We are going to present the translation of an extremely interesting article by American doctor Timothy Mc Call. As we know, Yoga techniques have been the subject of multiple experiments aimed at corroborating their incidence on the nervous system, the heart rate and its capacity to generate a beneficial state in the cure of various ailments. Its potential to change depressive moods into stronger ones. The reality is that in all areas, it produces a considerable improvement not only in health, but often even changes the way people live. Of all is known the exploits that certain yogis perform by burying themselves underground and remaining hibernated with vital signs to a minimum for days. Or the way meditation affects the brain, showing drastic changes in electroencephalographic waves. But all this is left in a laboratory and it is difficult for someone who has normal yogi qualities to feel or do it. We really want to know how the practice of Yoga beneficially affects. With quantifiable results and above all affordable to practitioners ..
Through his personal experience as a person suffering from a nervous illness and his studies and learning with the best doctors in medicine and yoga of India, Timothy Mc Call presents us in a very practical way, 38 reasons why we will either feel Happy to enter into this discipline, or if we are curious we will venture to begin it. This is what he found.
1.- General flexibility
Improving flexibility is one of the first clearest benefits in practice to Yoga. During the first class, you probably will not be able to touch the tips of the feet with your hands, let alone make arcs back. But if one puts it into action, one will notice a gradual loosening, and eventually, some postures that seemed impossible, will be possible at last. the disappearance of pain and tension will also be noticeable. That is not a coincidence. Tight hips can constrict the knee joint due to improper alignment of the femur in the thigh with the shins. Tense hamstring muscles can lead to unnatural flattening of the lumbar spine, which can cause pain. And inflexibility in muscles and connective tissues, such as fascia (wrapping of muscle bundles) and ligaments, can cause deforming posture.
2.- Force Test
Strong muscles do more than look good. They also protect us from ailments like arthritis and back pain and help prevent falls in the elderly. And when you have gained strength through Yoga, it is balanced with flexibility. In the event that you go to a gym to lift weights with the intention of "muscle building", you will achieve strength at the expense of flexibility.
3.- Head in Line
Your head is like a bowling ball, big, round and heavy. When it is well balanced, directly on an erect spine, the muscles of the neck and back use much less effort to support it. Move a few millimeters forward, however, and you will begin to feel a tension in those muscles. Keep that heavy billiard ball down for twelve hours and you will not be surprised to feel fatigued. And fatigue is not just the only problem. Poor posture can cause injuries and ailments in the neck, back, other muscles and joints. As the head collapses, the body can compensate by flattening the normal curve of the neck and lower back. This can cause degenerative pain and arthritis in the spine.
4.- The joints are fed
Each time Yoga is practiced, the joints are carried to a full range of motion. This can help prevent degenerative arthritis and mitigate this condition through the "sponge effect" of areas of cartilage that are not normally used. The cartilage of the joints is like a sponge; Receives fresh nutrients only when the fluids are "chopped" and a new supply is "absorbed" by them. Without proper maintenance, the abandoned areas of the cartilage can eventually become fatigued, exposing the bone below to become a kind of "worn brake shoes."
5.- Nourished backbone
The vertebral discs, absorbers of trauma between the vertebrae, can be herniated and compress nerves, they "adore" the movement. This is the only way they can get their nutrients. If you work a good and equlibrada batch of openings and folds, both forward and backward, combined with twisting, that will help provide food and keep the vertebrae loose and healthy.
6.- Improve Bone Mass
It is well documented that weight-bearing exercises strengthen bones and prevent or even eliminate osteoporosis. Many Yoga postures require one to lift one's own weight, and hold it partially in different joints. Some like the Dog Head Down or the Dog
Head up greatly strengthen the arms and shoulders that are very susceptible to fractures due to osteoporosis. In an unpublished study from California State University, Los Angeles, it was shown that the practice of Yoga intensified the density of vertebrate bones. Yoga's ability to lower stress hormone levels, cortisol (see number 11) can help preserve calcium in bones.
7.- Improvement of Circulation
Yoga causes blood to flow. More specifically, relaxation exercises that are learned in Yoga can help the circulation, especially of the feet and hands. Yoga carries more oxygen to the cells, which work with better results. Torsion postures are designed to "drain" venous blood from internal organs and allow oxygenated blood to flow toward them when the posture is released. Inverted postures, such as Inversion on the Hands, Head or Shoulders (The Candle for example), urge the venous blood from the hips and legs to flow into the heart from where it is released into the lungs to be oxygenated And refreshed. This is very helpful if you suffer from swelling in your legs due to heart or kidney problems. Yoga also improves levels of hemoglobin and red cells, which carry oxygen to tissues. In addition, it thins the blood making the platelets are less sticky and cutting the level of coagulating proteins in the blood. This helps to decrease the incidence of heart attacks and heart attacks, since the clots are often the cause of them.
8.- Lymph flows
When the muscles are contracted and stretched, the surrounding organs move, and when entering and leaving the Yoga postures, the lymph drainage (a viscous fluid rich in immune cells) is increased. This helps the lymphatic system to fight off infections, destroy cancer cells and get rid of waste products that deerivan the cells functioning.
