Special Effects of Yoga to Improve Mental and Physical Health
Exploring the Ancient Wisdom of Yoga for Enhanced Well-being
by Dr. Ajay Mohan*, Dr. Gurdeep Singh Bindra,
- Published in International Journal of Physical Education & Sports Sciences, E-ISSN: 2231-3745
Volume 5, Issue No. 1, Apr 2013, Pages 0 - 0 (0)
Published by: Ignited Minds Journals
ABSTRACT
Yoga is a science that has been practiced for thousandsof years. It consists of ancient theories, observations and principles aboutthe mind and body connection which is now being proven by modernmedicine. The objective of this paper is to analyze the effects of yoga toimprove mental and physical health and to provide a review of the benefits ofregular yoga practice.
KEYWORD
yoga, special effects, mental health, physical health, ancient theories, mind-body connection, modern medicine, review, benefits, regular practice
INTRODUCTION:-
Yoga is a Hindu theistic thinking teaching the control of all activity of body, mind, and will in order that the self may comprehend its peculiarity from them and attain release. Ancient Yogis had a belief that in order for man to be in agreement with himself and his surroundings, he has to combine the body, the mind, and the spirit. For these three to be included, emotion, act, and aptitude must be in balance. The Yogis devised a way to achieve and maintain this equilibrium and it is done through exercise, breathing, and Meditation - the three major Yoga structures. In Yoga, the body is treated with think about and respect for it is the main tool in man's work and growth. Yoga Exercises improve circulation, rouse the abdominal organs, and put pressure on the glandular system of the body, which can generally result to better health. Breathing methods were developed based on the perception that breath is the source of life. In Yoga, students gain breathing control as they gradually increase their breathing. By focus on their breathing, they prepare their minds for the next step Meditation. There is a general delusion that in Meditation, your mind has to go blank. It doesn't have to be so. In Meditation, people bring the activities of the mind into focus resulting in a 'quiet' mind. By designing corporeal poses and Breathing Methods that develop consciousness of our body, Yoga helps us focus and relieves us from our everyday stress. Regular practice of yoga promotes strength, staying power, flexibility and facilitates individuality of friendliness, sympathy, and greater self-control, while cultivating a sense of calmness and well-being.[1,2] continued practice also leads to important outcomes such as changes in life viewpoint, self-awareness and an improved sense of energy to live life entirely and with genuine pleasure.[3-5] The practice of yoga produces a physiological state opposite to that of the flight-or-fight stress response and with that disruption in the strain response, a sense of balance and union between the mind and body can be achieved.[6,7]
REVIEW OF LITERATURE:
Yoga is famous for its calming and stimulating effects, but is also gaining appreciation for its mental health boosting abilities. The ancient body-bending practice kick-starts compound brain processes that make you feel like you can take on the world from side to side the power of inner peace.
Yoga in improving mental health
Yoga is a broad concept that uses dissimilar exercises as its method. It can act as the intonation of autonomic nervous tone and resulting reduction in understanding tone, activation of antagonistic neuromuscular systems, it increase relaxation (Riley, 2004) [9]. Yoga is well thought-out a mind-body exercise and the fundamental premise of mind-body workout is that the physiological state of the body may form sentiments, thoughts and attitudes (Monk-Turner & Turner, 2010) [10].
Effects of yoga to mental and physical health [8]:
The yoga effects on mental and physical health are numerous and the following are some of it. People, who exercise yoga, often report a sense of deep leisure, recreation, contentment, calm and pleasure energy and sleep quality (Pilkington et al., 2005) [11]. Yoga also improves hormone levels, immune response, cardiovascular health and respiratory functions (Pilkington et al., 2005) [11]. Yoga has positive effects on depression (Cramer et al., 2012; Ten Damme, 2013; Mehta et al., 2010; Pilkington et al., 2005; Uebelacker, Epstein-Lubow et al., 2010) [11-15]. It is also effective for relieving stress and anxiety conditions that impact physical and mental health conditions (Long, Huntley, & Ernst, 2001) [16]. Furthermore, have positive effects of yoga been seen on well-being and satisfaction with life (Impett, Daubenmier & Hirschman, 2006) [17].
BENEFITS OF REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE:
- Sympathetic Nervous System dominates
- Cortical areas of brain control
- Rapid powerful movements
- Improved muscle tension
- Higher risk of injury
- Reasonable to high caloric use
- Effort is maximized
- Fatiguing (breathing is taxed)
CONCLUSION:
In this paper we found that Yoga shares in common with mindfulness, the meditative or contemplative practice and emphasis on focused attention, improve physical fitness, reduced extraneous external stimulation, controlled breathing, and relaxation.
REFERENCES:
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Dr. Ajay Mohan1 Dr. Gurdeep Singh Bindra2
benefit which conditions? A survey of the opinions of 223 professional organizations. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 9 (3), 178-185. 17. Impett, E.A., Daubenmier, J.J., & Hirschman, L.A. (2006). Minding the Body: Yoga, Embodiment, and Well-Being. Journal of Sexuality Research & Social Policy, 3 (4), 39-48.
Web links:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC319365/ http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2012/165410/ http://www.healthline.com/health-news/yoga-may-improve-mental-health-012713 http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/beginnersguide/whatisyoga.asp