Yoga & Health Related
Fitness
Kassib 2012
History
of
Yoga
Yoga, from the word “yuj” (Sanskrit, “to yoke” or “to unite”), refers to spiritual practices that are essential to
the understanding and practice of Hinduism. Yoga and yogic practices date back more than 5,000 years
— the Indus Valley seals depict a number of figures in postures identical to various asanas. The term
covers a wide array of practices, embodied in eight “limbs,” which range from ethical and moral guidelines
to meditation on the Ultimate Reality. Yoga is a combination of both physical and spiritual exercises, entails
mastery over the body, mind and emotional self, and transcendence of desire. The ultimate goal is
moksha, the attainment of liberation from worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and rebirth.
With the popularity of Yoga skyrocketing throughout the world, particularly in the West, there arise two
main points in need of clarification. First, that which is practiced as “Hatha Yoga” - a form of Raja Yoga - in
much of the Western world is but merely a focus on a single limb of Yoga: asana (posture). From Yoga
studios that recommend room temperatures to be maintained at 105 degrees to 90 minute Vinyasa flow
classes that prescribe one Suryanamaskar (Sun Salutation) sequence after another, this “asana heavy”
form of Yoga – sometimes complemented with pranayama (breathing) – is only a form of exercise to
control, tone and stretch muscles. Ignored are both the moral basis of the practice and the ultimate
spiritual goal.
Second, there is the concerning trend of disassociating Yoga from its Hindu roots. Both Yoga magazines
and studios assiduously present Yoga as an ancient practice independent and disembodied from the
Hinduism that gave forth this immense contribution to humanity. With the intense focus on asana,
magazines and studios have seemingly "gotten away" with this mischaracterization. Yet, even when Yoga
is practiced solely in the form of an exercise, it cannot be completely delinked from its Hindu roots. As the
legendary Yoga guru B.K.S Iyengar aptly points out in his famous Light on Yoga, "Some asanas are also
called after Gods of the Hindu pantheon and some recall the Avataras, or incarnations of Divine Power." It
is disappointing to know that many of the yogis regularly practicing Hanumanasana or Natarajasana
continue to deny the Hindu roots of their Yoga practice.
In a time where Hindus around the globe face discrimination and hate because of their religious identity,
and Hindu belief and practice continue to be widely misunderstood due to exoticized portrayals of it being
caricaturized in “caste, cows and curry” fashion, recognition of Yoga as a tremendous contribution of
ancient Hindus to the world is imperative. Yoga is inextricable from Hindu traditions, and a better
awareness of this fact is reached only if one understands that “Yoga” and “Asana” are not interchangeable
terms.
YoLo Yoga
 Yoga for fitness increases in popularity as
more people than ever enjoy yoga. Most
health clubs and gyms offer some type of
yoga class because it's generally accepted
as a way to improve flexibility and to reduce
stress.
 There are many types of yoga classes to
choose from, however, and you should
choose one that meets your fitness goals.
Defining Fitness
 Developing a basic understanding of how to define
fitness will help you decide what yoga class is best
for you.
 According to the American College of Sports
Medicine, there are four types of health related
fitness: cardiorespiratory, muscular, flexibility and
body composition.
 To best use yoga as a way to improve your fitness,
you must consider which of these components you
want to focus on and choose a yoga class to fit
that goal.
Cardiorespiratory Benefits
 Power yoga, Ashtanga and flow styles of yoga
follow a format that encourages you to work hard
enough to raise your heart to meet cardiovascular
improvement standards.
 These styles move from one pose to the next
quick quickly, keeping you moving like you would
do in any fitness class.
 Because yoga classes are typically 60 to 90
minutes long just 2-3 classes a week will meet the
physical activity guidelines for improving your
fitness set by the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services.
Muscular Benefits
 Yoga classes are structured so that you use your
own body weight as resistance. Just like you
would do in a bootcamp class, yoga poses offer
variations of push ups, squats and lunges in order
to strengthen the body.
