Yoga is a set of scientifically formulated exercises, breathing techniques and meditation, which brings about complete balance, harmony and union in the body, mind and spirit. The word ‘yoga’ in Sanskrit actually means ‘union’.

Yoga history: The history of yoga is very old, and it is very difficult to say who the first yoga practitioner was.

History of Ancient Yoga

It is believed that the practice of yoga started about 5,000 years ago. The earliest references have been found in archeological excavations in the Indus Valley. A sophisticated civilization and culture is supposed to have existed there, thousands of years ago, and seals and portraits reveal gods and human beings in various yoga postures.

Besides this, written evidence of the practice of yoga is provided in the Vedas. These are a compilation of rituals and hymns, and are more than 3,000 years old. There is reference to rituals and physical poses (asanas) which along with breathing techniques, bring about a spiritual growth.

Yoga has been undergoing a gradual transition and growth and its history can be divided into four periods:

• Vedic Period
• Pre-Classical Period
• Classical Period
• Post-Classical Period

Basics of Yoga: In the beginning, Yoga was propounded mostly by Rishis (holy sages), who wrote down the basic tenets on achieving inner focus and spirituality. Over the years, these were expanded and crystallized into a proper sequence.

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: The Classical period (around the second century) was marked by the creation of the Yoga Sutra (sutra means thread), written by Patanjali. In this 195 sutras or ways of yoga were combined and given shape in Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga (also termed as the Eight Limbs of Yoga).

They include:

1. Yama, which is ethical values and social restraints
2. Niyama, which entails personal observation of purity and tolerance.
3. Asanas or physical exercises.
4. Pranayama, which included control and regulation of breath.
5. Pratyahara, which means a sense of withdrawal, and is the first step for meditation.
6. Dharana, which means concentration.
7. Dhyana, which is meditation.
8. Samadhi, which is ultimate ecstasy in union with the universe.

History of Modern Yoga

Ancient yoga practiced inner focus and contemplation, leading to spirituality. This is in contrast to modern yoga, which has a large range of physical postures.

The late nineteenth century can be said to be the beginning of modern yoga. Swami Vivekananda, who came to Chicago for a conference on religions, made a great impact on the American public, when he spoke to them about the principles of Vedanta and yoga.

Yoga began to be studied as part of Eastern philosophy. Later vegetarianism for health reasons became popular in the 1930’s. A couple of decades later Maharishi Mahesh Yogi popularized Transcendental Meditation, followed by Yoga Guru Swami Sivananda.

Gradually modern yoga became crystallized into five basic principles:

• Asanas or proper exercise
• Pranayam or correct breathing
• Savasana or correct relaxation
• Proper diet
• Dhyana or meditation or correct thinking.

Yoga is an ancient and scientifically formulated discipline comprising of a series of physical asanas (poses or exercises), breathing techniques and meditation, which bring about complete harmony and balance of the body, mind and soul. They not only rid the body of many ailments, they also strengthen and tone the body, while also reducing tension and stress.

Taking beginner yoga lessons: If you are a beginner, who wishes to start yoga, do not be overwhelmed by the numbers and various types of yoga lessons which are on offer. First of all, decide where you would like to practice yoga – at home or in a class. Do you wish to practice it alone or in a group? With yoga’s rising popularity, classes are available in most cities. You just have to find something which suits your personality, your pocket and your state of fitness.

• Online yoga lessons: If you wish to practice yoga at home, or if there are no yoga classes near your home, you can take advantage of the many online yoga lessons. These can be accessed on the internet. They offer CDs which can be downloaded and then practiced in the privacy of your home.
• Private yoga lessons: There are many yoga instructors who teach on a one-to-one basis. You can visit their classes or studios; the teacher will set aside a specific time for you, and you will be the only student. Some teachers may also agree to visit you at home for private yoga lessons. These however, may cost you more since they are more exclusive.
• Group yoga lessons: These are the most popular. Most people find that taking yoga instructions as part of a group is more enjoyable. A yoga class which is near your home or place of work, may be convenient.

How to prepare: There is not much preparation needed. You need to wear comfortable clothes. You may probably need a yoga mat or a blanket.

Precautions:

• Don’t stretch yourself beyond your limits.
• Don’t practice yoga on a full stomach, and don’t drink water during the class.
• Follow a regular time every day.

