Yoga For Unity of Mind and Body

Workout fads come and go, but virtually no other exercise program is as enduring as yoga. Yoga has been around for more than 5,000 years. The word yoga itself means “to yoke;” it is the process of connecting the body, mind, and breath that is the essence of yoga. This is what makes yoga different from traditional exercise; yoga has the unique capacity of bringing all aspects of yourself into focus of the task at hand.

“The purpose of yoga is to create strength, awareness and harmony in both the mind and body,” explains Natalie Nevins, a board-certified osteopathic physician. She says: “The relaxation techniques incorporated in yoga can lessen chronic pain, such as lower back pain, arthritis, headaches and carpal tunnel syndrome...Yoga can also lower blood pressure and reduce insomnia.” Yoga can also increase your flexibility, muscle tone, vitality, protection from injury, circulatory health, and athletic performance.

Aside from the physical benefits, one of the most essential benefits of yoga is how it helps a person manage stress, which is known to have devastating effects on the mind and body. “Stress can reveal itself in many ways, including back or neck pain, sleeping problems, headaches, drug abuse, and an inability to concentrate,” says Dr. Nevins. “Regular yoga practice creates mental clarity and calmness; increases body awareness; relieves chronic stress patterns; relaxes the mind; centers attention; and sharpens concentration,” she says.

On a psychological level, research suggests that yoga can teach you how to cope better with stress by cultivating the sensations, thoughts, and emotions that are associated with a given pose. Body-awareness and self-awareness are particularly beneficial, she adds, “because they can help with early detection of physical problems and allow for early preventive action.”