Yoga as part of preventive and therapeutic goals

Yoga is a very old discipline. We find the first material evidence of the existence of yoga in the ancient civilization of the Indus Valley, which reached its greatest rise 3000 years before our era. In archaeological excavations, numerous clay male figures depicting a man in various yoga positions have been found in two of the sixty cities excavated to date in this valley.

The most famous written mention of yoga is found in the Upanishads which are ancient Indian scriptures. In the oldest Upanishad - Kathopanishad, the most famous description is where man is compared: the human body to a chariot, the senses to the horses (which drive the chariot), the intelligence to the charioteer (of the chariot), the mind to the reins, and the Self to the passenger who is lead in this carriage. When the self is confused by the body, mind and senses, it enjoys pleasures and sufferings. However, the first most complete work on yoga was written by Pantajali in the 2nd century BC.

Although yoga as a discipline in its original form was intended for spiritual development and liberation, its therapeutic and preventive properties first began to be discovered in the West fifty years ago.

Today, yoga is practiced all over the world, and its therapeutic properties are known in scientific institutions, not only in the West, but also in the countries of Eastern Europe.

We will only mention the big institutes in Europe

– In Great Britain: "yoga biochemical trust", which was founded by doctor Robin Monroe in 1983 in London
- In Germany, the therapeutic properties of yoga have been researched for the last thirty years at the Foundation for Holistic Medicine - "Weg Der Mitte", founded in 1977 in Berlin.
– Let's mention that in Germany, a large number of insurance companies reimburse part of the costs of their clients for training in yoga courses. (75,000 euros are allocated annually).

In the United States, yoga has experienced the greatest growth, and here we will mention only some of the institutions that apply it in preventive and therapeutic purposes:

- "Institute for Preventive Medicine Research", director - cardiologist Dr. Dean Ornish
- "Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy" - founder and director Dr. Michael Lee
- "American Institute of Viniyoga" - director Mr. Gary Kransuv
- "The International Association of Yoga Therapists", dir. Mr. John Capper.

The system of yoga exercises, used for preventive and therapeutic purposes, consists of yoga positions – Asanas, breathing techniques – Pranayama and deep yogic relaxation technique – Yoga Nidra.

Yoga positions work on the musculature of the body. It stretches strong muscles and strengthens weak muscles. This is the secret of elasticity, which consists of stretching relaxed muscles under the influence of light and gradual stretching. Such tightening of the previously relaxed muscles under the action of light gradual withdrawals explains why asanas or body positions are better than gymnastics.
The muscle stretches more and better when it is relaxed. A sudden stretch of a muscle that is not relaxed can traumatize the tissues and cause twisting or tearing of the muscle fibers. Easy, gradual, and continuous stretching of the relaxed muscle, on the contrary, entails a whole series of favorable effects, and the first is that the blood, especially the venous (venous blood), is squeezed out. Venous circulation does not depend on heart impulses, but on alternating contraction and relaxation of the muscles, which pushes the blood towards the heart by pressing on the veins. Only by stretching does the muscle thoroughly empty. Once this stops, the muscle regains its normal size and increases the supply of fresh blood, which nourishes the body/muscle. Each such stretch increases the limit of normal elasticity of the body and muscles and thus the body gains increased elasticity.

The way yoga asanas work on the body, for example in the forward and backward bending positions is as follows.

Lower body stretching stimulates the work of the pelvic sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, which is reflected in the function of the abdominal organs. There is an easy separation of the vertebrae of the spinal column, so the nerves are freed. Increased muscle stretch pushes blood out of the spine which when returned to normal position leads to greater blood flow and increases the flow of energy through the spine. The muscles and ligaments of the legs are also stretched.

Bending the body backwards it strengthens the pelvic area and brings a greater amount of blood to the parasympathetic in the lower part of the spine, which is done by a strong contraction of the muscles in that part of the body. An intense deep massage stimulates the work of the kidneys and facilitates the urination process. The entire digestive tract and its glands are toned, stimulated and strengthened.

Alternate tightening and stretching the peristalsis of the stomach affects the motility of the intestines. Increasing pressure on the organs in the stomach decongests the liver, which with deep yogic breathing is also slightly massaged and the blood flow in the entire stomach tract increases. By increasing the elasticity, the kyphosis is corrected and the static of the chest, which develops with this disease, is prevented.

The current information on the proven effects of yoga can be divided into three categories: physiological, psychological and biochemical positive effects – achieved by regular practice of the traditional system of asana-yoga position, pranayama-technique

Yoga is the foundation upon which lies vitality and youth. They say you're only as young as your spine.

So if you want to feel young or vital, let's start exercising your vitality and youth with easy hatha yoga exercises with me.

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