Beginner yoga poses: Yoga poses can be standing, sitting, supine, or twists. It is best to start with a few basic yoga poses such as:

• Cat Pose (Bidalasana)
• Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
• Child Pose (Balasana)
• Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukho Svanasana)
• Plough Pose (Halasana)
• Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)
• Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)
• Locust Pose (Salabhasana)
• Fish Pose (Matsyasana)
• Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottansana)
• Half Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
• Hands to Feet Pose (Pada Hastasana)
• Crane Pose (Bakasana)
• Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)
• Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Yoga comprises of physical exercises or postures (asanas), proper breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation (dhyana). It must also be accompanied by proper diet and thinking. The combination of all these brings about benefits to the body as well as the mind. Each yogasana (yoga posture) and each breathing technique is scientifically formulated to bring about certain health benefits physically, mentally, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually.

Physical and physiological health benefits of yoga:

• Improves flexibility and strength, and also tones all our muscles and joints such as the back, shoulders, hamstrings and hips.

• Dexterity and eye-hand co-ordination also improves.

• It improves posture, and also reduces and prevents pain because it promotes better alignment of the body.

• Improves our respiratory efficiency. By promoting deep breathing, it expands our lungs, and increases the intake of oxygen into our body.

• It increases our cardiovascular efficiency, and improves circulation of blood. This allows more blood and oxygen to reach all the organs of the body, thus improving their function.

• More oxygen also means more energy.

• Helps to bring down our pulse rate.

• Helps to brings down blood pressure.

• Gastrointestinal function becomes better. The working of the organs in the abdominal region, like the stomach, intestines, kidneys, liver, spleen and pancreas improve, leading to better digestion.

• The better function of these organs also ensures better elimination of waste and toxins from the body.

• Since the yogasanas massage the glands as well, the endocrine function improves, leading to better balance of hormones.

• It stabilizes the equilibrium of the nervous system and improves sleep.

• Increases immunity.

• Helps to lower weight.

Bio-chemical health benefits of yoga:

• The practice of yoga has been known to lower the levels of triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol, while at the same time increasing the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.

• The yoga posture promote greater intake of more oxygen, which increases the hemoglobin in the blood.

• It also helps to decrease levels of glucose and sodium in the blood.

• Yoga improves the function of the endocrine glands, which in turn helps to release more endorphins (feel good hormones) into the blood

Psychological, emotional and mental health benefits of yoga:

• Since yoga stabilizes the nervous system, it leads to greater powers of concentration.

• Memory also improves.

• This in turn improves efficiency in learning.

• The practice of yoga helps to release tension and stress. This brings about a marked improvement in moods, and helps to reduce depression and anxiety levels.

• Since yoga brings about a mental and emotional equilibrium, it brings about a feeling of well being.

• Yoga helps to release tension and thus calms the mind. This brings about a feeling of self-acceptance, and helps to improve social skills, and decrease hostility.

This is one of the most difficult and challenging yoga poses. It gets its name for three reasons.

• Supta’ means ‘sleeping’ and ‘kurma’ refers to a tortoise. This pose can be literally translated to mean the Sleeping Tortoise Pose. It is the next phase of the Tortoise Pose. It is so called because when completed the pose looks like a tortoise with the four limbs stretched out of the body, which is flattened out on the floor.
• The name Tortoise Pose also has a spiritual symbolism. Since the pose is very difficult, it has to be performed very slowly, just like the movements of a tortoise. This symbolizes the slow and steady development and progress of the self.
• Since it requires extreme concentration, it is a good step to mediation, which requires withdrawing of the senses inside ourselves. Just like a tortoise withdraws into its shell, this pose too symbolizes withdrawing our senses in concentration and getting ready for meditation and self-enlightenment.

Step by step: You may need props such as a strap or a block, and also an assistant to help you with this difficult yoga pose

• Sit on the floor with your legs spread apart. Press the heels onto the floor, keeping the knee-caps facing the ceiling, while the feet remain flat on the floor.
• Exhale and bend forward, bringing your shoulders forward. Now slide both arms under each respective leg, keeping the palms facing downward, and extending your hands gradually towards your hips. You can do this by walking your hands on the floor, or using a strap, or asking an assistant to help you stretch to your maximum.
• Keep your chest as close as possible to the floor, and breathe in and out normally.
• Now, keep on extending your hands until you can clasp your feet. Open out the feet so that the soles are facing the ceiling.
• Lift your chest, and exerting pressure from your hip joints, move one leg on the floor, bringing it forward, and over the shoulder, until the ankle is placed behind the neck. Repeat with the other leg. Now both your feet will be crossed behind your head.
• Remain in this position for 8 to 10 seconds.

Precaution: You must do this very slowly, with an assistant help you to move your legs.

