“Yoga is not going to make you great. Yoga is going to make you, you.”
Jagadish Vasudev, better known as Sadguru says, “What is the percentage of the human mind that you use to survive in this materialistic world?” apparently less than <1%. If you think of your body as a fruit, mere physical existence is like the peel that’s chucked in the trash to unravel the juicy, tempting substance inside. This is the equivalent of the power of the mind guarded by an external physique awaiting exploration and nourishment.
Lord Buddha states, “your body is precious. It is your vehicle for awakening. Treat it with care.”
This is the brilliance of Yoga.
Yoga means union. It is not superficially impossible postures, breathing exercises, and movement techniques. It’s the union of the mind and the body in your quest to discover who you really are.
“Yoga is a journey of the soul through the body that creates a harmony among nature, mind, and body”
Understanding the concepts of Yoga is the eye into the science it holds.
Prana – when your mind is clogged with burdening thoughts, overwhelming you and hindering your day-to-day life, have you caught yourself saying, “I need some space? The need to empty your mind?
When you stretch into a yogi Asana, you are creating internal space at the cellular level letting prana or electromagnetic energy flow through you. These are Energy molecules like glucose and ATP that invigorate you and promote healing.
Nadi – this is establishing connections and creating channels between internal systems, like the blood vessels, lymphatics, and neurons to work as one unit.
Chitta – Chemical information carried through the body in the form of hormones, neurotransmitters, and immuno transmitters, from one system to another integrating one another.Yoga (union) happens as a cohesion of the above, elevating physiological, psychological, and structural efficacy of the body, to develop mind-body awareness, resilience, and emotional equanimity.
“Yoga is invigoration in relaxation. Freedom in routine. Confidence through self-control. The energy within and energy without ”With its physical postures, breathing exercises, and spiritual contemplation, yoga is known for health benefits like;
- Weight loss
- Improving flexibility
- Lowering blood sugar and blood pressure
- Strengthening the immune system
- Improving sleep quality and eating habits
- Increasing mindfulness and positive thought processes
- And also, one of the safest forms of exercise during pregnancy.
Breathing techniques – stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline induce rapid, short breaths, as a result of sympathetic nervous system activation. This leads to constriction of blood vessels increasing blood pressure.
The remedy is to take lesser, longer breaths to fill your lungs which is taught in yogic breathing.
The variety of Postures – the changing of yoga postures initially look impossible and are very challenging. Then You are trained to do these with concentration and composure. your frontal cortex of the brain responsible for movement and emotions is taught resilience in the face of difficulty. with time you start applying this to everyday life adversities.
Meditation practices – the brain can change in structure which is medically called brain plasticity.
Latest neuroimaging through MRI and EEG has found that meditation and focusing help you remodel the brain very discreetly over the years, changing how your brain responds to stress.
Also, at a molecular level of neurotransmitters and genetics, gene expression is affected by enhancing positive gene activity like immune response and healing, while simultaneously downregulating the expression of negative ones like chronic inflammation and pain.
Medically, yoga is no more just a hobby.
Scientific research is now validating what was seen in the behavior in the yogi community over centuries, recognizing yoga’s therapeutic values.
Modern science may never be able to explain the subtle internal energies reflected by yoga, but, the difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary, is that little extra.
