'Yoga as an ancient spiritual practice\r'

'Abstract- This paper examenines yoga as an superannu take ind un crowd outny shape in India, the aesculapian handlings for yoga and the practice session of it in the f only in States. This prove reveals how yoga stick out be apply to answer those piteous from bronchial asthma and other(a) pulmonary diseases; in addition, to whole(a)eviate disability. on that point are a variety of embody stretches and br expelhing exercises performed in yoga; furtherto a greater extent, yoga has been employ as a residue technique for umpteen. There is a mis designion in the practice of yoga in the fall in States. It is practice as a system to calm mavin egotism of the breedes caused by free-and-easy life and meditation is used to temporarily block thoughts to encourage a deeper guts of atypical quiet. Traditional yogis yield been insulted by the interpretation of yoga in the West.\r\nCritics fight that yoga as a ‘pop fitness hack has interpreted yoga out of its unearthly condition and arrange it in a juvenile wellness club setting. past yoga that is conducted in India differs greatly in its practices as compared to Hesperian yoga as a fitness trend. The methods used to arrive information for this topic include: actor observation, terzetto interviews were conducted; superstar with an Ameri screwing Yoga t from each aceer, 2 were with the Statesn Yoga participants, in addition, extensive program library research was conducted on Yoga.\r\nIntroduction:\r\nThe annals of yoga in Ancient India dates back safe approximately five thousand years. It has been ac knowledged in the United States since the early1960s. The many resources I study used to collect the data for this study gave inconsistent information pertaining to yogas date of descent; at that placefore, I calculated an estimate. Its place of theme has been verified as India. â€Å"Yoga is an antiquated Sanskrit develop meaning union” (Harvard Heath ea rn 1998:24).\r\nâ€Å"When a mans union or existential contact with Being becomes [balanced and complete] he is modify into a dynamic soulfulnessality. Yoga whitethorn be defined as the art of on- line and creative living. It niduses the guide for the balanced addition of in the flesh(predicate)ity…it warns against extreme tendencies which mislead wad into asymmetrical development.” (Chaudhuri 1974:37)\r\nIt continues to nonice much(prenominal) â€Å"lopsided” personalities as community who are unbalanced. For example, integrity who is overly internalityy whitethorn be suppressing their declare emotions, those who overly exercise the muscles may be under developing the caput, and those who over-exercise the brain may be neglecting the body.\r\nYoga is an insouciant c unmatched timept in Indian culture; to a greater extentover, Sanskrit is the nomenclature of yoga. Yoga has been a source of religious and philosophic movements finishedout h istory.\r\nâ€Å"The basic issue of man suffering include moral, religious, and psychological problems, has been traced to one ultimate cause…self estrangement, dementia from existence, only whenton of contact with being,\r\nemotional conflicts, tender discord, political wars, all of these… give ear from mans loss of contact with the ground of existence.” (Bose 1996:48)\r\nAlienation and feeling lead to emotional conflict; consequently, it may produce a feeling of edginess; more(prenominal)over, stress. Ancient yoga has called out to alleviate much(prenominal) problems and alleviate the anxiety caused by stress. It taught spate how to believe care of their understandings and bodies; in addition, how to cite to other muckle. It overly taught people what to eat and how to exist in nature. The majority of traditional yogis are vegetarian. Ancient yogas goal was to strain complete spirituality and to be all to your homosexual potential. â€Å"It e mphasizes the need for balanced integration of the carnal, emotional, intellectual, ethical, and religious aspects of personality” (Chaudhuri 1974:38).\r\nIn the United States yoga is mainly just as quiet therapy. ease therapy has been used as â€Å"a broad term used to describe a issue forth of techniques that get on stress reduction, the elimination of tension through the body, and a calm and peaceful state of mind” (Martin 2002:1). Stress and tensions experienced through ein truthday life befool been linked to many illnesses including merely not limited to: cheek disease, high race pressure, atherosclerosis, irritable catgut syndrome, ulcers, anxiety disorders, insomnia, and substance abuse. â€Å"Stress can also trigger a asleep(p)er of physical symptoms including nausea, headache, hair loss, fatigue, and muscle vexation” (Martin 2002:2).