Yoga: letting go for full body flow
Yoga has burst onto the scenes recently as the latest craze and the streets of Manhattan are abound by people wearing the flashiest Lycra like it is some sort of status symbol. What is it that has led to this hype, and is it really hype at all!?
I have to admit, I didn’t get it before. As an ex-City Banker with a hectic corporate lifestyle, the stress hormone cortisol was my main fuel. I was wound up like a tightly sprung spring, ready to unleash at any moment. In fact, a friend used to call me ‘Sprang’ (a modification of my surname Spragg) and it now seems more fitting than ever! I was doing 80 hour work weeks in a well-known Investment Bank, pre-credit crunch, in the one-square mile City of London whilst studying for my professional stage ACA accountancy exams; some of the hardest exams you can ever take. So when I tried yoga the first time, I didn’t get it. It just didn’t work! My downward dogs were more like downward digs in the ribs, just painful, and I felt like I was bending over backwards to get into my bridge pose. I just couldn’t understand it.
About 10 years on, and a whole lot more life experience, I have come to a new stage in my journey where I am truly able to prioritise my health and well-being. Reducing the stress has been a long and slow process but setting myself free financially and spiritually has been a major part of it. So as I find myself in this new space and finally, with more time for me, I have come to understand yoga on a different level; in fact yoga has helped me to unravel the stress-head I became.
It was only a couple of years ago when I was living in New York that I rediscovered yoga; I guess along with many other people at that time! I went to the free bi-weekly classes held over the summer in Bryant Park on Manhattan; one of my favourite and most meaningful places in the world. In a much less hectic life by then (yes, less hectic and living in New York!), I was able to see it for what it really is and have now discovered the side of it that gave me the ‘aha’ moment I was looking for…
In order to truly benefit from yoga, you’ve got to relax into it, and I mean really let go. Undoubtedly, this is one of the best things about yoga; by letting go, you experience a whole host of other advantages too. So what are they and why the heck would anyone want to make like a tree and stand on one leg with their arms akimbo anyway!?
There are two broad benefits of yoga; the direct impact of physical movement and the indirect impact on the body’s internal environment.
Direct benefits
Relaxation, breathing and stress relief
In our always switched-on, super busy lifestyles, an obvious benefit is the relaxation and stress relief that yoga can bring. There are different forms of yoga and some will be more relaxing than others, such as yoga Nidra, in which you lie on your back on the floor and attempt (ahem!) to stay awake and maintain awareness.
There is a specific pattern of inhale and exhale as you move your body in yoga. Many yogic positions or movements are anatomically designed to coordinate with the opening up of your lungs or expelling air. A great example of this is the cat (breathe out) and cow (breathe in) positions. These are often combined in Vinyassa flow yoga, to form a sequence. In this, each pose is taken at a considered pace as you breathe in and out, which helps to control the breath and subsequently has a relaxing effect on the human body.
Conscious, slow, full and deep breathing can increase lung capacity, or usage, positively impacting oxygen intake, cardio stamina and general physical health.
The cumulative effect of this is stress relief through reduced cortisol level and lowered blood pressure, thereby improving mental health, including anxiety, and sleep.
Stretch, strength and proprioception
Another clear benefit of yoga is the stretching of muscles, which results from assimilating the various positions. Stretching muscles (and therefore ligaments and tendons) improves joint range and flexibility. It also strengthens muscles by causing slight tears that later repair forming stronger, more aligned and therefore more efficient ones. This is especially important as age progresses, thereby maintaining strength and range of movement and preventing injury.
Yoga provides a more gentle work-out in comparison to cardio exercises like running. This makes it accessible to all levels of age, fitness and flexibility. The emphasis is on moving the body, and yoga is extremely beneficial in working parts that are less often used. With perseverance of practising yoga every other day for only 7 months, my forward fold has gone from barely being able to reach my calves to being able to put the palms of my hands on the soles of my feet whilst my legs are outstretched. I’ve still got a way to go to get my head on my knees, but anyone can become more flexible with practice.
Activating all muscles through a full body yoga session helps the body develop stronger proprioception; the body’s subconscious awareness of the position and movement of the body. This aids alignment, posture and balance, and help to avoid injury. For example, yoga can help strengthen hip flexors in the elderly where they may have atrophied through insufficient use, thereby preventing hip pain and fractures.
Massage and intestinal manipulation
One lesser considered benefit is that yoga is a form of self-massage where the muscles are flexed and stretched much as they would be in a physio or massage session. Indeed, yoga can take the place of physio where the exercises applied are often the same, and yet it may have more positive connotations where people feel more willing and motivated to do a relaxing and enjoyable yoga session than regimented physio exercises.
Certain yoga positions can also be helpful for gut function as they stimulate and stretch the intestines, facilitating the inherent peristaltic movement of chime (partly digested food) along the tract and helping to expel waste through the colon (large intestine).
Indirect benefits
Flow
The human body can be seen as a fluid system, both in terms of blood, lymph and cerebrospinal fluid, as well as the flow (through osmosis) of substances that support function, such as electrolytes. Eastern Medicine would also recognise a flow of Chi (Qi), or energy, through the body. Yoga can play a significant role in facilitating and improving this flow, especially to and from parts that aren’t as well supplied under resting conditions.
Blood circulation is critical to transport important nutrients including oxygen, vitamins, minerals, hormones and other chemical messengers to body cells, tissues and organs and also to excrete toxins and metabolic by-products. Yoga is helpful in improving blood flow in 3 ways:
1) through movement and contraction of muscles, which squeezes the blood vessels and helps the blood return to the heart for re-circulation;
2) through raising heart rate, which pumps blood around the body faster, further and with greater force;
3) through counteracting the effect of gravity. This is because certain yoga positions facilitate the return of blood to the heart for re-circulation, such as ‘happy baby’, where a practitioner lies on their back with their feet in the air and knees bent.
The lymphatic system is another critical flow mechanism in the human body and it plays a major role in the immune system. The lymphatic system flows in one direction, upwards, and therefore against gravity. Again, this is another area in which the horizontal or inverted yoga poses can support bodily function and is one of the reasons why yoga is said to be beneficial for the immune system.
Biochemical benefits
Yoga is often cited as a form of meditation and those accomplished meditators often find themselves slipping into a deep meditative state when practising it. Meditation is now widely known to have positive biochemical effects on the human body, inducing the release of endorphins, serotonin, dopamine and melatonin, which lead to relaxation, calmness and happiness. As a result, yoga also has the myriad benefits of meditation.
Yoga also stretches muscles, and in doing so, the muscles are thought to release endorphins. These further reducing pain, and muscle tension and enhancing mood.
Overall
With so many benefits to yoga for health and well-being, for me, it’s a no brainer and a chance to forget about my day and tune into my body. Why not give it a go and start a regular practice? Even 5 or 10 minutes whilst cooking the supper will be beneficial and over time, the real results will begin to show.
Photo by Cedric Lim Ah Tock from Pexels