Yoga consists of a series of breathing, mental and physical exercises and postures

However there is much more to it then can be easily explained. The breathing and mental exercises as developed under the original ancient treatise of Maharishi Patanajali are termed pranayama while the physical postures are covered under yogasanas.

Combining both the postures and breathing exercises into a unified discipline is highly beneficial.

Practising yoga can also involve adopting specific sleep postures and eating simple and nutritious foods.

How Yoga works physically and mentally

Physical exercises are generally meant for the healthy. The sick and disabled cannot go to the gym. The Patanajali Yoga regimen, however, prescribes breathing exercises - the pranayama - which anybody can do even when lying on their bed.

We are all aware about a cardiologist's advice to a heart patient to avoid stress. Reducing stress is key to your well being, according to the principles of Yoga.

Central to pranayama is the act of breathing that keeps a life form going. Prana loosely means 'life force energy' and yama is its 'control or mastery'. It is through various techniques of pranayama or breathing exercises combined with the body postures (the physical exercises) and internal cleansing (through the correct intake of food and even fasting)that one can achieve absolute balance with nature - the mind, body and the spirit become one with nature, which is yoga.

Modern yoga does not put emphasis on the complete discipline of internal cleansing except the simplicity of food which should be nearest to its natural form - refinement and overprocessing improve taste at the expense of quality of nutrients.

Pranayama itself is a great cleanser - it detoxifies the physical system through a series of rhythmic inhalations and exhalations. While normal exchange of carbon dioxide with oxygen keeps the life force going, its intensive practice has medicinal effect.

Ayurveda - a traditional medicine

It is important to mention that the traditional system of medicine, that is ayurveda, which draws its raw material chiefly from herbs is about prescription of food in its concentrated and intensive form - i.e. the nutrients that we get from cabbage are made available in their larger quantity and concentrated form from a herb, which then acts as medicine. The herb eaten by even a healthy person will not give any adverse effects.

Ayurveda does not prescribe the extraction of active ingredients to address a particular physical disorder as in modern medicines, but the source of the set of active ingredients to serve the purpose. That takes away the risk of side effects, which is a common phenomenon in the system of modern medicine.

Controlling Breathing With Yoga >>