Yoga

Ashtanga yoga master Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois

Yoga has become one of the hottest fitness and spiritual practices here in the U.S., but in India, yoga’s country of origin, the face of yoga looks markedly different than what we are familiar with. For the month of June and July, I will be in Mysore, India, the hub of Ashtanga yoga, one of the oldest known forms of yoga that is still practiced with enthusiasm and dedication today. Although this is my second trip to the sacred country of India, these five weeks are different because I am here studying yoga with my family, just a few weeks following the death of Ashtanga master, Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois.

For the almost 200,000 American women who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer every year, yoga may offer respite and rejuvenation during their arduous journey with this most common form of cancer (excluding skin cancer).

A recent study from Duke University Medical Center suggested that when women with breast cancer engaged in yoga postures, meditation and breathing exercises for two months, they experienced less pain and fatigue and were significantly more relaxed.

Although this study was small, just 13 women who have advanced breast cancer,  it does provide the first, tentative evidence for yoga’s potential benefits in this vulnerable population of women with limited life expectancy, says lead author of the study,  Dr. James W. Carson.

Yoga is a wonderful alternative to traditional Western exercise routines. The many benefits have been well documented here at DietsInReview. Yet, there’s more. According to research presented this week at the 56th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in Seattle, people can breathe easier when they do yoga.

After 10 weeks of yoga, people with asthma found relief from their symptoms.

The study followed 20 people between 20 and 65. They were all beginners at yoga. The subjects did yoga with an instructor for an hour, twice a week. They were also asked to do a half-hour session at home each week.

Exercise can be an important part of mental health treatment. Often those experiencing difficulty with anxiety can benefit from regular cardiovascular exercise, which allows the opportunity for the body to learn recovery from arousal. On the other hand, yoga has been researched as a treatment for PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder. In two studies, the PTSD sufferers that were taught and practiced yoga experienced greater symptom reduction than those that were only a part of more traditional treatment.

Yoga is used as a relaxation technique because it focuses the mind and slows down the body. Simply learning to control your own breathing can allow you to feel more in control of yourself.

The benefits of yoga continue to stretch and now the advantages of down-dogging on sticky mats is reaching out to kids. In today’s fast-paced and information-overload society, most of us have a tough time focusing on one task for more than a few minutes and when it comes to the attention span of kids, they are no different.

In a study by Gaiam and California State University, researchers showed that kids who did yoga received better grades and had less disciplinary action taken against them in class.

Marsha Wenig, creator of the Gaiam YogaKids DVD program and the president of YogaKids International credits these results to the physical aspect of yoga since children learn best when they learn through movement. The postures of yoga help develop hand-eye coordination and motor skills at the same time as they produce the mind-stilling moments that have helped to give yoga the reputation of being a wondrous stress-reducer.

Today’s guest blogger is Tracy Connery from MommyOm, a wife, mother, writer and photographer.  Her days are taken in any number of directions, but a long-term relationship with her yoga mat has kept complete craziness at bay.  MommyOm is the best in all things yoga and meditation for parents from one mom’s expanding perspective.

The next time your day has spiraled out of control… demands of screaming children, looming deadlines, stacks of unpaid bills… rather than looking to the self-help section of the bookstore, or heading to the doctor for some kind of medicinal intervention, or worse, to the fridge for yet another peppermint patty… sweet, tingly, chocolate-y goodness … ahem… OK, perhaps that’s just me….

In these wallet-pinching times, most of us are examining our budgets and eliminating extra dollars spent on non-necessities like eating out, concert tickets or a new handbag. For those who practice yoga, rolling up their mats is not something they are going to part with despite the dismal economy.

For many who are devoted to this ancient practice, yoga is as much a needed part of their lifestyle as their automobile, cell phone or laptop. From its mind-calming effects to the physical benefits they derive from each practice, yoga classes have shown in some cities across the country to stay fairly immune to the turbulent waters of the rocky  economy.

According to Yoga Journal Magazine, subscriptions to their publication have stayed steady and attendance to their four annual conferences are full. With conference registrations costing more than $500 per person, there is something to say about where folks are willing to place their money these days.

In these hard economic times, most of us are forced to trim down our spending. From not eating out as frequently and to buying clothing only when its on sale, those of us impacted continue to devise creative ways to keep money in our pockets.

One aspect of lifestyle spending that some are not willing to go without are wellness activities like exercise and yoga. For devoted health enthusiasts, giving up their regular fitness routine is one of the last, if not the last,  item they can eliminate from their budget. Exercise in general has been shown to promote physical and mental health and mind-body activities like yoga have been linked to reduced stress levels, which for most of us right now, are flying sky-high.

But you don’t have to renege on your yoga studio membership during these hard times. Here are a couple of things to consider before throwing in the yoga mat so that you can still continue to appreciate the numerous benefits of yoga and not depreciate your bank account.

Kundalini yoga is a mysterious form of yoga that often gets misrepresented because of the inconsistent information that surrounds this spiritual practice.

Even though it is one of the oldest styles of yoga, Kundalini Yoga was never taught publicly until 1969 when Yogi Bhajan first brought the Kundalini practice to the United States. Today, Kundalini Yoga is practiced all over this country and throughout the world.

What is Kundalini Yoga?

Kundalini yoga’s mission is to awaken the dormant energy that resides in you. Tapping in to the body’s seven chakras, or energy portals, Kundalini combines its trademark, fire of breath with kriyas, or quick sequential movements, all with the intention of releasing the Kundalini energy within you.

Gwyneth Paltrow at the Bent on Learning charity event.

It is not just adults who are down-dogging these days, it is also kids. And kid’s yoga is proving to be a huge hit for these young yogis.

Bent on Learning is a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance physical, emotional and cognitive abilities in New York City-based school children through yoga. With support from yoga devotee Gwyneth Paltrow and Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Foundation, Bent on Learning is bringing yoga into select New York City public schools and also offering workshops to teachers to incorporate simple yoga techniques and mindfulness training into their teaching.

With the support of some of New York City’s most accomplished and passionate yoga instructors, Bent on Learning is holding weekly classes at select NYC schools. Each class teaches yoga postures, or asanas, breath work and meditation. The program is also aligned with New York state and national physical education standards.