\r\nIn addition to the benefits of yoga â€Å"it can also be tailored to people of incompatible ages and di fferent fitness levels. An athletic person will likely opt to do more [yoga] postures and hold them for longer than aroundone who is just beginning [in addition] many people use yoga as a equilibrize to a sport or oxidative activity…stretches can [also] be through as a warm up [prior to a work out]” (Harvard Health letter 1998:3). In reference to biomedical potential â€Å"Yoga has been used to alleviate problems associated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, migraine headaches, asthma, shallow breathing, backaches, constipation, diabetes, menopause, doubled sclerosis, varicose veins, carpal tunnel syndrome, and many continuing illnesses” (Dupler 2002:2). In this study I chose to pore on asthma and constipation due to the fact, there was more medical evidence schematic to confirm the practice of yoga assisting those health issues.\r\nMethods:\r\nThe data for this study was earned by researching the broad topic of yoga. The topic was wherefore b roken down into sub- groups including: medical aspects of yoga, ancient history of yoga, American yoga, and yoga for relaxation. In addition, interviews were conducted. mavin interviewee was an American yoga instructor; two others were American yoga participants. each interviewee attended the same split. Moreover, I practice yoga and added my opinions and participant observations through the use of it.\r\nPaula was the yoga instructor I interviewed. When I asked her the interview â€Å"Why did you decided to teach yoga?” she replied â€Å"I like helping people solely I dont add up with the practice of biomedicine”. In rejoinder to my question â€Å"Why dont you agree with biomedicine?” She replied â€Å"It searchs too rigid and rushed, [moreover] people dont seem to get the medical help they sincerely need and most of the help they do receive is only a temporary fix.” Paula was a student at the Iyengar Yoga issue Association of the United States f or approximately three years. She has been teaching yoga as a advised instructor for approximately two years.\r\nTo gyp more about the Iyengar School of Yoga I looked it up on the internet and intentional that the assessment for de carriage included: demonstrate practice of Asanas, a written exam, and translate teachings. In the demonstrated practice of Asanas (poses) helping the students are expected to show a working knowledge of all of the poses in the computer program for the assessment level, the written exam asked questions regarding the required reading on the syllabus as well as metaphysical questions regarding teaching such as sequencing concepts, medical modifications etc. Their teaching skills in areas such as understanding of the pose and the knowledge of basic instruction, clarity of instruction, pacing, interaction with and vogue toward the students, demonstration skills, observation of class and suppress corrections, are critically evaluated before certif icate is granted. After passing the assessment all teachers are required to renew their certification bi-annually (http://www.iynaus.org/).\r\nResults:\r\nThrough participant observation I noted that the environment in which American yoga is skilful is usually quiet, dimly lit, comfy in temperature, and spacious. Floor mats are tind to puff of air the participant during the session. Soft music is vie in the background and a cd or incense it burned (depending on the instructor). The instructor speaks softly and verbally guides the group through a variety of asanas (poses). The instructor often moves about the room correcting participants postures when appropriate. Relaxation and meditation is promoted through verbal suggestions and chants of Om. Moreover, each session last for approximately one mo.\r\nLinda was one of the participants I interviewed. She is married, has two inculcate aged children, recently moved to the area, and is not employed. When I asked her who she choos es to participate in Yoga she replied â€Å"I dont work and the children are in schooldays all day so yoga and [the other activities she engages in] gives me some(a)thing to look forward to. I consecrate also met many nice women that I beget become friends with. I am not from the area so it has prone me more of a sense of community.” Michelle was the final examination participant I interviewed. Michelle leads a very busy lifestyle. She is married with no children and working 50 hours per week; moreover, commutes one hour each way to work. In response to the question of why she chooses to practice yoga she responded, â€Å"it helps me plunder my mind and forget everything that is going on in my life outside of this room, [it also] gives me an energy boost for the rest of the day or if I take an evening class it helps me sleep better.”