Yoga is much more than a series of postures. For over 5000 years yogis have been studying how to live life to the fullest: physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. They sought to answer the deeper questions of how to achieve happiness and what is the meaning of life? Is Yoga still relevant given our lives have changed so much with the advent of technology? How could yoga help us with the new challenges we face? Technological advances have undoubtedly improved our quality of lives but fundamentally we are still grappling with how to live healthy, happy and meaningful lives and yoga empowers us to be able to achieve our goals- whatever they may be.
Yoga is not a religion. There is no bureaucracy or dogma or so it is ideal for our modern era where people are seeking direct engagement with spirituality without having to negotiate complex and often corrupt hierarchical structures. Yoga is based on the principle that each person is endowered from birth with everything they need to feel complete within themselves. Our innate self is perfect and an integral part of the divine aspect of the universe. That is a big call and the yogis discouraged blind belief. Yoga provides a framework to put this to the test and discover your own truths. This approach requires us to be fully accountable for ourselves and our choices and is both daunting and exciting if we are up for the challenge.
There are many studies that show how yoga improves health. Physically the asana’s help to maintain joint mobility, muscle tone and flexibility so that the body functions well and is able to do a large range of activities safely and easily. Being strong and fit is a real boon but not everyone is so lucky so if there are chronic health issues yoga can help to manage the symptoms and reduce associated pain thereby improving quality of life. Studies have shown yoga to be effective for back pain, chronic fatigue, osteoarthritis, obesity, infertility, inflammatory conditions, heat disease, blood pressure and migraines.[1]
Yoga can assist in establishing good breathing patterns, improving circulation and supporting the functioning of the internal organs by holding postures that stimulate the organs. In this way yoga works on improving the health from the inside. For example, there are postures that balance the endocrine glands including the thyroid and pancreas. They can be helpful in maintaining normal metabolic rate and in preventing/ supporting diabetes. The inversions stimulate better circulation to the brain and studies show promising results for slowing down the progress of dementia.[2]The balancing postures improve proprioception and balance which is protective against falls and joint instability. With an aging population more and more people can benefit from the health building and longevity promoting yoga practises.
Mental health issues are extremely prevalent and rising in the community. Anxiety, depression, stress, eating disorders and addiction to mention just a few. The pace of life and social isolation experienced by many is creating a deep suffering across all age groups including children. Yoga prioritises mental wellbeing and has a systematic approach to developing mindfulness, concentration and resilience that helps people deal with the difficulties inherent in life. There are many promising studies on yoga for PTSD, depression and anxiety. Frontline yoga and trauma yoga are just one of the areas that yoga is making a real difference to the Defence Force personnel, veterans, Police and all those who have experience trauma or abuse.[3] Yoga is taught in many prisons and has proven to be effective at rehabilitating inmates.[4] Yoga supports people with practical tools to heal and transform themselves. Prisoners have a real need for these skills and this work provides hope for rebuilding broken lives.
A recent study showed that the more groups people belonged to the healthy and longer they lived.[5] Yoga definitely builds community and to have the experience of being relaxed, calm and connected in a group setting builds happy, healthy communities. Yoga has guiding Principles called Yamas, one of which is non- violence. Yoga consciously directs individuals to make choices that consider themselves and the health of all living being including animals and plants. This has huge potential to create positive social change as ultimately the health of each person can not be separated from the health of our neighbours or the health of the planet. We are all connected and Yoga builds communities that care for each other and have the awareness and energy to extend that out more widely.
Spirituality is a very personal and through the Charka’s, Yoga provides a ‘body based’ blue print for examining the subtle realms. Yoga teaches you how to meditate and how to still the fluctuations of the mind so that you are able to have a direct experience of being fully present in the moment. This insight gained from direct experience is a powerful tool to self-knowledge and self-actualisation. If there is a unified field or matrix underlying the the material plane, sitting in stillness and being fully attentive offers intriguing possibilities. Understanding our place in the universe and pondering the meaning of life has been fundamental to mankind and those who find their own answers experience a deep and lasting peace. In yoga this is called Samadhi or Bliss and is a fascinating idea to contemplate.
Yoga provides an extensive toolkit that can help in all areas of life. It empowers the individual to know themselves and be able to restore balance and harmony physically, mentally, and emotionally. Yoga brings stability, joy and meaning into life which enriches all aspects of life.
[1]https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-benefits-of-yoga
[2]https://www.wellbeing.com.au/body/yoga/yoga-brain-memory-health.html
[3]https://www.frontlineyoga.com.au/
[4]https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359178916300246
[5]https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/want-to-live-much-longer-a-neuroscientist-says-these-surprising-daily-habits-make-it-much-more-likely-youll-live-past-90.html
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