The Role That Yoga Can Play in Your Health and Wellness Program
Posted On Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at
at
12:22 PM
by test
The field of yoga is dynamic and exciting. From its original teachings, it has evolved
into a rich system of practices that address the harmony and well-being of body, mind, and
spirit. It comprises techniques and exercises that can be used to promote clarity of mind,
fullness of breath, and soundness of body. From the relaxation benefits of meditation to the
improved physical functioning of the musculoskeletal and circulatory systems imparted by
the practice of yoga postures, yoga can form an essential part of your individualized health
and wellness program. Yoga’s reputation for relaxing, rejuvenating, and restoring body and
soul are legendary and well earned. Whether you are looking for gentle relaxation or vigorous
physical activity, there is a yoga style and practice to fit your needs.
Benefits of Yoga
Prime among yoga’s many health benefits is its proven ability to help reduce stress.
Experts maintain that up to 80 percent of all illness is caused by stress. The activities and
stimuli of contemporary life are constantly triggering what scientists refer to as “the fight or
flight” mechanism. This expression refers to the way in which we respond to stress. This
response is involuntary, and includes an elevation in heart rate, blood pressure, and the
creation of toxic chemicals in the body. Yoga helps to induce the opposite effects, in what
Herbert Benson, M.D., termed “the relaxation response” in his groundbreaking book of
the same title. Yoga can help to reduce blood pressure, heart rate, and improve circulation
to help remove toxic wastes from the body. This may in turn help boost the functioning of
the immune system. Yoga is so effective at inducing the relaxation response that many
prominent authorities recommend its use for reducing stress and promoting health, including
Dean Ornish, M.D., and Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. Indeed, much to the astonishment
of Western scientists, accomplished yogis have demonstrated that they can exert
conscious control of heart rate, blood pressure, and even the circulation of the blood.In addition to its ability to help reduce stress, yoga has many other benefits for a man’s
health. One of the primary aims of the physical practices of yoga is to help improve the
alignment and flexibility of the spine. This is encouraging news for the 70 million Americans
who are estimated to seek help for back problems each year. Yoga can help promote
overall fitness by both stretching and toning virtually all the muscles in the body. Yoga
exercises can help increase range of motion in joints and help protect muscles from being
injured during sports and athletic activities. They can also help to lengthen and restore
muscles after exercise.
Yoga postures can help improve circulation and eliminate toxic waste substances from
the body. They can help promote optimum functioning of the internal organs by helping
to massage and tone them. Yoga postures can help open the area of the pelvis and organs of
reproduction that are housed there. Yoga practices can help bring increased circulation,
muscular control, and awareness to a man’s sexual region, thus promoting enhanced sexual
enjoyment.
The breathing practices of yoga can help improve lung capacity and posture, and harmonize
body and mind. The meditation practices of yoga can help still the mind and bring
about greater inner clarity, peace of mind, and self-understanding and acceptance. This can
help lead to greater emotional awareness and stability. For those men seeking spiritual
enlightenment, yoga has a variety of techniques that can help support and guide you on
your path.
Yoga can form a cornerstone of your ongoing health maintenance program. As more
and more men are discovering, it is increasingly important for them to take charge of their
own physical fitness and healthcare. The physical postures of yoga can offer a refreshing
alternative to high-impact cardiovascular and strenuous bodybuilding practices, an especially
attractive option for a population that is increasingly aging. Yoga also offers a man the
opportunity to become much more aware of his own body. Through the mindfulness and
awareness that yoga engenders, a man has the opportunity of listening more carefully to his
body so that he might detect pain, discomfort, and other warning signs early enough to
take preventative action before illness or disease sets in.
