Importance of yoga in daily life
Yoga in Daily Life is a system of practice consisting of eight
levels of development in the areas of physical, mental, social
and spiritual health.
When the body is physically healthy, the mind is clear,
focused and stress is under control. This gives the space to
connect with loved ones and maintain socially healthy
relationships. When you are healthy you are in touch with
your inner Self, with others and your surroundings on a much
deeper level, which adds to your spiritual health.
Yoga increases the flexibility of the spine, improves body’s
physical condition and heightened awareness to the
importance of relaxation. It has been emphasized that each
exercise be practiced slowly, coordinating movement with the
breath, pausing motionless in each position and always with
full concentration.
Yoga is both preventive and therapeutic and has shown to
offer both physical and mental benefits to the body and mind.
Yoga is distinctly different from other kinds of exercise as it
generates motion without causing strain and imbalances in the
body. Therefore the practice is an ideal complement to other
forms of exercise and an extreme advantage to any sport. The
“postures” are the physical positions that coordinate breath
with movement and we hold these positions to stretch and
strengthen different parts of the body. They systematically
work all the major muscle groups, including the back, neck,
and shoulders, deep abdominals, hip and buttock muscles and
even ankles, feet, wrists and hands. Although most poses are
non aerobic in nature, they do in fact send oxygen to the cells
in the body by way of conscious deep breathing and sustained
stretching & contraction of different muscle groups. Yoga can
help to check any imbalance in muscular development and
will enable the body to function more efficiently. If the body
is flexible and supple, it will be less prone to sports injuries as
the joints will be kept lubricated. “When the surface of a lake
is still, one can see to the bottom very clearly” this is
impossible when the surface is agitated by waves. In the same
way, when the mind is still we can control mental agitation by
focusing on perfect concentration. When a player, in any
sport, is trying to fulfill thousands, hundreds of thousands or
if playing for their country, millions of people’s expectations
their minds are completely stressed, and their natural
efficiency diminishes. No amount of coaching or training can
prepare for doubt or worry entering the mind of a player
during a game. By holding steady postures and concentrating
on deep abdominal breathing we can increase body
awareness, relieve chronic stress patterns in the body, relax
the mind, center ones attention, sharpen concentration and
“stay in the zone!” Many athletes are having more injuries
that require surgery because of the increased focus on strength
training with weight resistance. This method for increasing
strength and muscle mass is highly effective and efficient, yet
it dramatically decreases flexibility. However, if yoga or other
types of prolonged stretching are practiced in combination
with strength training and practical application exercises
(using the body in a way that mimics the movements of their
particular sport, while performing a balancing or core
movement), injury can be minimized during engagement in
other competitive sports that call for the athlete to be more
spontaneous with their bodies, calling for overextended
reaches, lunges, falls, etc., all of which increase the odds of
injury, opposed to the safety of controlled mechanical motion
used in weight room workouts. With yoga, the athlete will not
only increase flexibility, but also increase poise and balance
from the practice of the yoga holding/balancing poses. When
balancing poses are mastered the athlete is then conditioned to
unconsciously recover from any imbalances their body may
experience, staying centered in action, moment by moment
during play. This is when the athlete begins to perform
miraculous stunts. He is able to use his body in ways he never
thought possible while remaining centered and injury free.
Yoga also helps strengthen connective tissue, break down
adhesions (tiny scar tissue) from old injuries and over-training
that have tightened as we age, thus helping create mobility of
the joints and an anti-aging posture. The deep rhythmic
breathing performed in yoga also creates and builds up one’s
life force energies or Prana.
Meditation
Meditation is somewhat synonymous with self-reflection, or
turning our gaze inwards helping us to transform our mind (I
almost think of it as exercise for our brain). Through
controlled breathing, visualization, and clearing of the mind
we gain all sorts of insight as to who we are. Increased selfawareness, concentration, and mental clarity are all benefits
we typically see with consistent (this is the part I know I
always struggle with) meditation practice. By simply being in
the space and body that we are, we not only help ourselves to
better understanding our self, but our behaviors as well (this
includes the habits we may practice).