Benefits:

• With the entire spine being stretched to its utmost, this is a very good back muscle strengthening exercise.
• The hip joints are also stretched and strengthened, increasing circulation in the groins.
• The organs in the abdominal region get toned and internally massaged.

In Sanskrit, ‘Adho’ means ‘downward’, ‘mukha’ means ‘face’ and ‘svana’ means ‘dog’, while ‘asana’ refers to a yoga pose. Translated into English, it means Downward Facing Dog Yoga Pose.

It is a part of the sequence of the Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar). It is one of the most well-known yoga bending exercises, and is often recommended because it provides whole body stretching. It is not only a body and back strengthening yoga, it is also often used as a resting pose or a transitional pose for other yoga poses. Adho Mukha Svanasana is also one of the first poses taught to a beginner.

Step by Step:

• Come to the floor on your knees and hands. Your knees should be directly below your hips, and your hands should be underneath your shoulders, and a little forward.
• Tuck in your toes, raise your hips by pushing back and straighten your legs. Spread out your palms.
• Let your head hang down, but keep your shoulder blades open and away from your ears. Rest comfortably in this pose, with the weight on your quadriceps and not on your arms.
• Now exhale, and keeping your tailbone high, let your heels sink towards the floor. Lift the knees away from the floor.
• Gradually lengthen the tailbone backward, from behind your pelvis, and let it sink down, towards the pubis.
• With another exhalation, push the top of your thighs back, and stretch your heels until they come down toward the floor.
• Keep your arms straight with your hands spread out and pressed firmly on the floor. Keeping the wrists firm, widen your shoulder blades and press them against your back.
• Keep your head between the upper arms.
• Maintain this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute. To release, inhale and go back to the starting pose.
• Repeat a few times.

Benefits of Downward Dog Pose Yoga:

• By stretching the muscles of the arms, shoulders, calves, hamstrings, ankles and the entire spine, it strengthens them and provides relief for back aches and fatigue.
• It helps to improve digestion, increases energy, and lowers high blood pressure.
• It has proved to be effective in curing flat feet and sciatica.
• It helps to calm the brain and provide relief from anxiety, insomnia, headaches and mild depression.
• It helps relieve menstrual discomfort, as well as symptoms of menopause.

Precautions: Do not practice it if you have:

• Diarrhea
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• You are in late term pregnancy.

In Sanskrit, ‘utthita’ means ‘extended’, while ‘trikon’ means three-angled or ‘triangle’, and ‘asana’ means ‘yoga pose’. So, this can be translated to mean ‘Extended Triangle Pose’.

This is a standing pose which provides relief from back pain, as well as ankle stretches and leg strengthening exercises.

Step by step:

• Stand upright in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Exhale, and execute a slight jump and come down with your feet about 3 to 4 feet apart.
• Turn your right foot 90 degrees to the right, and your left foot also towards the right, at an angle of about 45 degrees.
• Ensure that your weight is distributed evenly on the four corners of your feet.
• Keep your thighs firm, and slightly turn the right thigh outward in such a way that your right knee cap is in line with your first two toes.
• Inhale and raise your arms to your sides, so that they are parallel to the floor. Keep your palms facing down. Your shoulder blades should be stretched fully.
• Now exhale and bend your body to the right, from the hip joint.
• Your left arm will be in a straight line, with your hand pointing toward the ceiling, while your right arm will go down to your shin or foot, whichever is comfortable.
• Keep yourself firmly anchored by pressing the left heel firmly on the floor. Your left hip will come forward slightly, lengthening your tailbone.
• Keep the head in a neutral position and your face soft. You may keep your gaze either straight in front or towards your left thumb.
• Hold this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Release the pose by pressing your heel strongly on the floor and inhaling. Lower your arms and come back to the Tadasana.
• Now repeat with the other side.

Benefits:

• This pose stretches the spine and provides relief from back pain, neck pain and sciatica.
• It also stretches the muscles of the hips, thighs, hamstrings, calves, ankles, shoulder and chest, thus strengthening them. This not only helps to release stress and fatigue in these muscles, it also cures flat feet.
• The stretching stimulates the organs in the abdomen, improving digestion and helping to flush out toxins.
• Trikonasana stretches the groin and also reduces symptoms of menopause. It is also therapeutic for infertility.
• The pose helps to release stress, and is good for releasing anxiety.
• It is very good for strengthening bones, can prevent osteoporosis, and increases balance and energy.

Precautions:

• If you are a beginner, always start the pose under the guidance of a yoga expert.
• Do not perform the pose if you have a headache or diarrhea.