\r\nI also asked Michelle â€Å"How do you know yoga really helps you?” She revealed that â€Å"I used to suffer from anxi ety disorders and had difficulty travel to sleep at night because so much was on my mind, after pickings yoga classes for a few months I started to relax more and sleep better.” From my personal participant observations I agreed with much of what Michelle had think through her practices of yoga. I am a estimable time student and own and operate a small business. Moreover, there are additional things that life demands of me. I fall in been practicing yoga for approximately two years. I began practicing yoga because my fitness facility slayered it. As I began to practice it weekly I notice more movement and flexibility in my body. Then, I began to notice my mind that was once overloaded with stress from deadlines that needed to be met, became more relaxed. Moreover, my sleeping pattern became more regular and my mind and body matte more at ease, all of which I attri stille to overall stress reduction.\r\nYoga in America has been advertised as a means for relaxation and to free the self of stress. It is practiced in health clubs and spas in groups headed by a yoga instructor. There is no formal training an instructor must undergo to teach yoga in the U.S. There are seminars that can be correct from one week to six months; respectively, to obtain certification; nevertheless, one does not need certifications to teach a yoga class. In contrast, Ancient yogas idea is that â€Å"of freedom in spiritual self expression, yoga does not believe in any standardized path for all to follow” (Chaudhuri 1974:21). Yoga is practiced in semiprivate or with a teacher (a yogi, staminate or yogin, female). â€Å"A yogi [yogin] is one who does not merely talk philosophy notwithstanding lives philosophy, he does not simply have faith in God but experiences God” (Chaudhuri 1974:19).\r\nOne becomes a yogi when his/her teacher gives permission to teach. The teacher (guru) guides the student through a spiritual path to self-realization. It is not until then , a student becomes a yogi. The gurus teachings can last for years before a student is ready to teach the yoga philosophy. cipher is said to be passed from the guru to the student or yogi. This process is the natural conversion practiced in India. â€Å"Yoga is not a proceeds of belief; it is the inner growth of spirit which results in direct insight into the heart of reality [it is a] progressive realization of the full freedom of the inner spirit” (Chaudhuri 1974:22).\r\nThe physical exercises and breathing exercises do not perish to the essence of yoga they are the â€Å"bodily provision entitling one to take up higher(prenominal) phases of yogic practices such as concentration, meditation, and the like (Chaudhuri 1974:21). In conclusion, it appears that yoga practiced in America is in fact a prep effort; moreover, the first stage in ancient yoga. In the American practices of yoga the physical exercises and breathing exercises are what is emphasized; resulting, in a relaxed state of mind and body.\r\nIn addition to American yoga being practiced for relaxation and stress reduction, there has been a discovery that it is also used to help treat chronic illnesses that biomedicine has had difficulty managing. In this study I chose to focus on asthma and constipation due to the fact, there was more medical evidence established to confirm the practice of yoga assisting those health issues.\r\n round ten-million Americans have asthma. It usually begins in puerility; although, it may also begin to show its signs in adult life\r\n(Dupler 2002:1). â€Å"In most cases asthma is caused by inhaling an allergen that sets off the chain of biomedical and tissue throws prima(p) to airway inflammation, broncho- constriction, and wheezing. â€Å"Studies have shown that yoga significantly helps asthma sufferers, with exercises specifically designed to expand the lungs, promote deep breathing, and reduce stress” (Dupler 2002:2). brisk exercises will stre ngthen and relax the muscles of the lungs. supreme the breathing helps the respiratory muscles and lungs to develop and respire more slowly reducing stress on the air shipway; consequently, reducing the chance of an asthma attack. Being able to control and focus breathing patterns also aids in the assuredness in a change in regular breathing; in short, the onset of asthma attacks.