 Any style of yoga you choose will help tone and
sculpt your muscles.
 If you are just starting out, classes that go by the
name of Hatha may be a good choice. But if you
are already somewhat fit and wanting to add yoga
to your program, power classes will challenge you
to build more strength.
Body Composition
 Yoga, like any exercise, will help you burn
calories and improve your body composition.
 Vinyasa classes with plenty of movement offer
the greatest potential for burning calories.
 The greater benefit of yoga is that is also helps
you clear your mind and become more aware of
the choices you make off the yoga mat.
 In the Yoga Journal article, "Losing It", it states
increased body awareness can change your
eating habits by helping you explore emotional
issues once buried by eating. Being more aware
of your choices outside of the yoga class is
where the real change will happen.
Flexibility
 The most obvious fitness benefit of yoga is
flexibility.
 Yoga moves your body in all directions and
in ways you wouldn't do in your normal day.
 Improving your flexibility will decrease your
chance of injury in sports, and it will allow
you to move freely in your day-to-day life.
 Any type of yoga class will focus on
flexibility and allow you these benefits.
Putting It Together
 Of course you want to lose weight, sculpt your
body and be stronger, but yoga also offers the
benefit of reducing stress.
 Reducing your stress will allow you to better
manage your time, enjoy your family and friends
or your job and give you a sense of calm.
 Many people start with yoga for the fitness
benefits, but end up staying because of the
deeper meaning yoga gives their lives.
 Try different styles of yoga until you find the one
that meets your fitness goals, fits your
personality and gives you a sense of
mindfulness.
Six Types of Yoga
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Hatha Yoga
Vinyasa
Ashtanga
Power Yoga
Hot Yoga
Restorative Yoga
Hatha Yoga
 Hatha Yoga
 Yoga as we know it in the Western world is
based on the practice of Hatha yoga, which uses
different postures to prepare your body for
meditation and reach an enhanced state of
enlightenment.
 Hatha yoga classes are typically suitable for all
levels and focus on proper alignment.
 Hatha classes may also incorporate the use of
props, such as straps or blocks, to help you
safely access postures.
Vinyasa
 A vinyasa class is one that uses a sequence
of postures, or asanas, to build heat in your
body and help eliminate toxins.
 Vinyasa yoga, also often referred to as
Vinyasa Flow, is typically fast-paced.
 Previous yoga experience is recommended
but not necessarily required.
Ashtanga
 Ashtanga yoga refers to a type of Vinyasa
class that promotes internal cleansing
through a vigorous physical practice and
synchronized breathwork.
 According to the Ashtanga Yoga Research
Institute, Ashtanga yoga is effective in
building strength, improving circulation and
removing toxins from your internal organs.

Power
Yoga
Power yoga was originally developed to make
the practice of Ashtanga yoga more accessible
to Westerners.
 "Most people wouldn't take a class called
Ashtanga Yoga, because they had no idea what
it meant," says Beryl Bender Birch, author of
"Power Yoga." “Power Yoga, on the other hand,
was something Americans could relate to and
know that they'd get a good workout."
 Like Ashtanga, Power yoga emphasizes strength
and endurance through a vigorous series of
asanas.
 Unlike Ashtanga, however, postures are
performed in no particular order. In Power yoga,
there is less emphasis on the subtleties of each
posture.
Hot Yoga
 Many yoga studios offer hot yoga classes,
which are held in a heated room to promote
increased flexibility.
 The heat also generates more sweat, which
helps remove toxins from your body.
Restorative Yoga
 Restorative yoga uses props such as blankets or
blocks to create soothing, well-supported postures
that are held for several minutes.
 Classes are concluded with a lengthy corpse
pose--up to 20 minutes--to promote a deep state
of relaxation.
 According to Yoga Journal, Restorative yoga can
help give you relief from insomnia, asthma,
migraines and chronic pain.
Downward Dog
Yoga For Teens
 During puberty and the later teen years, immense
changes are taking place in the body's chemistry and
physiology.