Pranayama is a set of scientifically formulated yoga breathing exercises. It is a series of yoga breathing techniques, with the main purpose of meeting the body’s special needs and keeping it vibrant and healthy.

‘Pranayama’ is made up of the following Sanskrit words:
Prana which means ‘life energy’ or ‘life force’
Yama which means ‘control’ or ‘discipline’
Ayama which means ‘extension’, ‘expansion’ or ‘non-restraint’

It can thus be translated to mean the science of breath control or techniques, which opens up our inner life forces.

What is the benefit of Pranayama?

During the process of respiration, we breathe in oxygen, which then travels to all the organs of our body and energizes them. Then we breathe out carbon dioxide, which eliminates the toxic wastes of our body. The correct balance of breath helps us to sustain our ‘prana’.

But when we live a stressful life, our respiration undergoes an imbalance. Our breathing becomes fast and shallow, with the result that the intake of oxygen is less. It is thus insufficient to meet the requirements of the body organs, with the result that various complications such as fatigue, sleep disorders or heart disease may follow. Less intake of oxygen also means that we have less ‘prana’ in our body. It is here that Pranayama comes in useful, as it balances the oxygen, energy and life forces in our body.

What is Ujjayi Pranayama?

The ancient texts of yoga mention about 70 types of pranayama. Out of these, Ujjayi Pranayama is a vital one. Ujjayi Pranayama is a form of yoga breathing which teaches us to open our lungs to the fullest.

Ujjayi can be divided into two Sanskrit words ‘Ut’ or ‘ud’ + ‘Jayi’, where ‘ut’ means upward or expanding, and ‘jayi’ means victorious or successful. That is why Ujjayi Pranayama is also called Victorious Breath, where the lungs are fully expanded like a mighty conqueror.

It is sometimes called ‘Ocean Sounding Breath’ because when you practice it, a friction of air is created in the throat, leading to a sound which comes out like a gentle snore or a soft hissing.

Techniques of Ujjayi breathing:

• Sit comfortably with your spine erect.
• Inhale slowly and deeply with both your nostrils. Inhale in such a way that the air touches the back of your throat and the friction produces a low, hissing sound.
• There is no need to expand your chest. Take care that your abdomen does not bulge out.
• Now exhale slowly and smoothly, without breaking the hissing sound. Keep your abdomen steady. As you exhale, your chest should go inside.
• Repeat a few times.

Ujjayi Pranayam benefits:

• It slows down the heart rate and lowers blood pressure.
• It strengthens and expands the lungs and improves the functioning of the respiratory system. It is thus beneficial for those with lung diseases like asthma and tuberculosis.
• Ujjayi breath has remarkable cleansing properties. It aids better elimination of toxins from the body, and helps to keep us disease-free.
• It helps to release stress and relaxes our body and mind. This leads to greater serenity, concentration and self control.

The practice of yoga includes a set of exercises or postures (asanas) and certain breathing techniques (Pranayama).

Kapal bhati yoga is one such set of breathing techniques, which have been technically formulated. The practice of Pranayama fills our body with ‘Prana’ (life forces) and energizes our body and mind.

‘Kapal’ in Sanskrit means ‘forehead’ and ‘bhati’ means shining. Therefore Kapalbhati can be literally translated to mean ‘Shining forehead’. It is so named because practicing Kapalbhati regularly, gives our face a radiant and healthy glow.

Kapalbhati yoga, which is an energizing abdominal breathing exercise, is sometimes also called ‘Cleansing breathing exercise’.

How to do Kapal bhati pranayama?

• Kapalbhati follows a pattern of deep natural inhalation followed by a quick exhalation.
• Sit comfortably on the floor, with your legs crossed and your spine straight. Relax your face, and rest your hands on either knee.
• Inhale slowly and deeply through both nostrils, while expanding the abdomen.
• Now quickly contract the abdomen and diaphragm, and exhale, pushing the air forcefully out of your lungs.
• Inhale and exhale again in the same manner. You can start with 3 rounds of Kapalbhati pranayama, and gradually increase to 15 rounds.

Benefits of Kapal Bhati (Kapalbhati):

• Practicing Kapalbhati every day, helps to cleanse the lungs, the bronchial tubes and the entire respiratory system.
• There is an increased intake of oxygen in all the cells, which helps to purify the blood.
• The forceful exhalation helps to strengthen the abdominal muscles.
• The region of the abdomen becomes toned, improving digestion.
• Practicing Kapalbhati ensures greater intake of oxygen, which provides more energy to the body and mind.
• It improves concentration and memory.
• It releases tension and calms the mind.
• It prepares the way for meditation.

