Raymond Akeyee
12 September 2011
opinion
Yoga is one of the fastest growing activities on the Kenyan health and fitness scene today.
What was once associated with new age enlightenment and other far flung mystical philosophies is fast becoming absolutely mainstream.
Kenyans of every race and religious stripe are catching on to the benefits of this comprehensive 5,000-year-old system of health management.
The benefits of practising yoga regularly are simply too great to ignore. Several scientific research papers have been published by some of the world?s leading universities, affirming the positive effects of regular yoga in the alleviation of the symptoms and severity of a wide range of medical conditions including asthma, arthritis, high blood pressure, gastro-intestinal issues, varicose veins and depression.
Even so, it has taken some time for the public to cultivate a healthy interest in yoga as an exercise option, mostly because of the erroneous but widely help perception that yoga is some kind of religious practice.
Of course, there is no truth in that myth, because far from being a religious practice, yoga is actually a system of health management that seeks to guarantee good health on several different levels, including mental health and physical health.
Eight individual pillars of practice hold up the entire philosophy of yoga in its pure state. These include:
- Yama ? These are social behaviours, including principles like non-violence.
- Niyama ? This is inner discipline and responsibility, such as the responsibility to take good care of your body as your vehicle on this journey of life.
- Asana ? These are the physical postures with which most of us associate yoga.
- Pranayama ? This stands for breath.
- Pratyahara ? Self awareness.
- Dharana ? Concentration.
- Dhyana ? Meditation.
- Samadhi ? Consciousness.
However, yoga as it is taught in most classes, focuses primarily on two items, namely Asana, or movement, and Pranayama, or breathing.
These two are combined in sequence to create a flowing series of physical postures, each of which individually targets, stretches, opens and improves muscle tone in specific parts or organs of the body.
This is perhaps one of the most unique things about yoga as an exercise option ? it is extremely balanced and complete.
The heat you build doing sun salutations, for instance, is what allows your muscles and joints to open up and stretch safely without too much resistance.
At the same time, it is one of the most demanding physical tasks you will ever accomplish in your life. No wonder pop stars like Madonna and Sting swear by yoga as the key to a great physique!
You will burn calories, become flexible and simultaneously tone every single muscle in your body in half the time it takes to squeeze a regular gym session into your busy schedule. The only thing left to do is to find a class that suits you.
Naturally, with the growing popularity of yoga, there have mushroomed a proliferation of styles and techniques that can be very confusing for the novice to navigate.
There are vigorous and dynamic styles of yoga such as Power Yoga, Ashtanga and Vinyansa, where there is a strong emphasis on strength and fluidity of movement, and which can prove very challenging for the uninitiated.
But there are also calm restorative forms of yoga, such as Iyengar Yoga and Hatha Yoga, in which poses are held for a considerable length of time and emphasis is on breathing and relaxation in order to promote healing of old injuries and imbalances and to strengthen the mind body connection.
These are often the most practical classes for a beginner to start with, especially because they are much less intimidating, and provide a safe environment for the novice to explore his or her horizons.
Finding a yoga class that suits you in many of Kenya?s major towns should not be a challenge. Just a quick Internet search and you will find a comprehensive listing of teachers, including more than 20 who are based in Nairobi alone.
A quick caveat however; yoga postures can be extremely demanding and where they are performed incorrectly or beyond one?s level of ability, serious injury is a very real possibility.
Do not be shy about trying out different teachers until you find one with whom you are comfortable and whose personal style and pace suits you best.
This is important because yoga, as we mentioned at the beginning of this article, is a complete system of health management, and that makes it a lifetime undertaking.
For as long as you live in your body, you have to maintain it, and nothing does that more simply and comprehensively than the regular practice of yoga.
Have a relaxed week.
Raymond is a fitness consultant
AllAfrica ? All the Time
Read more:
Kenya: Yoga ? ?New? Fitness Trend
Source: http://ymcvn.com/kenya-yoga-new-fitness-trend.html
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