News
ENLARGE
September is National yoga month, and I am a yoga teacher that loves yoga and teaching it. For many years now I have witnessed first-hand how yoga can change a person from the inside out. I have seen the most inflexible person transform into a fit and healthy flexible person. I have taught yoga for over 13 years now and have had students range in age from18 months to 98 years old. Yoga is an amazing physical fitness routine. Anyone can do yoga and I mean anyone. I have even taught amputees, not just a person with a limb missing, but even quadruple amputees. Yoga can be done by anyone.
First let me begin by explaining the ancient purpose of yoga. Yoga is an exact science and it was developed to aid the sunyassins or “seekers of truth.” In order to sit long hours in meditation comfortably, they needed to have loose joints and strong backs. It would stand to reason that if you couldn't sit comfortably for long because your knees ached and your back was killing you, you simply wouldn't be able to delve into your deeper dimensions to find the bliss of your own being now could you?
By practicing yoga daily and for many hours the ancient practitioners found that they could attain higher states of consciousness. They had mental clarity that resulted in deeper concentration and mental focus; they had emotional balance and a tranquil sense of calm and great inner strength; their minds were at ease, resting into their bodies, they found they could delve deeper and deeper with much ease because their bodies were not tight and knotted, their digestive systems worked properly, their blood pressure was low, all of their bodily functions were working optimally. They even possessed the ability to lower their blood pressure at will; could hear their heart beat and actually feel their blood flowing in their vessels. Sound outrageous? You bet, but it is all true.
So, you ask what's all this got to do with me? Sure, the ancients could go off into the mountains and sequester themselves and go exploring on an inner adventure to find their bliss, but this is the modern age — you say “I have to work to support myself, my family, pay bills, etc. I can't do that!”
You are right. It seems unless we are independently wealthy or are just irresponsible, it wouldn't be possible to go running off to the nearest mountain top to find nirvana within ourselves … or is it?
In 1998, a Roper study stated that Yoga had touched the lives of over 18 million people globally and was projected (at that time) that 28 million people would be doing Yoga by 2002. It is now 2010, and we have far exceeded that projection. Right now there are more people in California practicing Hatha Yoga today than in all of India and more new practitioners every day!
So why do we still have so many uptight people? Because yoga hasn't found its way to the mainstream of America yet. Some people have been led to believe it is a religion or a cult “thing.” This is not the case!
What can yoga do for you?
Yoga can be any thing you want it to be. It is nondogmatic and can be a great physical fitness program that involves stretching and elongating the spine so that it will maintain a proper alignment; it can be a breathing practice that leads to lower blood pressure, increased lung capacity, increased cardio-vascular health, not to mention a great way to relieve stress. Doctors frequently recommend meditation to their patients with high blood pressure. Because many progressive thinking doctors know that meditation is key to relieving stress and allowing the mind to “take a break” from its constant activity, meditation brings emotional stability and mental clarity, and improves concentration and focus.
For some Yoga can become a philosophy of life. As you begin to practice more it awakens your “inner” consciousness and allows you to observe yourself more readily. Suddenly, you will notice that you move with less tension throughout your body, you don't have headaches anymore, your neck and shoulders, back and legs feel better. The benefits are not only lasting, but deeply profound and transformational.
Take what you need from yoga. It's whatever you make of it. It can be simply a great work out that has a plethora of benefits and it can be a philosophy, a new way of life that will lead you to find that unity of body/mind/spirit. It can satisfy you in ways you can't even imagine. Yoga is not a fad, it is not an overnight sensation, yoga has been around for thousands of years and will be till the end of time. It is the gift of the ancients to us in this present day that is filled with deadlines, road-rage, and the daily insanities of any number of stressors.
Yoga and stress reduction
The American Medical Association has stated that 80 percent of all illnesses are stress related. (One of yoga's major benefits is stress reduction.) According to Herbert Benson, MD, Director of Mind/Body Center at Harvard Medical School, 60 to 90 percent of doctor visits, for everything from the common cold to cancer are stress related. The National Institute of Health has stated that there is currently more office visits to complementary/alternative medicine practitioners than to western doctors.
It has been noted that in the U.S. yoga is now entering the mainstream health care industry. In the late ‘90s, several American medical insurance companies, such as Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Consensus Health and Mutual of Omaha have introduced yoga or yoga related options to their wellness programs.
Other benefits of yoga
Millions before us benefitted from this ancient practice and now yoga has become more widely known and its benefits are being documented and proven.
Over my 13+ years of teaching, I have had students report that knee and back surgeries were cancelled and chronic headaches ceased. Their chronic neck and back pain, constipation, nervousness, insomnia and countless other symptoms eradicated all by a simple regular yoga practice.
Of course I am not saying that you should only practice yoga and not go to a doctor. But, what I am saying is that with the proper diet, regular exercise, and a regular yoga practice we can live healthier lives. And, hopefully, avoid so many visits to the doctor!
Yoga works mainly because it is one of the only sustainable forms of physical exercise. It builds stronger muscles, bones and not only that— it gives your mind a rest and helps you in ways unimaginable. I like to say, “Yoga nurtures what needs to be nurtured and heals what needs to be healed.”
