For the most part, yoga doesn't cleanse the body of impurities in a literal sense. However, in helping you shed stress, depression and anxiety, it can offer a spiritually cleansing experience, which also has significant health benefits.
The Basics
Dating back nearly 6,000 years, yoga is a practice for bringing the mind and body into harmony. Primarily, this involves pranayama, or breathing, asana, or postures, and dhyana, or meditation. However, different branches of yoga have their own distinct approaches. For instance, jnana yoga focuses on deep contemplation. The University of Maryland Medical Center says that in the United States, the most popular variety is hatha joga, which reconciles the mind and body through postures that involve extension and flexing.
How Yoga Works
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, scientists have yet to resolve precisely how yoga achieves all its health benefits. Breath work improves lung capacity, circulation and efficiency of oxygen consumption. Postures develop core strength, balance and mobility. Meditation lowers the heart rate and blood pressure. It is also likely that yoga triggers the release of endorphins, pain-killing and mood-enhancing hormones. A combination of these effects can result in a sense of spiritual and physical cleansing as you remove yourself from the concerns and anxieties of the daily grind.
Benefits
By centering the individual and giving him more confidence, yoga can reduce stress and its associated symptoms, such as a high heart rate, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It promotes stable patterns of sleep and digestion, helps with concentration and focus, and improves flexibility, coordination and balance. In conjunction with traditional medicine, it can be used to treat arthritis, heart disease, back pain, irritable bowel syndrome and some of the effects of pregnancy.
Classes
Although it's possible to practice yoga individually, in your own home, the Mayo Clinic encourages beginners to seek out a class with a qualified instructor. You'll have the benefit of expert guidance as well as the support and camaraderie of a group. There are special prenatal yoga classes for pregnant women. If you are suffering from a chronic illness and considering yoga, you should discuss it with your health care provider so it can be integrated into your overall treatment.
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