In addition to its overall health benefits, yoga can be of special value to men, in particular,
by helping them to contact their inner resources. As many top yoga teachers underscore,
today’s man is often caught up in the pressures of work and conforming to society’s
perceived expectations. This can result in a man’s armoring himself and losing touch with
his inner self. Yoga practice can provide a man with the opportunity to reconnect with
himself and to accept himself just as he is—not as he feels he is “supposed” to be. Through
a sustained yoga practice, a man can experience the priceless benefits of peace and happiness
that can accompany self-awareness and self-acceptance.
into a rich system of practices that address the harmony and well-being of body, mind, and
spirit. It comprises techniques and exercises that can be used to promote clarity of mind,
fullness of breath, and soundness of body. From the relaxation benefits of meditation to the
improved physical functioning of the musculoskeletal and circulatory systems imparted by
the practice of yoga postures, yoga can form an essential part of your individualized health
and wellness program. Yoga’s reputation for relaxing, rejuvenating, and restoring body and
soul are legendary and well earned. Whether you are looking for gentle relaxation or vigorous
physical activity, there is a yoga style and practice to fit your needs.
Benefits of Yoga
Prime among yoga’s many health benefits is its proven ability to help reduce stress.
Experts maintain that up to 80 percent of all illness is caused by stress. The activities and
stimuli of contemporary life are constantly triggering what scientists refer to as “the fight or
flight” mechanism. This expression refers to the way in which we respond to stress. This
response is involuntary, and includes an elevation in heart rate, blood pressure, and the
creation of toxic chemicals in the body. Yoga helps to induce the opposite effects, in what
Herbert Benson, M.D., termed “the relaxation response” in his groundbreaking book of
the same title. Yoga can help to reduce blood pressure, heart rate, and improve circulation
to help remove toxic wastes from the body. This may in turn help boost the functioning of
the immune system. Yoga is so effective at inducing the relaxation response that many
prominent authorities recommend its use for reducing stress and promoting health, including
Dean Ornish, M.D., and Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. Indeed, much to the astonishment
of Western scientists, accomplished yogis have demonstrated that they can exert
conscious control of heart rate, blood pressure, and even the circulation of the blood.In addition to its ability to help reduce stress, yoga has many other benefits for a man’s
health. One of the primary aims of the physical practices of yoga is to help improve the
alignment and flexibility of the spine. This is encouraging news for the 70 million Americans
who are estimated to seek help for back problems each year. Yoga can help promote
overall fitness by both stretching and toning virtually all the muscles in the body. Yoga
exercises can help increase range of motion in joints and help protect muscles from being
injured during sports and athletic activities. They can also help to lengthen and restore
muscles after exercise.
Yoga postures can help improve circulation and eliminate toxic waste substances from
the body. They can help promote optimum functioning of the internal organs by helping
to massage and tone them. Yoga postures can help open the area of the pelvis and organs of
reproduction that are housed there. Yoga practices can help bring increased circulation,
muscular control, and awareness to a man’s sexual region, thus promoting enhanced sexual
enjoyment.
The breathing practices of yoga can help improve lung capacity and posture, and harmonize
body and mind. The meditation practices of yoga can help still the mind and bring
about greater inner clarity, peace of mind, and self-understanding and acceptance. This can
help lead to greater emotional awareness and stability. For those men seeking spiritual
enlightenment, yoga has a variety of techniques that can help support and guide you on
your path.
Yoga can form a cornerstone of your ongoing health maintenance program. As more
and more men are discovering, it is increasingly important for them to take charge of their
own physical fitness and healthcare. The physical postures of yoga can offer a refreshing
alternative to high-impact cardiovascular and strenuous bodybuilding practices, an especially
attractive option for a population that is increasingly aging. Yoga also offers a man the
opportunity to become much more aware of his own body. Through the mindfulness and
awareness that yoga engenders, a man has the opportunity of listening more carefully to his
body so that he might detect pain, discomfort, and other warning signs early enough to
take preventative action before illness or disease sets in.
In addition to its overall health benefits, yoga can be of special value to men, in particular,
by helping them to contact their inner resources. As many top yoga teachers underscore,
today’s man is often caught up in the pressures of work and conforming to society’s
perceived expectations. This can result in a man’s armoring himself and losing touch with
his inner self. Yoga practice can provide a man with the opportunity to reconnect with
himself and to accept himself just as he is—not as he feels he is “supposed” to be. Through
a sustained yoga practice, a man can experience the priceless benefits of peace and happiness
that can accompany self-awareness and self-acceptance.
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