A Beginners Guide to Yoga

Yoga, which means union or balance (1), dates back further than 2,500 years ago to the sacred Hindu religion. The ancient Rig-Veda (Knowledge of Praise) contains hymns created by kavi (seer-poets) able to look beyond their five senses. The hymns detail their ecstasies and insights, and form the basis of archaic Yoga (2). Devotees of Yoga today still seek these ecstasies and insights, and have various forms of Yoga to pursue to help them achieve them.

Just like a flower can have many petals that extend from one stem, Yoga has many types that all share basic fundamentals. The four forms follow:

3. Raja Yoga (the science of mental control)

4. Gyana Yoga (the path of knowledge)

While these forms of Yoga may appear disparate, in reality they complement each other.

Yoga likewise decreases joint and back pain. A University of Pennsylvania study (1998) concludes that yoga may be an alternative to traditional treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome. After eight weeks, patients engaging in Yoga had four times stronger grips and one-half the pain of the group that used splints (11). Yoga proves effective in combating back pain, especially that induced by stress. Lumbar stretches relieve muscle spasms and alleviate back discomfort. A backward bend followed by a forward bend energizes the back while pacifying the mind and body.

MantraYoga, Kundalini Yoga, and Hatha Yoga (3). All of these modes of Yoga target control of mental modifications and achieving the absolute. Hatha Yoga, the best known among them, seeks a transformation through physical purification and strengthening. The goal of Hatha Yoga is to magnify the awareness of the body and mind. Evolving from two Sanskrit words, Hatha literally consists of two planets: ha, which means sun, and tha, meaning moon. These two planets symbolize the two halves of the body and mind. Hatha Yoga aims to equalize these two halves to create a fully functioning individual. Conflict emerges, however, when one side typically overpowers the other yet is never completely liberated of its counterpart.

Finally, yoga comprises an ideal form of exercise for elderly people and pregnant women. Among senior citizens, yoga helps maintain suppleness, strengthens muscles, and guards against illnesses such as arthritis and rheumatism. Yoga benefits the elderly more than people in any other age group. Weightbearing exercise for the limbs and the spine will combat the decline in bone density associated with senior citizens, especially post-menopausal women. Likewise, the frail elderly can benefit from Yoga. Postures can be adapted from the floor to a bed or a chair to allow one to elevate his feet against a wall when possible. Great pleasure results among the frail who participate in Yoga exercises, and many find this time to be so deeply relaxing that they sleep during the exercises. Yoga also benefits pregnant women. Fatigue and intermittent nausea can

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