Yoga (cont.)
How does yoga work?
Yoga uses asanas (postures), focused concentration on specific body
parts, and pranayama (breathing techniques) to integrate the body with mind
and mind with soul.
The body
Yoga asanas (postures or poses) help condition your body. There are thousands
of yoga poses, and in Sanskrit, these poses are called kriyas (actions),
mudras
(seals), and bandhas (locks). A kriya focuses on the effort necessary to move
energy up and down the spine; yoga mudra is a gesture or movement to hold energy
or concentrate awareness; and a bandha uses the technique of holding muscular
contractions to focus awareness.
The mind
Yoga focuses on the mind by teaching you to concentrate on specific parts of
the body. For instance, you may be asked by the instructor to focus deeply on
your spine, or let your mind go and have your body sink into the floor. This
awareness keeps the mind-body connection sharp and doesn't allow a lot of time
for external chatter (like worrying about what you're going to have for dinner
or the presentation at the office that you're preparing for). Instead, the focus
is internal, between your head and your body. An example is savasana (the corpse
pose), which is practiced by virtually all schools of yoga. During savasana, you
lie on your back with your eyes closed and just let your entire body sink into
the floor. The idea is to not fight any thoughts you have, but to let them come
and go while the instructor leads you through visual imagery to help you focus
on how your muscles feel. The result is to drift into a peaceful, calm, and
relaxing state. Savasana is generally the final pose of a yoga session before
final chanting and/or breathing exercises.
The spirit
Yoga uses controlled breathing as a way to merge the mind, body, and spirit.
The breathing techniques are called pranayamas; prana means energy or life force,
and yama means social ethics. It is believed that the controlled breathing of
pranayamas will control the energy flow in your body. It is my experience that
controlled breathing helps me focus on muscles that are working, and during
savasana, it slows down my heart rate, calms my mind, and leads to a deep, inner
calm and sense of relaxation.
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