The asanas
affect:
• the body and mind complex,
• the different body systems,
• the deeper states of awareness
• awakenings of kundalini (Dormant creative energy)
• release of prana (vital energy)
Asana: To be steady and comfortable in whatever position
you take
Two categories
of Asanas:
Cultural Active: affecting all parts of the body, for
better health
Meditative Inactive, relaxation, affects state of awareness
(consciousness)
Asanas are
also classified by:
Groups (i.e. twisting, forward bends, backward bends, sideways, inverted,
balancing, stretching, relaxing, meditative) – Some are in combinations
or,
Starting position (i.e. supine, prone, sitting, standing)
Posture
Systems:
Digestive, Circulatory, Endocrine, Skeletal, Musculatory, Nervous, Reproductive,
Excretory
Mind
How do the asanas affect the different systems and mind?
There are
two ways to do asanas:
Postures as
Exercise:
• Stimulation to Sympathetic Nervous system
• Blood Pressure increased
• Heart Rate increased
• Superficial Muscles contract
• Sweat
• Stress response
Postures as Yoga practice (Hold the position and progressively Relax)
• Stimulation to Parasympathetic Nervous system
• Effect is deeper
• Blood Pressure decrease
• Heart Rate decrease
• Superficial muscles relax. (Golgi tendon or clasp & knife
reflex relaxes the muscles)
• Nervous system starts relaxing when you maintain the asana for
at least 15-20 seconds
• Stress is passed onto the deeper muscles which support the organs
• Internal organs are stressed = metabolism increases, nervous
impulses go up, blood, nutrient and nerve supply increase, glands are
affected, and toxins are removed.
• You MUST relax in order to have this benefit!
• You are more flexible if you are relaxed
Reference:
Asanas – Swami Kuvalayananda (Kaivalyadham, Lonavala, Mumbai)
Asanas – Rishi Dharmajyoti (Yogacharya Vishwas Mandlik)
Physiology of Yogic practices – Dr.Makarand Gore (Kaivalyadham,
Lonavala, Mumbai)
