Yoga is a 3,000-year-old tradition (Seaward, 2012). The word “yoga” comes from the Sanskrit root “yuj” which means the union of the soul, body, and mind (Woodyard, 2011). Yoga is rooted in with the philosophy of spiritual enlightenment. It is linked to the teachings of Kapila, a Hindu philosopher (Seaward, 2012). Lord Shiva is thought to be the founder of yoga. Many think of yoga in terms of a physical practice also termed “asana”, or posture. The asanas are described in the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali. Asanas are defined as a method to facilitate energy paths to enlightenment and promote consciousness (Seaward, 2012). In terms of teaching, this means developing a realization of self and removing all barriers. The Yoga Sutras text describes the …show more content…
Thus, it has been deemed a complimentary modality for health illnesses. Harinath et al. (2004) considered at the effects of Hatha yoga in conjunction with meditation on cardiorespiratory performance, psychologic profile and melatonin secretion. The study was based on a convenience sample of 30 middle-aged healthy males. Half were the control group performing stretching for 40 minutes, jogging for 20 minutes in the morning and participated in physical games for an hour daily for three consecutive months. The experimental group practiced Hatha yoga and breathing for an hour in the morning and yoga, meditation and breathing for an hour in the evening daily for three consecutive months. They measured orthostatic tolerance, vitals consisting of blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate, lung function with spirometry, and psychologic profile with a questionnaire at baseline and after 3 months. In addition, blood was drawn throughout to monitor melatonin levels. The interesting findings were that the experimental group improved cardiorespiratory performance, psychologic profile, and increased in melatonin after three months of Hatha yoga, meditation and breathing practices. The other outcome measures were not statistically significant. Thus, breathing, yoga, and meditation practice may increase secretions of melatonin leading to improvements in the …show more content…
(2004) yielded results that there were no statistically significant changes in lung function following three months of daily Hatha yoga. This includes forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume percentage, maximum voluntary ventilation, and other spirometry tests obtained values. This was an interesting result as Hatha yoga incorporates prolonged and efficient breathing technique into the postures. Birkel and Edgren (2000) investigated the sole outcome of vital capacity of 287 college students following Hatha yoga. Using a Spiropet spirometer at baseline and at the end of two semesters (17 weeks) to measure vital capacity. Participants filled out a questionnaire to identify whether he or she were smokers or asthmatics. The students enrolled in a college yoga course for elective credit. The participants met two times per week, for a 50-minute yoga and breathing class. Birkel and Edgren (2000) found statistically significant improvement in vital capacity. A limitation is no control group but also, there is no way of identifying whether the Hatha yoga asanas, breathing technique, relaxation component, or variables outside of class contributed the
Streeter, C. C., Gerbarg, P. L., Saper, R. B., Ciraulo, D. A., & Brown, R. P. (2012). Effects of yoga on the autonomic nervous system, gamma-aminobutyric-acid, and allostasis in epilepsy, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Medical hypotheses, 78(5), 571-579.
Yoga is a discipline with a scientific background that was developed over 2000 years ago. In this system of self-development the restless mind is calmed and energy is placed into constructive channels. It is not a religion as some people may be led to believe. It is a philosophy of life. The lessons learned are just as relevant today as they were when they were first created, still keeping the main principle that before you can train your mind to reach a higher consciousness you must first discipline your body. Yoga's popularity is largely due to its wide range of benefits, including therapeutic effects, muscle toning, energy increasing and concentration of the mind.
It is the most appropriate yoga for those who are more intellectually or philosophically inclined. This yoga can be broken into three distinct steps. The first step is to learn, this means seeking out teachers and gurus who can pass their knowledge unto you. The second step is to think; this step requires you to separate your true Self from the self you are currently occupying. The final step is to change, that is, to change your self-identification to your true Self. This step can often include referring to yourself in the third person to further drive a wedge between Self and self.
Yoga, as a way to achieve higher self-awareness, was around as early as 200 B.C. in India and has been gradually growing in popularity in the western world over the past four decades. Traditional styles of yoga, including Hatha yoga, which consists of thousands of poses, have long been studied as an effective form of complimentary or alternative medicine (CAM).
Yoga is a discipline both involving physical and mental control that originated in India. The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word, "yug", meaning union and it means the joining of the individual spirit with the universal spirit. The type of yoga known as Hatha Yoga, ("Ha"- sun, "tha"-moon) is what is most commonly practiced and this yoga involves the path of the mind and body and is the most physical. There are eight limbs or steps of Hatha Yoga, the first step being the five Yamas. There are five yamas and these concern your behavior to the world.
There are five studies which investigated individuals who meditate and physiological changes with their bodies. These studies mainly focused on parasympathetic and sympathetic activities, cardiovascular activities, and immune activities. Most of the research has centered in investigating the nervous system itself.