9.- Heart to point
When you take heart rhythms regularly when performing aerobic exercises, they are found to be good for decreasing the risk of heart attack and relieving depressions. We already know that not all Yoga is aerobic, but if it is performed vigorously, by moving Yoga, or chained asanas, (for example the Ashtanga Yoga type), you can train the heart to strengthen within a constant aerobic. But even if this increase in aerobic effort was not made, and it was quieter, what happens often in Yoga, asanas and breathing exercises can increase the improvement of cardiovascular conditions. Studies have shown that yoga practice lowers the heartbeat at rest, increases its strength and increases its potential for oxygen supply during exercise, which shows that it is enormously beneficial even if you are practicing a sport. Another study has also found that subjects who practiced Pranayama (Yoga breathing techniques) were able to perform more exercise with less oxygen supply.
10.- Lowering of Blood Pressure
If you have high blood pressure you can benefit greatly from the practice of Yoga. Two studies of people with hypertension, published in the British medical journal The Lancet, compared the effects of the Savasana posture (Conscious Deep Relaxation posture) with the act of lying down on a couch. After three months, Savasana was associated with 26 drop points in the systolic pressure (the high numbering) and 15 points of decrease in the diastolic pressure (the low) and the higher the initial "high" pressure, the decrease was more accused.
11.-Decrease of the level of Cortisol (stress hormone)
Yoga lowers the level of cortisol. If that does not sound like a big deal, think about it. Normally, the adrenal glands secrete cortisol in response to an acute crisis, which temporarily depresses the immune system. If cortisol levels remain high even after the crisis has passed, they can compromise the immune system. Temporally, cortisol "kicks" help keep long-term memory strong, but high levels of cortisol chronically weaken memory and can cause permanent changes in the brain. In addition, high cortisol levels are related to depression, osteoporosis (it extracts calcium and other minerals from the bones and interferes with their absorption), high blood pressure and insulin resistance. In rats, high cortisol levels lead to what researchers call "compulsive food-seeking behavior (the same thing you feel when you are depressed, angry, or stressed). The body takes those extra calories and distributes them as fat in the abdomen, contributing to gain weight with risk of diabetes and a heart attack.
12. It is the happy hour
You feel sad?. Sit in the lotus posture. Even better. You get up and stretch yourself a bow back or you put yourself in aristocratic posture of the Dancing King. Well ... although it is not as simple as that, one study has found that consistent Yoga practice improved depressive states and produced a significant increase in the level of serotonin and a decrease in levels of monoamine oxidase (an enzyme that negates neurotransmitters) And cortisol. At the University of Wisconsin, Richard Dadivson, MD, found that the left prefrontal cortex increased its activity in meditators, an encounter that has been correlated with higher levels of happiness and improved immune system function. Positive side effects have been observed in veteran practitioners.
13.- Question of weight
Move more and eat less. This is the adage of anyone who diets. Yoga can help on both fronts. A regular practice sets you in motion and helps you burn calories, and the spiritual and emotional dimensions of your practice can encourage you to eat less and regulate weight problems at a deeper level. Yoga can also inspire you to become more conscious in eating habits.
14.-Low Enemy Indexes (sugar, cholesterol ..etc ..)
Yoga reduces the level of sugar in the blood and LDL ("bad" cholesterol) and increases HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. It has been found that in people with diabetes who practice yoga, the sugar level has decreased in several ways: Reducing cortisol and adrenaline, promoting weight loss and improving sensitivity to the effects of insulin. Lowering sugar levels will reduce the risk of complications such as heart attack, kidney failure and blindness.
15.- Brain waves
An important component of Yoga is focusing on oneself in the present. Studies have found that regular practice improves coordination, reaction time, memory and even IQ levels. People who practice Transcendental Meditation have demonstrated a greater ability to solve problems and gather and recall information, probably because they are less distracted by their thoughts which they can disturb over and over again like an endless tape.
15.- Nervous Centers
Yoga stimulates relaxation, slows breathing and focuses on the present by harmonizing the balance between the sympathetic nervous system (the fleeing or fighting response), and the parasympathetic nervous system. The latter is soothing and restorative; Herbert Benson, Ph.D., in Medicine, calls the relaxation response. "It's not just a matter of time," Dr. Herbert Benson said.
16.- Nerve centers
Yoga stimulates relaxation, slows breathing and focuses on the present by harmonizing the balance between the sympathetic nervous system (the fleeing or fighting response), and the parasympathetic nervous system. The latter is soothing and restorative; Herbert Benson, Ph.D., in Medicine, calls the relaxation response. "It's not just a matter of time," Dr. Herbert Benson said.
17.- Equilibrium and Space Management
Regular yoga practice increases proprioception (the ability to sense what the body is doing and how it is located in space) and improves physical balance. People who have poor postures or dysfunctional movement patterns usually have a very poor sense of proprioception, which is linked to knee problems and back pain. An improvement in the balance could mean fewer falls. For older people, this translates into more independence and delay to assume the need to go to a nursing home and even have no need to go to any. For the rest of us, postures, such as The Tree can make us feel less enclenque.
