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4 Yoga Asanas and Their Benefits
By siliconindia
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Friday, 26 August 2011, 00:05 IST
Bangalore: An ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice designed as a path to spiritual enlightenment, yoga, has found huge popularity as a form of gentle exercise and stress management. The different types of yoga essentially rely on structured poses practiced with breath awareness. Yoga has become more popular across the world with more and more people seeing the benefits of this ancient practice. Here are some proven health benefits of yoga.
Pranayama: Patanjali in his text of Yoga Sutras cited Pranayama as means of accomplishing higher states of awareness; he mentions the holding of breath as important practice of reaching Samadhi. "Prana" is Breath or vital energy in the body. On subtle levels prana represents the pranic energy responsible for life or life force, and "ayama" means control. Even after learning these Asanas and having practiced them, one needs some preparation before actually taking up Pranayama. Pranayama means the holding up of the process of exhaling and inhaling.
The benefits of Pranayama include reduced breathing rate, reduced wear and tear of internal organs, lowering of blood pressure, relaxation of body tensions and quieter nerves. The other advantages are blood circulation improvement, healthy heart; better functioning of autonomic system improves the working of lungs, heart, diaphragm, abdomen, intestines, kidneys and pancreas and better mental health.
Surya Namaskara: Surya Namaskar has its origins in Hindu worship of the solar deity. There are twelve poses in the Surya Namaskar series, and a full round consists of performing two sets of this series. It is a completely safe set of yoga poses that will not cause strain or injury. Surya Namaskar provides all of the key health benefits of yoga in a very concise package. This holistic exercise provides not only physical health benefits, but also mental or emotional as well as spiritual benefits. The apparent gain of Surya Namaskar is the workout it provides for the muscles, but it also benefits joints, ligaments and the skeletal system by improving posture, flexibility and balance.
It is good for the heart and stimulates the cardiovascular system, benefits the Endocrine system and also provides mental benefits. It oxygenates the blood and helps strengthen the heart. Surya Namaskar is good for the digestive system and the nervous system. It stimulates the lymphatic system and supports respiratory system health, as well.
Shava Asana: The name comes from the Sanskrit words Shava meaning "corpse", and Asana meaning "posture" or "seat". Lying on the back, the arms and legs are spread at about 45 degrees, the eyes are closed and the breath deep, using long Pranayama. The body is relaxed onto the floor with an awareness of each breath. The body is scanned for muscular tension of any kind, which is deliberately released as it is found, optionally with a small repetitive movement of the area. All control of the breath, the mind, and the body is then released for the duration of the posture. It is intended to rejuvenate body, mind and spirit.
Yoga mudra: Yoga mudra in an entwined contemplative posture and cures constipation; exercises the intestines and has beneficial effects for asthmatics. It is a perfect asana for women who want to hang on to their beauty and youthfulness. It activates and exercises the lungs, cures loss of appetite, ulcer, indigestion and constipation. It also makes spine, waist, veins and muscles flexible, cures diabetes and reduces obesity.