Precautions: While Kapalbhati has many benefits, it should not be practiced by those:

• Suffering from hernia
• Anyone afflicted with high blood pressure
• Those suffering from heart disease
• If  a person is having an asthmatic attack
• If a person experiences pain or dizziness while performing it.

Common mistakes: Take care not to commit these common mistakes:

• Do not contract your abdomen while inhaling.
• Do not contract your shoulders to push out the air while inhaling.
• Do not move your back and shoulders during the breathing exercise.

Points to note:

The best time to practice Kapalbhati yoga is in the morning on an empty stomach.
Do the breathing exercises after all the other yoga postures, and just before you begin your meditation.
If you are a beginner, it is best to learn and practice it under the guidance of an expert yoga teacher.

Belly reduction exercises: Exercises such as walking, jogging, swimming and cycling are usually recommended for belly reduction. Yoga to reduce belly fat has been found to be especially useful, since it is an overall fitness program, which tones, stretches and strengthens the entire body, improves posture and also calms the mind.

How is Yoga effective for belly reduction?

• The deep breathing exercises of yoga are extremely helpful in burning the excess fat deposits, particularly in the abdominal area.
• The deep inhalation and exhalation required in yoga, strengthens the muscles of the abdomen, toning them, making them firmer, and getting rid of the flab.
• The deep breathing exercises of yoga also help increase your intake of oxygen. This provides more energy to the body, which in turn helps invigorate you, leading to greater levels of activity and consequentially increased weight loss.
• The yoga postures help to strengthen the spine, make it more elastic, and improve posture. This also helps to reduce fat deposits around the belly.
• The yoga poses, improve circulation of the blood to the various organs of the body. Along with greater intake of oxygen, this helps to increase the metabolic rate, and also to release more toxins from the body. These two effects again help in fat reduction.

Yoga poses to help reduce belly fat: While all yoga poses and breathing techniques (pranayama) are good for strengthening and toning the body, a few are specifically aimed at getting rid of belly fat. These include the following:

• Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
• Wind Relieving Pose (Pavan Muktasana)
• Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)
• Thunderbolt Pose (Vajrasana)
• Warrior Pose (Virabhadrasana)
• Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottasana)
• Half Pigeon Pose (Ardhakapotasana)
• Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar)
• Alternate Nostril Breathing (Anuloma Viloma)
• Shining Breath (Kapalbhati)

Note: For proper results it is necessary to follow a daily regimen of exercises.

Dietary changes:

• Include plenty of fiber in your diet.
• Eliminate greasy and oily foods from your diet.
• Eat more frequent and regular meals, but make sure that they are smaller.
• Drink plenty of water to help your kidneys to flush out toxins.

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It is important for seniors to stay fit so that the degeneration of bones and tissues does not put any limits to the bodily abilities and everyday activities. With problems like rheumatism, incontinence, osteoporosis, arthritis, and blood pressure, exercises like brisk walking and yoga become all the more important.

Gentle yoga poses can be very beneficial for seniors. These poses are specially meant for people who cannot undergo rigorous exercise. Young children, pregnant women, and the elderly need exercises that are gentle and do not put any pressure or exertion on them. Yoga can be very easily adapted for the elderly. Yoga is a holistic exercise and a gentle yoga sequence can not only enable you to extend the range of your movements but can also help you treat many of the ailments that you may be suffering from. Yoga poses for seniors are based on improving the range of motion and increasing the viability of performing daily activities.

Regular practice of yoga is even good for the mental health of seniors who often struggle with depression and other emotional problems. Since the immunity of the elderly can really fall low, yoga becomes even more important. With the help of yoga, the elderly can improve the strength of their core and improve immunity. This helps them ward off common health problems and seasonal ailments like the flu, coughs, and colds.

Gentle yoga exercises can help the seniors normalize their blood pressure and treat other problems related to the heart, respiratory system, and digestive system. The elderly usually have low levels of energy and going through a tough exercise regimen can only stress the body more than it is already stressed. Therefore, easy yoga for seniors comes highly recommended. Lately, organizations have commissioned studies to help find out whether the regular practice of yoga has any effects on diseases like the  Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s.

Breathing techniques of yoga can also help you cleanse your nasal passages. Pranayama can help increase the capacity of the lungs, allowing more oxygen to enter into the body. Yoga poses also help improve blood circulation and therefore, improve the functioning of all the organs of the body.