. This can take as little as 15 minutes. If you find yourself wanting to practice more, an hour a day is plenty. The important thing is to enjoy what you do."
Keep working out. Beginner yoga is not aerobic exercise. Christensen recommends that you continue with bicycling, walking, running or some other activity that gives your heart a workout. "Think of yoga as an added dimension to your fitness program," she says. "It is never boring because besides offering the physical benefits of limberness, health and strength, it adds meaning to life."
Yoga for Beginners
If you're interested in trying yoga, these four poses are a good place to start. Remember: Go at your own pace and don't stretch past the point of comfort.  The Tree Pose. This is a balance pose that improves poise, posture and concentration. Stand with your feet parallel. Shift weight to your right leg and place the heel of your left foot against your right ankle. Hold on to a wall or chair for support if you need to. Slowly raise the left foot higher, assisting with your free hand, until the foot reaches your right inner thigh. Place your arms at your sides, then slowly bring them over your head as straight as possible with your palms together. Relax your stomach and your breath. Stare at one spot for balance. Hold for several seconds or as long as you can comfortably. Then slowly lower and repeat on the opposite side.
The Twisting Triangle. This exercise limbers the back, hips and legs and may help to relieve depression. Stand with your feet pointed straight ahead, as wide apart as you can stand comfortably. Breathe in and raise your arms out to the sides, then breathe out and twist to the left. Grasp the outside of your left ankle with your right hand, extend your left arm straight up with fingers slightly curled and look up at your left thumb. Hold for just a moment, then breathe in and return to a standing position with your arms outstretched. Breathe out and repeat to the right leg. Stretch three times to each leg.
 Seated Sun Pose. This exercise limbers the back and legs, massages the internal organs and improves circulation. Sit on the floor with your legs outstretched and your toes pulled back toward your face (above). Breathe in and raise your arms to the sides and overhead. Stretch and look up (below).
 Then tuck your head, start to breathe out and slowly bend forward as far as you can without straining (above). Get a good grip on your legs wherever you can reach, bend your elbows and gently pull your upper body down toward your legs (below). Use your arms to pull, not your back muscles. Hold for a few seconds. Breathe in and raise your arms back up overhead. Then breathe out and lower your arms to your sides. Repeat twice more.
 The Boat Pose. This is an excellent exercise to strengthen the back and improve posture. Lie on your stomach with your arms outstretched in front and your forehead on the floor (above). Breathe out completely, then breathe in as you raise your legs, arms and head all at once, looking up (below). Breathe out and lower your body. Repeat twice more. |
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