18.- Control over the Neuralgic Centers
Some advanced yogis can control their bodies in extraordinary ways, many of which are directed by the nervous system. Scientists have monitored yogis who could induce themselves unusual heart rhythms, generate specific brain wave patterns and using meditation technique, raise the temperature of their hands to 15 degrees F. Only they can use Yoga to do that, perhaps We might learn to improve blood flow to the pelvis if a woman is trying to become pregnant or induce relaxation when she has insomnia problems.
19.- Release the muscles
Have you ever been aware of the deadly strain with which you hold the telephone handset or the steering wheel of the car, or how we constricted the face when we looked at the computer screen? These unconscious habits can lead to chronic tension, muscle fatigue, painful tenderness in the wrists, arms, shoulders, neck and face, which can increase stress and worsen mood. As you practice Yoga, you begin to realize where you keep the tensions: It can be on the tongue, the eyes, the muscles of the face and the neck. If you simply put one in touch with them, you can release tension from the tongue and eyes. With larger muscles such as quadriceps, trapezius or buttocks it may take a year of practice to learn how to release them.
20.- Restoration and Rest
Stimulation is good, but much attacks the nervous system. Yoga can provide help to mitigate the hysterical bustle of modern life.
The restorative asanas, Yoga Nidra (a form of guided relaxation), Savasana (posture of Deep Conscious Relaxation), pranayama (breathing techniques of Yoga), meditation that protects us from external stimuli, bringing the senses towards the "inside", Are "tools" that help us in our nervous system. Another "product", generated by the daily practice of Yoga in an improved sleep, which means, feeling less tired and less likely to suffer accidents.
21.- Immune System
Asanas (postures) and Pranayama (breathing techniques) probably improve the function of the immune system, but so far, it is meditation that takes the palm for the strongest credibility in the scientific field. It appears to have a beneficial effect on the immune system, enhancing it when necessary (eg raising antibody levels in response to vaccines) and lowering it when necessary (eg, mitigating inappropriate and aggressive immune function in autoimmune disease , As is psoriasis)
22.- Respiratory Capacity
Yogis tend to take fewer breaths with greater volume, which is calming and more efficient. In 1998, a study published in The Lancet, showed a breath known as (complete breathing) to people who had lung problems due to congestive heart failure. After one month, his average percentage of respiration dropped from 13.4 breaths per minute to 7.6. Meanwhile, his exercise capacity increased significantly, as did the saturation of oxygen in his blood. In sum, Yoga has shown us that it serves to improve in many ways, respiratory function, including maximum breath volume and exhaling efficiency. Yoga also promotes breath through the nose, which filters the air, warms it (cold air is considered a trigger for asthma attacks in people who are sensitive), and humidifies it, removing pollen and dirt and other Things that can penetrate the lungs.
23.- Anti-Constipation
Ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome and constipation are conditions that can be exacerbated by stress. So if you stress less, you will suffer less. Yoga, like any other physical exercise, can alleviate constipation, and theoretically reduce the risk of colon cancer, because by moving the body it facilitates faster transportation of food and waste products through the bowels. And although it has not been studied scientifically, yogis believe that torsion postures help to move waste in a fluid way.
24.- Peace of mind
Yoga "amansa" the fluctuations of the mind according to the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali. In other words, it reduces the vicious circles of thoughts about frustration, lamentation, anger, fear and desire, which cause stress.
25.- Improving self-esteem
Many of us suffer from chronic lack of self-esteem. If this is handled negatively (taking drugs, overeating, overworking, sleeping badly), you can pay a price with a depreciation of health in the physical, mental and spiritual. If these feelings are taken from a positive point of view and Yoga is practiced, it will be perceived in principle, as in a brief flash and later, in a broader view, that while you are in it, just as the Yoga philosophy Teach, you are a manifestation of the Divine. If you practice regularly with the intention of self-examination and improvement, (not just as a substitute for the aerobic class, you will have access to a different aspect of yourself.) You will experience feelings of gratitude, empathy and forgiveness, as well as Feeling of belonging to something greater.Although health is not a goal of spirituality, it is often a product of it, which has been documented by repeated scientific studies.
26.- Relief of Pain
Yoga can relieve pain. According to several studies, asanas (postures), Pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation or a combination of the three, reduce pain in people with arthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome and other chronic ailments . When you relieve pain, your mood improves, you are more willing to be active and you do not need so much medication.
27.- Treatment of the "Heat"
Yoga can help you make many changes in your life. In fact, that could be considered its greatest potential. Tapas, the Sanskrit word for "heat" is fire. The discipline that fuels the practice of Yoga and what that regular practice builds. The Tapas that you develop can be extended to the rest of your life, to overcome the inertia and to change the dysfunctional habits. You can discover that you can change things, without making a particular effort. You can start eating better, getting reactivated in physical exercise, or finally quitting after years of failed attempts.
28.- The Gifts of the Master
Good yoga teachers can do wonders with your health. The exceptional ones do more than guide you through the postures. They can adjust them, instruct you when to deepen them, or teach you to face a personal truth, or to fill you with love and compassion for yourself. They can help you relax and empower and personalize your practice. A respectful relationship with the Yoga teacher takes us very far in promoting good health.