 The chakras are also developing and becoming more
active at this time. Imbalances of the chakras, body
chemistry, and physiology often show up in rebellion and
mood swings.
– The concept of chakra features in tantric and yogic traditions of
Hinduism and Buddhism. Chakra are believed to be centers of
the body from which a person can collect energy. They are
connected to major organs or glands that govern other body
parts. Its name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or
"turning"
 The regular practice of yoga can help you maintain
balance in the different chakras and keep the spirit and
soul strong and healthy, thereby benefiting both the body
and mind.
Backtastic!
 According to yoga philosophy, a healthy spine creates
balance and is a conduit to a sound mind. Yoga is
designed to stimulate the nerves running along the spine.
 Poses involving twists and upside-down positions are
especially effective for this purpose. When you practice all
categories of yoga poses-seated, standing, lying down on
your stomach or back, and upside down-you cause each
vertebra (bony segment of the spine) to be slightly
separated from the ones above and below it.
 Creating space between the vertebrae serves to 'plump'
the disks between them, allowing energy to flow freely to
the brain and giving the blood a clear passageway to
circulate in a healthy manner.
Real men……
 Boys and young men in their teens usually
develop their legs and arms through sports or
weight training. However, they often overlook
flexibility of the spine, back, arms, and legs.
 Yoga stretching poses are highly beneficial in
correcting this imbalance and in strengthening
muscles that are not used in strength training.
 The stretching may be difficult at first, but with
practice, you will become more flexible and the
poses will become easier.
Ladies, Ladies, All the Ladies
 When a girl begins developing breasts, the
muscles that hold the spine in place are
often weakened or strained, because the
front of the torso is carrying more weight.
 Doing chest opening, backward bending,
forward bending, and upside-down yoga
poses will strengthen arms, shoulders, and
back, as well as teach these parts of your
body to balance out the weight in front.
Guts and More
 Internal organs are growing and changing during this
period and can become upset with diet changes or over
stimulation of nerves.
 Yoga helps to keep organs healthy despite everyday
stresses. It also assists in balancing out the mood
swings and eliminating the body aches resulting from the
hormonal imbalances experienced during sexual
maturing.
 During this growth period, yoga is useful in easing the
tension of tight muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and it
can also help to strengthen bones. Certain poses
alleviate menstrual cramps (hooray!), and others work
internally on clearing energy blocks that may cause
headaches, sinus problems, irritability or digestive
problems.
The Dealio
 Yoga promotes unification of body and mind,
and as you practice, it will increase your
awareness and your ability to look within,
think for yourself, and trust yourself.
 The result is that you will feel more peaceful
and self-confident during a period of rapid
change and be able to engage the world
with a more positive outlook.
No Stinky People….Hygiene!
 In yoga philosophy, the body is considered a temple to be
treated with respect, understanding, and acceptance; but
dealing with the rapid physical changes of adolescence can
be difficult at times. For instance, as girls undergo hormonal
changes and begin to experience the internal cleansing
process of the menstrual cycle, keeping the body clean and
free of odor is very important. As boys undergo the hormonal
changes leading to manhood, they often experience glandular
secretions resulting in sweaty feet and underarms, which also
require regular cleansing.
 Frequent cleansing is necessary to keep the pores open so
that the skin is able to release toxins freely. Bathing before
practicing yoga enhances the capacity of the pores to open
and expel toxins and excess oil through sweat glands. Yoga
deep breathing exercises promote the process of internal
cleansing by improving circulation. An added benefit of yoga
practice is the release of negative energy, which can block
nadis (energy channels), glands, and pores.
Benefits of Yoga
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Elimination of lower back pain
Glowing skin
Increased confidence
Lower blood pressure
Weight loss (if your body needs it)
Improved posture
Increased energy
Clearer mind
Less cravings for unhealthy habits (without much
effort....it just happens)
 Improved reactions to stressful situations (some quicker
than others)
 And the list goes on and on!