Yoga: The Ancient Art of Stretching

Yoga -- think of it as controlled stretching with a dash of meditation -- has caught the fancy of Americans from ages 19 to 90. Oriniating in India and a traditional part of the Hindu religion, the goal of yoga is peacefulness of body and mind. There are several types of yoga; some focus on slow stretching, others are fast paced exercise programs. The most common type practiced in the U.S. is hatha yoga. Hatha youga combines breathing exercises and physical postures.

According to health care providers who recommend it for their healthy patients, yoga:

Increases flexibility

Hatha yoga postures are held for varying lengths of time using gravity, leverage and tension to stretch and tone muscles. By stretching muscles, ligaments and tendons, yoga improves flexibility, a vital but often neglected ingredient of fitness.

Reduces stress

The deep breathing and meditation characteristic of yoga help reduce stress, relax the body and increase circulation.

A study published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine found that a 30-minute yoga routine increased volunteers' perceptions of mental and physical energy and positive mood. The National Institutes of Health is now overseeing a number of rigorous yoga studies.

Ready to try it?

It's easy to try a few elementary yoga poses. Just make sure you work at your own pace and only stretch as far as you feel comfortable. Some yoga postures can put strain on joints and the back. Check with your health care provider before beginning especially if you have joint problems, a history of low back or neck pain, heart disease, high blood pressure and osteoporosis. A yoga session starts out slowly with a period of quiet calming, followed by a warm-up. From there you move through a series of postures, then finish with a period of quiet relaxation.

Experiment with the beginning poses described below, using a pillow to help you sit on the floor, a tie to help you reach your feet, or a wall for extra support for your back.

Forward extension

Stand straight with your feet together. Breathe deeply and lift your arms overhead, stretching the entire trunk up. Bend forward from the hips, placing your hands on your knees or shins.

Stretch the belly, chest and head toward the legs. Hold for 20-30 seconds and inhale to come up. Relax.

Cobra

Lie face down, forehead against the floor. Place your hands under your shoulders with your elbows tucked against your body. Spread your fingers. As you breathe in, raise your head and upper chest off the ground, then push against the floor with your hands, arching up until your navel is almost off the floor. Arch your head and neck backward. Continue to breathe. Hold for 20-30 seconds. Slowly reverse until your body is flat on the floor. Relax.

Head to knee pose

Sit straight with your legs in front of you (place a pillow beneath your hips for additional comfort). Bend your left leg, bringing the sole of your left foot to the inside of your right thigh. Stretch your arms overhead. Bend forward from the hips, extending toward the right leg. Continue to breathe.

Hold for 20-30 seconds and inhale when coming up. Repeat on the other side.

Yoga's ancient history

Yoga was first practiced in India at least 3,000 years ago. But it was not until 1893 that yoga officially arrived in the West following a speech in Chicago by a young Indian monk, Swami Vivekananda, who spoke of yoga's philosophy of harmony and balance.

The word yoga, in fact, comes from a Sanskrit word meaning "yoke" -- to bring together. In the West, hatha yoga -- the yoga of physical postures -- is the most popular of the discipline's many forms.

Yoga reduces stress, and helps relax not only the body, but also the mind. Research has found that stress is a contributing factor in disease.

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