Yoga as exercise and alternative medicine
Yoga as exercise or alternative medicine primarily involves hatha yoga, which focuses on physical postures. Modified versions of the physical exercises in hathayoga have become popular as a kind of low-impact physical exercise, and are used for therapeutic purposes. "Yoga" in this sense and in common parlance refers primarily to the asanas but less commonly to pranayama. Aspects of meditation are sometimes included.
Both the meditative and the exercise components of yoga show promise for non-specific health benefits. According to an article in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, the system of hatha yoga believes that prana, or healing "life energy" is absorbed into the body through the breath, and can treat a wide variety of illnesses and complaints.
Yoga has been studied as an intervention for many conditions, including back pain, stress, and depression.
A survey released in December 2008 by the US National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that yoga was the sixth most commonly used alternative therapy in the United States during 2007, with 6.1 percent of the population participating.
Physical aspects of yoga
Hatha yoga has become popular in the West in the last two decades, and this has resulted in a heightened profile for the physical aspect of yoga. The therapeutic benefits of yoga have been discussed by van der Kolk, who explains that because regulation of physical movement is a fundamental priority of the nervous system, focusing on and developing an awareness of physical movement allows for the mind and body to connect and be in better sync.
This is beneficial for humans, especially those suffering from psychological conditions such as depression and PTSD (the focus of van der Kolk’s work) because the connectedness of mind and body allow for feelings of control and understanding of their "inner sensations" and state of being.
The physical benefits of yoga are linked to the release of β-endorphins and the shift caused in neurotransmitter levels linked to emotions such as dopamine and serotonin. These benefits are most likely in high-intensity practices of yoga. Lower-intensity yoga practices, which includes a majority of yoga, typically spark the "relaxation response" as defined by Dr. Herbert Benson. This response is typified by a "physiological de-activation" of tenseness and control over one’s body. Benson related this release of control to the implicit dominance of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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