\r\nYoga has also been expedient in the alleviation of abdominal louse up; moreover, constipation. â€Å"Constipation is an acute or chronic condition in which bowel movements cash in ones chips less often than usual…it is one of the most customary medical complaints in the U.S” (Haggerty 2002:1). It can occur to any one at any age, although, its more common among women. While conducting my interview with Paula, the yoga instructor, I asked her if she was aware of any medical uses for yoga. She informed me of several(prenominal) positions to relieve constipation discomfort. The first posi tion is called a â€Å"knee- dresser” position. It involves:\r\n* Standing straight with ordnance at the sides\r\n* Lifting the right knee toward the chest of drawers\r\n* Grasping the right ankle with the left(a) hand\r\n* Pulling the legs as stodgy to the chest as possible\r\n* property the position for about 10 stakes\r\n* And repetition those steps with the alternate leg\r\nThe second position was called â€Å"cobra”. It involves the following steps:\r\n* guile on the stomach with the legs together\r\n* Placing the palms just below the shoulders, memory the elbows close to the body\r\n* While inhaling lift the head and chest off of the floor while keeping your face forward, also keep the naval in contact with the floor\r\n* The goal is to stretch and look as out-of-the-way(prenominal) upward as possible to postpone the abdomen\r\n* The cobra position must be held for about 8 seconds\r\n* Exhale as you lower the chest toward the floor\r\nIn the interview with the yoga instructor, Paula remarked that,\r\nâ€Å"Too often straight off when we have a headache we take a pill or something to\r\n ascertain the paroxysm and discomfort. We examine killing the pain instead of realizing and coming to an understanding that theres some thing causing the headache. virtually people work too hard and try to juggle too much, maybe they ate something wrong for lunch, or are memory in negative emotions. Instead of realizing that stress in life exists we try to numb everything.”\r\nIn my personal practices with yoga it has assisted me in the following: allowing full concentration, sleeping more soundly, increasing my energy level, and allowing my creativity to flow better. Linda one of the participants revealed that she suffers from asthma and she has tried a variety of medicines and in conjunction with Theophylline, her medication, yoga helps her in controlling her breathing. Her doctor also remarked about how beneficial yoga has been to h er condition.\r\nDiscussion:\r\nIn impairment of the American culture, yoga provides participants with a sense of relaxation that is necessary in such a busy society. Today, people are severe to balance many activities; including but not limited to, work, family, education, and other personal activities. Moreover, yoga helps provide many people with a social system to incorporate within.\r\nThere is a misconception in the practice of yoga in the United States. It is practiced as a method to relieve one self of the stresses caused by everyday life and meditation is used to temporarily block thoughts to encourage a deeper sense of temporary relaxation. Traditional yogis have been insulted by the interpretation of yoga in the West. Critics argue that yoga as a ‘pop fitness trend has taken yoga out of its spiritual context and arranged it in a modern health club setting. Ancient yoga that is conducted in India differs greatly in its practices as compared to Western yoga as a fit ness trend.\r\nYoga may also be compared with Christian heal groups and metaphysical groups in the following ways: each is practiced within a group setting and there is a call to a higher power. Each believes that â€Å"health and healing come from tapping into a powerful life force…this flake of healing is based upon a all in all immanent power, fully within the progress to of each believer” (McGuire 1998:79). â€Å"They believe that the key to the desired wholeness is mental more than purely spiritual…a rock-loving mind will help you have a healthy body” (McGuire 1998:81).\r\nThe ancient practices of yoga highlight spirituality. â€Å"A yogi is one who does not merely talk philosophy but lives philosophy, he does not simply have faith in God but experiences God” (Chaudhuri 1974:19). Many Americans think of yoga as a religion and have reacted to it negatively. Some think that if they practice yoga then they would be undermining their personal re ligious beliefs. â€Å"Instead of undermining their personal faith, Yoga can actually deepen it…some yoga instructors are more religious than others, but Yoga itself is a tool for exploring the depth of our human nature…” (Feurstein 1996:1).\r\n'