Last month we looked at meditation as part of our holistic wellness series, this month let’s consider the practice of yoga. Like meditation, it can be an absolutely life-changing component in the search for wellbeing at any age.
Yoga has been a part of my life since I started to practice with my mum on the lounge floor of our home in very rural New Zealand. It has been with me ever since. It has been a journey, from not really practicing at all in my teens, coming back to it in my twenties, pushing the physical side of the practice, examining the deeper aspects of yoga, becoming a yoga teacher, focusing further on a meditative and therapeutic practice. Now in my mid-forties, the practice is far more about the breath, a connection of mind and body, a way of life, a constant teacher. Things you learn on the mat can be interrelated to profound life lessons. I no longer care about putting my foot behind my head, there are far more important aspects!
Yoga is much more vast, far-reaching and inclusive than the young, lycra wearing model in an ‘advanced’ pose we see on the cover of a magazine or on Instagram. The physical poses in yoga are just one aspect of a much larger practice.
The word yoga is from Sanskrit yuj, which means to yoke or bind and is usually interpreted as union between body, mind, and spirit. In 200 AD, Indian Sage Patanjali put together the yoga sutra’s. This outlines the ‘eight limbs’ of the path of yoga, or what can be seen as guidelines for living a meaningful and purposeful life.
In brief the eight limbs are:
Yama– universal morality – ethical standards
Niyama – self-discipline and spiritual observances
Asanas – the physical body postures
Pranayama – breathing control (we will look at this next month in depth)
Pratyahara – control of the senses, withdrawing
Dharana – concentration and cultivating inner perceptual awareness
Dhyana – meditation or contemplation, meditation on the divine
Samadhi – union with the divine
The physical practice of yoga, the asana, is a wonderful place to start. We are so lucky in Brooklyn–there are probably 5-6 yoga studios within walking distance of my apartment! There are also many great classes on line for free or a small fee. The important thing is to find a teacher you like. Devote the time – go to different teachers and different studios until you find ‘your people’, or someone you feel is speaking to you.
Developing a yoga practice has a great many health benefits, including releasing tight muscles and tension, increasing flexibility, strengthening muscles, strengthening bones, improving balance, increasing blood flow, improving posture, alleviating back pain, improving immune system by working the lymph nodes, lowering blood pressure, regulating adrenal glands, aiding lung health, improving sleep, helping with stress and digestive issues, and much more!
Because of the wide range of benefits, it is fantastic for any gender or age and can be particularly wonderful for seniors.
In my treatments and workshops, I generally use yoga as part of a holistic construct. Because my focus is often on stress and anxiety relief, the poses are often restorative, or therapeutic, for particular parts of the body.
So, my advice? Find a class this week and start! And let me know how you get on, I would love to hear.
Brogan Ganley is a Mindfulness and Meditation teacher, Urban Zen Integrative Therapist, Reiki Master and Yoga teacher. She works with both adults and children, specializing in stress and anxiety relief as well as chronic illness support. Brogan works in schools, hospitals, and private practice.