A nurse that wishes to determine if he/she is stressed, must first be cognizant of the signs and symptoms. Often, stress manifests not just in physical ways but in emotional ways as all. The physical signs of stress include headaches, weight gain, fatigue, and an elevated glucose level, while the emotional signs include anger, lashing out, hostility, sadness, and abstinence and isolation from activities (Roszler & Brail 2017). Stress management is the process of integrating positive and healthy techniques into one’s lifestyle in an attempt to reduce stress. Physical activity such as yoga has been proven to reduce stress. Researchers have found that because yoga encourages one to relax, it shifts the flight-or-fight response to the relaxation response, which has been shown to decrease stress by lowering breathing and heart rates, decrease blood pressure, lower cortisol levels, and increase blood flow to vital organs (Woodyard
Western medicine has recently discovered the powerful affects of meditation, by allowing doctors to treat the body and the mind. In reality, the mind is a very misunderstood and unexplored region of the human existence. Modern science knows more about the composition of the earth than it does about the mechanics of the human brain. Yet, meditation thwarts all notions of modern medicine with its shocking ability to to take obscure visualizations and create physical responses in the body. Mahayana Buddhism, found mainly in the autonomous region of Tibet, has become the main reference and standard for meditation practices in the west. Tibetans have used meditation for centuries as treatment for illness, and now, modern medicine of the western world is just beginning to reap the benefits of this unique and unconventional treatment for a variety of physical and mental ailments. Once a practice reserved strictly for Buddhist monks, meditation has become a worldwide phenomenon. Simply enter “Buddhist meditation” into the any Inter...
This qualitative case study is an approach to research how yoga can affect the human mind in a positive way and lead to a healthy lifestyle using 2 sources one being a book called The Science Of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards by William J. Broad 2012. And the other being a private interview with a 22 year old male Yogi. This ensures that the issue is not getting explored through one side, but rather a variety of sides which allows for different inputs to be reveled and understood. There are two key approaches that help determine if yoga helps affect the human mind in a positive way. One flourished by William J. Broad (2012) which explores different factors on how yoga contributes to a healthy lifestyle and interviews fellow yogis who give there insight on the matter. And the second being a personal webcam interview conducted by the researcher ...
They noticed that the conditions related to their muscular system, respiratory system, nervous system, and the digestive system improved notably. It has been studied and suggested that regular practice of Yoga increases the brain gamma-Aminobutyric acid levels which helps in regulating the excitability of the nervous system and muscle tone as well. This helps in reducing anxiety and improving mood functions, letting people lead much more emotionally balanced lives. Apart from the abovementioned advantages, yoga also helps in keeping cardiovascular diseases in check. The three principles of yoga: asana (exercise), pranayama (breathing), and drishti (meditation) help in monitoring heart activities and keeping it functioning healthily. It does so by reducing blood pressure, speeding up recovery related to heart failures or cardiac arrests, and lower other cardiovascular risk factors that some people might have genetically imbibed in them. Similarly, it helps people with chronic back aches. Regular practice of yoga can bring relief over a period of time, than medications alone. Pain medications for back ache or spine-related spasms generally have dangerous side effects such as gastric problems, nausea, and the relief they provide last for a very short period of time. Yoga on the other hand gives back pain sufferers a much necessary relief through stretching exercises and also by meditating which plays a major role in alleviating any kind of
Becoming a healthier person interests us all, from young to old, being fit is something we strive for. Nowadays, one means of achieving that goal is through yoga. Though the use of breathing exercises, meditation and strength postures, people have actually lowered their blood pressure, aches and pains fade away as their body becomes more athletic.
In a world full of skepticism towards the alternative, Yoga has created a place of growing belief for itself. As Timothy McCall, M.D. states in his book Yoga As Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health & Healing: A Yoga Journal Book:
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). (2010). Health info. Meditation: An introduction. Retrieved from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm
The benefits of yoga are endless. It affects the human mind and body in a variety of ways. Roughly 15 million Americans practice yoga, annually there is an expected increase of twenty percent in participants in the United States ("Yoga Statistics"). While Yoga is often thought of as a practice that involves circus-like poses and seemingly impossible flexibility, it is not. Even bedridden patients can gain benefit from imagining themselves going through the poses and practicing breathing techniques that are appropriate to them (Dickenson 24-25).
This week’s analysis is associated with the yoga class provided online to help with stress reduction. The first term that I came across was psychophysiology and how this principle is based on the mind and body being one and how our thinking affects all physiology. This principle was the perfect definition of yoga because yoga focuses on how the mind and body connects with each other. It gives you a sense of relaxation throughout your mind and body together. Furthermore, the yoga that was in the video was a yoga style called hatha. Which practices asana (yoga postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises). According to the book, this practices helps bring peace to the mind and body and prepare our body to do deeper exercises. The art of breathing was mentioned during the exercise and in the book. Breathing is very important when trying to unite the mind, body, and spirit. So, having slow, deep breathes was a main focused during the exercise. Another term that was used in the video was the art of stretching, which allows us to become aware of our flexibility of our muscle while moving. Lastly, the art of balance is significant because it allows us to move into the next form of position on both sides of our body. Some of the workouts pose that was mention in the textbook that I did was two knees to the chest, cobra, and head of cow. Overall, hatha