Taste of Yoga
(Experiencing the Essence of Yoga)
For many people, Yoga is synonymous with physical exercise. Health professionals recommend Yoga as a salubrious exercise option, alike of walking, swimming, moderate jogging, gym training and other activities. The medical definition of exercise is a physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive for the purpose of conditioning any part of the body to improve health.
One can see how according to this definition, the Asana (physical posture) portion of Yoga conveniently seems to fall under the “exercise” category and thus gained popularity as a fitness regimen. Most people are still unaware Yoga is not comprised only of Asana practices but is an integral practice of physical, breathing and meditative aspects to balance the body, mind and emotion. Yoga is not exercise. It is so much more.
The difference in the understanding of health between conventional medicine and Yogic science is at the core of how Yoga is misperceived by the world. Simply stated, modern medicine’s narrow definition of health, an illness and injury free body, is fundamentally different from Yoga’s broader and inclusive understanding of health, emphasizing the intrinsic connection and balance between the mind, body and emotions.
Exercise strengthens the body whereas Yoga embraces the connection between the individuals’ inner and outer worlds to achieve overall and sustainable wellbeing. As a result of the commonly accepted view that only physical exercise could build a strong body, Yoga has been reduced to mere exercise and not the holistic lifestyle that it was intended to be. To taste the full benefits of Yoga, practitioners have to understand the difference between exercise and yogic principle.
There are some physical benefits to exercise such as keeping fit, active and mental positivity but it cannot replace the more lasting and complete benefits of Yoga. Physiologically, exercise stimulates the sympathetic nervous system which is associated with the fight-or-flight mode and the body expends energy because catabolic metabolism is triggered. Exercise burns fat and calories so one loses weight but prone to fatigue as a result.
Kukkutasana or rooster pose
Most exercise tends to build short, bulked and hard muscles which requires more calories to sustain. Often people who do strenuous exercise experience an increased appetite as a result and get into the habit of consuming more food. This may cause weight increase when exercise is not done. An overall level of fitness is a prerequisite to engaging in strenuous exercises because it puts more stress on the heart and respiratory system and may increase risks of injuries and therefore it excludes those who are physically challenged from participating.
Practices of Yoga, on the other hand, stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system which has the opposite effect to exercise. It relaxes the body and mind and inhibits or slows high energy functions thus conserving energy through anabolic metabolism and promotes a self-healing state of the body. Strenuous exercise leaves you tired whereas integrative yoga gives you energy and focus to engage in your daily life in an optimal state.
Unlike exercise, Asana practices of Yoga promote long, lean and elastic muscles which allow flexibility and ease of movement. Because Yoga is energy conserving, the practitioner naturally begins to require less food and focuses more on the quality of what is consumed, thus naturally achieving his or her optimal weight in a sustainable manner. As opposed to exercise, Yoga practices can be engaged by people of all levels of physical fitness and aptitudes because practices can be adjusted to meet the individual needs, therefore Yoga is for people of all ages and conditions and can be practiced lifelong.
To reap the benefits of Yoga, practices must be done with awareness, focus and in sync with the breath. Otherwise, Yoga will be reduced to the same energy expending process as exercise. The devolution of Yoga into exercise is a phenomenon which could be attributed to several factors. As mentioned earlier, the common perception that only exercise can benefit the body has fueled the deception that Yoga is only Asana. It also was propagated by the business minded health club industry because Asana could be easily incorporated into their program along with other exercise classes such as aerobics and Pilatus classes. Because Asana practices were taught as exercise, students misunderstood yoga to be as such. Some teachers ignorantly taught difficult, irrelevant and outdated asanas to students which contributed to creating an asana centered practice. Yoga postures should be incorporated according to the current need and relevance of an individual or society. There is a huge difference between ancient and present lifestyle and the need of an individual.
Mayurasana or peacock pose.
For example, in ancient India among yogis living in jungles, the peacock pose was thought to ward off effects of poison because peacocks were said to be invincible to venom. This myth is obviously no longer useful in our modern lifestyle, but the posture is still taught in classes. There is no harm in trying this difficult arm balancing pose or even the occasional headstand for fun under the supervision of a teacher, but it must be understood that they are not necessary practices to gain the benefits of yoga.
More often than not, difficult postures are sources of injury, then people quit the practice all together. Yoga teaches us to bring our awareness inward during practices, but instead, practitioners became more focused on achieving challenging postures and became competitive among themselves.
Exercise is a competitive endeavor whereas Yoga is intended as a non-competitive, self-searching journey. Some people exercise to achieve a bikini or a six-pack body they saw in a magazine. Others want to become better at their sport such as to swim or run faster or do technically harder gymnastic moves. Naturally, the purpose of exercise becomes goal-oriented rather than process-oriented. This often results in pushing the body too much, leading to exhaustion and injuries and leaving you stressed and disappointed if goals are not achieved. Frustration, fatigue and injuries should not be the outcome of what was intended to be health promoting activities.
Purvottanasana or upward plank pose
Yoga is a process-oriented practice where the emphasis is placed on the awareness of one’s body, mind and emotions. All practices promote maintaining a healing body, preventing diseases and being in a calm and alert mental state to face any challenges. Sustainable weight control, mindful eating habits, mental stability and harmonious relationships with others are the natural and positive side effects of practicing Yoga, not the goal. Yoga is a process of self-evolution. Not a goal-oriented game.
A taste of the benefits of Yoga is within your reach. Have the discipline to commit to regular asana, pranayama and meditation practices and beware of the trappings of Yoga as exercise. Only you know what your intentions are when you practice. Yoga is inclusive, non-competitive, holistic and helps you unleash your potentials. Yoga is a lifestyle with transformative effects if you let it.
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