Smart Guide to Yoga (The Smart Guides Series)

458 Pages·1999·2.1 MB·English

by  Stephanie Levin-Gervasi

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Introduction
Yoga is a complete science that anyone can practice. This ancient system of
integrating physical, mental, and spiritual well-being is the most widely
practiced health system throughout the contemporary world. People are
drawn to yoga for many reasons, but the most common reason given is to
keep the body and mind supple.
The yoga postures in this book exercise the entire body and tone and stretch
muscles and joints. The yoga breathing exercises presented will calm and
revitalize the mind as well as fine-tune concentration.
Yoga has several branches, and chapter 1 explores these various branches
before introducing hatha yoga, the most widely practiced yoga system in the
West. The Smart Guide to Yoga has as its primary focus the hatha system.
This first chapter as well defines yoga and dispels common myths and
interpretations that sometimes surround yoga. A very brief history of yoga
and the foundation for yoga practice segues into the health benefits yoga
offers.
Chapter 2 explores hatha yoga more deeply and delves into the differences
and similarities of the various hatha systems one might discover when
ferreting out a yoga class.
The next chapter is devoted to pranayama, the life force or energy that is the
invisible link to all yoga practices. Pranayama is a science. Simply said, it is
the science of breathing correctly. Since stress affects our breath, we
conclude this important chapter with some breathing exercises, complete
with visuals to aid you in your practice.
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Chapter 1—
Yoga and Its Branches
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Yoga, the once serendipitous fad of the 1960s, is at the turn of the century the
most widely practiced exercise system in the world. According to Yoga
Journal, approximately 6 million people practice yoga. Maybe you are one of
them, or maybe you have thought about yoga but never found the time to
include it in your hectic schedule. On the other hand, perhaps your image of
yoga conjures up levitating swamis, venerable vegetarians, and weightless
bodies twisting toward infinity. While a few of these descriptions are valid—
yes, some yogis do levitate and some physicians urge vegetarian choices—
the practice of yoga is as personal as your choice in food or your taste in art.
Yoga is a potent tool for stress reduction, fitness, and mental health. There is
a surfeit of yoga schools, teachers, philosophies, and practices, all of which
are discussed in this book. Just as we all choose different life routes, and pace
ourselves accordingly to reach a personal goal, so this book shows that yoga
is a compendium of small routes allowing the individual to travel at his or her
own pace. Because yoga has sprouted numerous branches and a diverse
assortment of techniques throughout the centuries, the most prudent place to
begin your yoga practice is at the beginning, some five thousand years ago.
THE KEYS
• While the word yoga has a succinct definition, yoga's meaning—and
practice—can be applied in many ways.
• Yes, yoga is shrouded in myths—we dispel them in this chapter.
• Yoga's popularity has grown due to its numerous health benefits.
Yoga is a complete tool to keep the body fit and flexible and the mind
focused and quiet. It integrates body, mind, and spirit and can be
practiced anywhere, by anyone.
• The benefits of yoga are vast and include stress reduction, enhanced
mental acuity, increased flexibility, a calm mind, and relief of chronic
pain.
• Yoga has its own language—Sanskrit.
• There are six different branches of yoga embracing a multiplicity of
styles and techniques and appealing to different personalities.
Yoga Defined
Yoga is a complete exercise system developed more than five thousand years
ago in India to energize and strengthen mind-body awareness. A time-
honored practice, yoga strives to balance physical
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health and psychological well-being and to create a sense of inner peace.
Devised by ancient sages as a perfect method for self-integration, yoga is
today recognized in the West as a potent application for both physical and
mental health.
Medical and managed-care facilities around the country are implementing
yoga for stress reduction. At Boston's Mind/Body Medical Institute, Dr.
Herbert Benson has devised stress-management methods for relaxation that
include yoga and meditation. Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., founder and director of
the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical
Center, includes yoga and meditation in his chronic pain clinics. Even a few
health maintenance organizations (HMOs) have added yoga classes to their
health-education programs.
Yoga has become a staple for many spas and is even beginning to segue into
the business sector, with many companies now offering lunchtime yoga
classes.
SMART DEFINITION
Yoga
A Sanskrit word derived from the word yuj, literally meaning "yoke
together" or "union." The underlying purpose of yoga was to unite the
individual self with the Divine.
The correct pronunciation is Yo-gah.
Yogi
Pronounced YO-gee, a man who practices yoga.
Yogini
Pronounced YO-gee-nee, a woman who practices yoga.
The Practice
The practice of yoga embraces a multiplicity of styles and an astonishing
array of diverse techniques, all of which aim to foster holistic harmony. The
best way to approach yoga is to find a class. You can read about yoga or
watch tapes that can introduce you to yoga, but yoga is like swimming; you
have to dive in and do it. You can't experience the crawl, the breaststroke, or
synchronized breathing until you get wet. The pleasure of floating on your
back in a warm pool cannot be experienced in a book or a photograph; you
have to submerge your body. To experience the effects of
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yoga, you have to breathe, stretch, and focus on quieting your active mind.
SMART SOURCES
The Yoga Research Society
341 Fitzwater St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 592-YOGA
The Yoga Research Society holds a yearly conference that brings
together authors, researchers, doctors, and others to share
knowledgeable perspectives on yoga.
Dispelling Common Myths about Yoga
Myth: You have to be deeply religious to practice yoga.
Fact: Anyone can practice yoga. You do not have to be religious, nor is there
any imposing prerequisite or lifestyle that you must adhere to. Because yoga
does not have its roots in a Western tradition, some people find the spiritual
component of yoga oddly exotic. If you already have a spiritual inclination or
practice, yoga will enrich it.
Myth: You have to be flexible and already in good shape to practice yoga.
Fact: You do not have to be svelte or have the body of Madonna and the
flexibility of a gymnast to reap the benefits that yoga has offered millions all
over the world.
Myth: People who do yoga are vegetarians who go along with New Age
philosophies and trends.
Fact: You do not have to be a vegetarian, swear off caffeine, or wear beads to
try yoga. Yoga is "ageless"—it is for everyone, of every age group—and it is
not a New Age invention or a religion.
Myth: People who practice yoga do it so they can become "enlightened."
Fact: Yoga is not a spiritual light bulb that lights up when you have a
problem or need to chill out. It