Yoga and meditation have fit together over hundreds of years,
helping people stay both physically and cognitively fit. By
bringing these two practices together, we become better
informed and in tune with our bodies and mind – ultimately it
connects us with ourselves, helping us to become a more
well-rounded individual. Through bringing these two aspects
of ourselves together we see greater success with developing
and maintaining healthy habits over time
The role of yoga in sport and exercise
Yoga is a discipline that seers and saints have been practicing
since ancient times to bring flexibility to the spine and joints,
to keep the muscles of the body pliable and youthful, increase
circulation in arteries and strengthen internal organs. And yet,
yoga is so much more than this. Yoga has been said to help
strengthen the power of concentration, to banish constipation,
to relieve stomach disorders, improve muscle coordination
and reduce excess body fat. Yoga has also been said to
strengthen the mind-body connection, bring calmness and
relaxation to mind, enhance self-confidence, strengthen selfdiscipline and self-resolve, reduce stress / anxiety and
increase vitality and energy throughout the body. Evidently, it
would appear that yoga has extensive benefits and can help us
to be a more balanced, relaxed, focused, efficient and
effective person. The benefits of yoga can thus be applied to a
variety of disciplines including professional sporting athletes.
~ 754 ~
International Journal of Physiology, Nutrition and Physical Education
In order to understand how Yoga can benefit professional
sports persons, it is necessary to explore what is required to
play a sport and play it well. It is well acknowledged that to
play any sport, whether it be tennis, volleyball, surfing,
swimming or running, we must develop the basic skills and
continually train the body so that we can apply the skill in a
refined and polished way. This of course requires
considerable time, energy and commitment to practice the
skill at hand. Having a body that is flexible, strong and
controlled is also another important consideration, if one is
not able to move the body with the grace, velocity and speed
required, then performance will be lackluster. Similarly, if a
person is not able to maintain endurance or stamina for the
required duration, the performance will be diminished. In
order to play a sport well, it is also necessary that a person is
able to focus and concentrate with confidence on the task at
hand without distraction or timidity. As such, dealing with
distractions, adversity and stress is an important component.
As such, in addition to being able to maintain mental poise
and balance, it is essential for a professional athlete to have a
high degree of alertness, concentration and focus throughout
the sporting match / event. How then can yoga assist in
strengthening the mind and body to allow a sports person to
perform at their highest potential?
Yoga is the application of physical postures, control of breath,
purification and relaxation of mind / body and spiritual
principles aimed at bringing greater unity and balance to the
mind and body. Yoga teachers a person how to link the mind
and body and to come into the present. The use of pranayama
and breathing techniques prescribed in Yoga enables a person
to focus on breath and helps to calm and still the mind and
cultivate concentration ability. Swami Vishnudevananda
mentions the importance of pranayama for strengthening
concentration and calmness of mind through stillness of
breath, he states “through pranayama, man’s will-power, selfcontrol and concentration power can be increased”. Internal
cleansing methods prescribed in Hatha Yoga are beneficial for
professional athletes to not only improve purity of body and
overall physical wellbeing, but to also enhance one’s
concentration ability as well. Swami Vishnudevananda
highlights this point, he states “when the body is free from
physical impurities, the concentration power of the mind
increases to a very high degree.” Pranayama can also help to
energise and revitalize the body.
The prescription of Yoga asanas also help to develop the
control and concentration of the mind. Being able to hold a
posture with steadiness, relaxation and comfort requires that a
person is able to focus their mind for an extended period of
time. This helps for developing strength and concentration in
mind / body and is beneficial to playing sports at highly
competitive levels. Asanas also help to create harmony and
balance between the mind and body and help to achieve a
healthy body and stable mind, they are aids for controlling the
mind through physical discipline. Through asana the
functioning and efficiency of internal organs is improved and
this consequently effects all other parts of the body in a
positive manner. Cells are nourished and revitalized and the
internal functioning of body organs is enhanced.
Conclusion
Yoga is able to mobilize joints, stretch tissues and ligaments,
tone muscles, bring flexibility to the spine and strengthen
internal organs. Yoga exercises are based on the formula of
stretching, relaxation, deep breathing, increasing circulation
and concentration. As such, yoga is beneficial to a