Benefits of Yoga

During a Yoga Nature class we will be mainly focusing on three of Patanjali’s eight limbs of yoga. Patanjali developed the Yoga Sutras in approximately 400 BCE (but this date varies depending on whose research you are reading). The core of the Yoga Sutras is the Eight Fold Path (or ashtanga yoga – “ashta” means eight and “anga” means limbs so Eight Limbed Yoga) which provides a framework for all styles of yoga and yoga practice.

Scroll down for more info on the eight limbs. The three that we will be focusing on and their benefits follow:

Asanas (physical postures)

This limb of Patanjali is what most people recognise as yoga A set of physical exercises which stretch the body leading to increased flexibility, strength and stamina in body, mind and spirit. Asana enables a person to become attuned with the needs of the physical body, the mental and emotional mind and the needs of the spirit. With time the practice ends up being a meditation leading to self reflection and an increased awareness which then begins to bring harmony to the individual, the family, the community and eventually the wider world.

Make yoga your nature

Pranayama (breath control)

This is the limb where we learn to control the breath through the use of specific yoga breathing techniques including retention techniques at the top and at the bottom of the breath. Through linking the breath to the static, dynamic and flowing yoga postures and sequences we become aware of an increase of energy, cleansing and strengthening of the central nervous system and the mind becomes calmer and more focused. Through these pranayama techniques we become increasingly aware of the flow of prana (energy) in and out through the body.

Some benefits of pranayama:

• it helps to relieve stress and manages negative emotions so when in a stressful situation we can control ourselves, our emotions and the situation calmly;

• we learn how to use all the breathing apparatus, increasing lung capacity, bringing more oxygen supply to the body and mind;

• we develop concentration and focus;

• it teaches relaxation techniques which aid to develop stillness and peace of mind;

• breathing correctly reduces toxins and body wastes from within the body thereby minimising the onset of illnesses and disease;

• it saturates the blood stream with extra oxygen! Therefore keeping the brain healthy (the brain requires more oxygen than any other organ in the body)

• it also increases the release of an energy chemical called Adenosine Triphosphate (if not enough ATP is produced in the body the result is lowered vitality, disease and premature ageing);

• finally, it is the start of developing meditation and our own personal spiritual journey.

Dhyana (meditation)

Dhyana is the practice by which there is constant observation of the mind. Observing whether the mind is processing the past, is thinking about the future or, ideally, is experiencing the present moment. Through the constant observation of the mind a practitioner begins to sharpen the mind and concentration leading to a greater understanding of the self and also experiencing the unity of the universe.

Some benefits of Dhyana:

• meditation creates a unique hypo-metabolic state, in which the metabolism is in an even deeper state of rest than during sleep. During sleep, oxygen consumption drops by 8%, but during meditation it drops by 10 to 20%;

• meditation is the only activity that reduces blood lactate, a marker of stress and anxiety;

• the calming hormones melatonin and serotonin are increased by meditation, and the stress hormone cortisol is decreased;

• meditators secrete more of the youth-related hormone DHEA as they age than non-meditators. Meditating for 45 year old males has and average of 23% more DHEA than non meditators and meditating females have an average of 47% more. This helps decrease stress, heighten memory, preserve sexual function and control weight;

• meditation has a profound effect upon three key indicators of aging: hearing ability, blood pressure and vision of close objects;

• long-term meditators experience 80% less heart disease and 50% less cancer than non-meditators;

• 75% of insomniacs were able to sleep normally when they meditated

• 34% of people with chronic pain significantly reduced medication when they began meditating.

The Eight Limbs of Yoga

Even though we will be focusing on three of the limbs this does not mean that the remaining 5 will not also be developed and explored. The wonderful thing about yoga is that as you begin upon this amazing journey you will find that you naturally (it may be consciously or it may not) begin to follow the eight fold path.

The eight limbs of yoga provide a framework to guide a person to right living. The individual realises that (s)he does not function in isolation and does not exist on a physical plane only but that there are many different layers and symbiotic relationships all interplaying at any one time in universal consciousness. The eight limbs are:

1. Yamas
2. Niyamas
3. Asanas
4. Pranayama
5. Pratyahara
6. Dharana
7. Dhyana
8. Samadhi

In some yoga practices the eight limbs are followed rigidly in the order described above. However, when practicing Dru Yoga there is no hierarchical order to the eight limbs of yoga and they are not a to do list. Through Dru Yoga an individual can develop any one of the eight limbs of yoga at any time or can work on them simultaneously. The aim of them is to help the individual to yoke the different layers of his/her being together, leading to a recognition that everything is interconnected. Some more detail follows on each of the 5 limbs we have not discussed above:

Yamas (universal truths)

There are five yamas which describe our attitude towards things and people outside ourselves.

(i) Ahimsa (non-violence) – not doing harm to other sentient and non sentient beings. That our thoughts, words and actions are acts of kindness and compassion to both ourselves and other beings/things.
(ii) Satya (truthfulness) – living a truthful life that does not harm others. To the extent that if the truth were to cause more pain to someone then it is better to keep silent.
(iii) Asteya (non-stealing) – not taking anything that has not been freely given, this includes both the material and non-material. For example, not stealing peoples ideas or sharing information that has been given to you in confidence.
(iv) Brahmacharya (sense control) – moderation of the senses.
(v) Aparigraha (living a life free from greed) – taking only what is necessary, not being over possessive (i.e. in terms of both not having too many possessions and not trying to control people) and not exploiting others. Living a simple life within our means.

Niyamas (studying of the self)

There are five niyamas which describe our attitude and how we behave towards ourself.

(i) Sauca (cleanliness) – keeping both the body and the environment clean. Through practicing yoga, pranayama and meditation both the mind and the body are kept pure and clean.
(ii) Santosha (contentment) - being happy with what we have and our lifestyle even when things are difficult.
(iii) Tapas (austerity) – literally means to heat the body and therefore keep the body cleansed and fit. Forms of tapas include watching what we think, say, eat, breathing patterns and body posture.
(iv) Svadhyaya (sva = self + adhyaya = study/examination = self study) – getting to know yourself through self reflection or self examination.
(v) Isvarapranidhama (spiritual awareness) – taking the time to sit (preferably in nature) and appreciate the complexity and uniqueness of the earth we live upon.

Pratyahara (withdrawl of the senses)

Pratyahara means withdrawal of the senses from the attachment to external objects. By practicing asana, pranayama and meditation the practitioner becomes so inwardly focused that outside events/attachments are not a distraction anymore, leading to self-realisation and internal peace.

Dharana (concentration)

Dharana means developing a single pointed mind. A mind which does not jump from one thought or activity to the next. By practicing the steps described above a practitioner begins to develop dharana and thus a great peace begins to settle within and meditation can begin. Indeed by doing asana and pranayama a practitioners practice becomes a type of dharana where in certain moments it is possible to discover great stillness and concentration within an asana and breathing technique.

Samadhi (enlightenment)

Samadhi means to bring together or to merge which happens to be the ultimate aim of yoga. It is where a person is in complete harmony, there is no more jumping from one thing to the next and the person is not attached to emotions or external objects. An individual flows with life and what it brings knowing that even the most challenging situation contains some sort of development for the individual.