September is National Yoga Month. Find a yoga studio near you and take a class, bring a friend or family member. Make it a weekly routine and see for yourself what everyone that has been practicing yoga is talking about.
— Angelina Calafiore, CMT CYT is the founder and director of Serendipity Yoga Center for Health and Wellbeing she can be reached at 530-559-1839.
First let me begin by explaining the ancient purpose of yoga. Yoga is an exact science and it was developed to aid the sunyassins or “seekers of truth.” In order to sit long hours in meditation comfortably, they needed to have loose joints and strong backs. It would stand to reason that if you couldn't sit comfortably for long because your knees ached and your back was killing you, you simply wouldn't be able to delve into your deeper dimensions to find the bliss of your own being now could you?
By practicing yoga daily and for many hours the ancient practitioners found that they could attain higher states of consciousness. They had mental clarity that resulted in deeper concentration and mental focus; they had emotional balance and a tranquil sense of calm and great inner strength; their minds were at ease, resting into their bodies, they found they could delve deeper and deeper with much ease because their bodies were not tight and knotted, their digestive systems worked properly, their blood pressure was low, all of their bodily functions were working optimally. They even possessed the ability to lower their blood pressure at will; could hear their heart beat and actually feel their blood flowing in their vessels. Sound outrageous? You bet, but it is all true.
So, you ask what's all this got to do with me? Sure, the ancients could go off into the mountains and sequester themselves and go exploring on an inner adventure to find their bliss, but this is the modern age — you say “I have to work to support myself, my family, pay bills, etc. I can't do that!”
You are right. It seems unless we are independently wealthy or are just irresponsible, it wouldn't be possible to go running off to the nearest mountain top to find nirvana within ourselves … or is it?
In 1998, a Roper study stated that Yoga had touched the lives of over 18 million people globally and was projected (at that time) that 28 million people would be doing Yoga by 2002. It is now 2010, and we have far exceeded that projection. Right now there are more people in California practicing Hatha Yoga today than in all of India and more new practitioners every day!
So why do we still have so many uptight people? Because yoga hasn't found its way to the mainstream of America yet. Some people have been led to believe it is a religion or a cult “thing.” This is not the case!
What can yoga do for you?
Yoga can be any thing you want it to be. It is nondogmatic and can be a great physical fitness program that involves stretching and elongating the spine so that it will maintain a proper alignment; it can be a breathing practice that leads to lower blood pressure, increased lung capacity, increased cardio-vascular health, not to mention a great way to relieve stress. Doctors frequently recommend meditation to their patients with high blood pressure. Because many progressive thinking doctors know that meditation is key to relieving stress and allowing the mind to “take a break” from its constant activity, meditation brings emotional stability and mental clarity, and improves concentration and focus.
For some Yoga can become a philosophy of life. As you begin to practice more it awakens your “inner” consciousness and allows you to observe yourself more readily. Suddenly, you will notice that you move with less tension throughout your body, you don't have headaches anymore, your neck and shoulders, back and legs feel better. The benefits are not only lasting, but deeply profound and transformational.
Take what you need from yoga. It's whatever you make of it. It can be simply a great work out that has a plethora of benefits and it can be a philosophy, a new way of life that will lead you to find that unity of body/mind/spirit. It can satisfy you in ways you can't even imagine. Yoga is not a fad, it is not an overnight sensation, yoga has been around for thousands of years and will be till the end of time. It is the gift of the ancients to us in this present day that is filled with deadlines, road-rage, and the daily insanities of any number of stressors.
Yoga and stress reduction
The American Medical Association has stated that 80 percent of all illnesses are stress related. (One of yoga's major benefits is stress reduction.) According to Herbert Benson, MD, Director of Mind/Body Center at Harvard Medical School, 60 to 90 percent of doctor visits, for everything from the common cold to cancer are stress related. The National Institute of Health has stated that there is currently more office visits to complementary/alternative medicine practitioners than to western doctors.
It has been noted that in the U.S. yoga is now entering the mainstream health care industry. In the late ‘90s, several American medical insurance companies, such as Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Consensus Health and Mutual of Omaha have introduced yoga or yoga related options to their wellness programs.
Other benefits of yoga
Millions before us benefitted from this ancient practice and now yoga has become more widely known and its benefits are being documented and proven.
Over my 13+ years of teaching, I have had students report that knee and back surgeries were cancelled and chronic headaches ceased. Their chronic neck and back pain, constipation, nervousness, insomnia and countless other symptoms eradicated all by a simple regular yoga practice.
Of course I am not saying that you should only practice yoga and not go to a doctor. But, what I am saying is that with the proper diet, regular exercise, and a regular yoga practice we can live healthier lives. And, hopefully, avoid so many visits to the doctor!
Yoga works mainly because it is one of the only sustainable forms of physical exercise. It builds stronger muscles, bones and not only that— it gives your mind a rest and helps you in ways unimaginable. I like to say, “Yoga nurtures what needs to be nurtured and heals what needs to be healed.”
September is National Yoga Month. Find a yoga studio near you and take a class, bring a friend or family member. Make it a weekly routine and see for yourself what everyone that has been practicing yoga is talking about.
— Angelina Calafiore, CMT CYT is the founder and director of Serendipity Yoga Center for Health and Wellbeing she can be reached at 530-559-1839.
