The gifts of yoga

A friend who had attended one of my classes recently asked my husband, "Why do yoga?"

For him and for all of those who wonder why they should carve out a space in their busy schedules for a personal yoga practise, here are my reasons:

1. The gift of proprioception:
Proprioception is an awareness of our place in space. Children have a sense of how to sit, bend and move as their bodies were designed to. Because of stress and too much time in a chair, among other factors, most of us have lost that sense of balance and posture. Yoga stimulates the brain centers (proprioceptors) that keep us in proper alignment. The breathing and body awareness that we develop and use in yoga class can remain with us outside of class. We find that we stand and sit and breathe taller and straighter in all of our activities.

2. The gift of a healthy back:
According to Vijay Vad, M.D., 4 out of 5 people in North America will suffer an episode of serious low back pain in their lives. In his book, Back Rx, (Gotham Books, 2004), he tells that of those, 80% will have a recurrence within one year. Yoga emphasizes proper alignment of the spine. The postures encourage back suppleness and flexibility, including extension, flexion and rotation. These movements improve the health of discs by massaging them and bringing nourishing oxygen. Yoga also encourages hip flexibility. In his research, Vad found that limited hip flexibility is a commonality among elite tennis players and golfers who suffer low back pain.

3. The gift of youthful confidence:
As we age we tend to lose muscle tone, coordination, balance and flexibility. But these diminishing faculties can be recovered and strengthened by yoga. Many exercise regimes focus solely on cardiovascular fitness and muscular development, neglecting the other areas of health that keep one youthful and confident into old age.

4.The gift of relaxation:
I think I only learned to relax during yoga class. Before that I would sleep, of course, but still not relax. Yoga can teach you how to relax at will and not just fall into bed tense and exhausted from stress and overwork. Leaving a yoga class feeling relaxed and warm and happy must be experienced to be understood.


5. The gift of the present moment:
Yoga is a form of moving meditation. When we do the poses we maintain continual awareness of our breathing and our body. We let outside worries and distractions go. By focussing on the breath during meditation and relaxation, we can learn the art of mindfulness. Staying present is a gift because it allows us to enjoy the reality that is occurring all around us and stop living in our heads.

6. The gift of energy:
Yoga wakes you up and releases tension through movement and stretching. Breathing with an open chest makes you more alert. Deepak Chopra has pointed out that energy is everywhere in nature. (Have you ever seen a tired squirrel?) When we are in harmony with nature, we have energy.
Much has been written about how the stress response affects our bodies over the long term. Yoga counteracts the "fight/flight" chemicals that raise blood pressure, slow digestion, and weaken the immune system. Exercise, Breathing, relaxation and restorative postures combine to bring the body into balance.