What is Yoga?

Hatha Yoga

The Art of Integrating Body, Mind and Spirit

Breath Your and Stretch Your Way to Health!

Yoga is one of the six fundamental systems of Indian thought collectively known as darsana which means “to see”. As one of the six darsanas, yoga has its origins in the Vedas, the oldest record of Indian culture. It was systematized as a special darsana by the great Indian sage Patanjali in his Yoga Sutra. Yoga means “to unite” or to “tie the strands of the mind together”.

“Uniting” or “tying the strands of the mind together” means to integrate, harmonize and balance the mind, the physical body, the emotions and the spiritual essence or “life force” together to bring complete harmony, health and longevity to one’s life.

Hatha Yoga is the physical practice of this system based on the practice of maintaining certain postures (asanas) for a specific time grounded in a deep breathing technique which opens and balances all the body’s energy centers and organ systems and in turn the mind, emotions and spirit.

Yoga also means acting in such a way that all of our attention is directed toward the activity in which we are currently engaged. Yoga attempts to create a state in which we are always present – really present- in every action, in every moment. It is vital that when you are practicing Yoga, your attention and intent be focused on exactly what you are doing to gain the maximum effect of the system.

The Indian culture also maintained that a “life force” exists throughout nature and the universe and this “life force” permeates and controls all of the harmonious movement of nature, including us. This “life force” works through the multi-various fine and subtle nerves or nadis that control our emotions and mind and are seen in our “energy body”, just as the gross nervous system operates in the physical body. The Ancient Yogis saw 72,000 subtle nerves or nadis, all originating in the spinal column. The energies of these subtle nerves are gathered in “centers” (or Chakras) that corresponded to certain nerve plexus and endocrine glands throughout the body. The three most important nadis are the ida, the pingala, and the sushumna which all function throughout the length of the spinal cord.

The endocrine glands produce hormones and play a very important role in preserving the harmonious functioning and longevity of the body. These glands are not only stimulated by your physical movements, but also your thoughts. A fit of anger can cause the glands to produce irregular secretions and disturb your balance. The Yoga asanas (postures) and pranayamas (yogic breathing) serve to keep the endocrine glands in perfect balance.  As Albert Einstein said of them, “Even our destiny is decided by the endocrine glands.”

The Yogis believe that uniting all the body’s energies will lead to longevity, complete health and vitality and inhibit disease.

Yogic Breathing or the Yogic Breath is the very foundation of this practice. Prana (Breath – Air – Life) is the subtle power at the basis of life. Prana causes the mind to think and is the energy of the mind and the “Commander-in-Chief of the vast army of minute cells which make up the body. When the breath is regular and deep, the cells work in unison resulting in harmony throughout the entire system. When the breath is shallow, your “life force” diminishes. Every asana is accompanied by the yogic breath.

The asanas or postures were specifically developed to open the energies of each organ system, its corresponding endocrine gland and energy center which then affect every other part of the body. The circulation of blood is stimulated and foreign matter is washed out and eliminated bringing longevity back to the body. The time held for each pose is different for each asana and the sessions should last from thirty five to forty five minutes with a deep rest at the conclusion.

All of the above steps should be done WITHOUT strain. The natural tendency is to strain with effort. The right way is to make all movements and breathing smooth and effortless. Go slow and easy. There is no better health tonic than the Yoga asana. Practicing the asanas is effective not only in the prevention of disease but in aiding the cure of existing disease as well.

The all important benefits derived from doing Yoga are:

• Releases acute and chronic muscular tensions around the heart and digestive organs.
• Helps respiratory illness such as asthma and emphysema and actually increases lung capacity.
• Stimulates the proper nervous stimulus to the cardio-vascular system.
• Improves detoxification through increased exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen.
• Stimulates the auto immune system by increased distribution of energy to the endocrine system.
• Calms the mind and integrates the mind, body, emotional and spiritual balance!