Yoga Components

Some people say Yoga is "not that and this" but a "Gym has all this!"

Yoga has following components:

a. Stretching
b. Cardiovascular
c. Weight Bearing
d. Muscle Toning and Strengthening
e. Flexibility Improvement.
f. Self Massaging

Besides that Yoga has Meditation, between and during Aasanas, between PraNaayaamas, and at the end of Yoga Session. Yoga is not only Physical, it is also a Mental, Emotional and Soul-level exercise.

The only thing is that Yoga needs time and slowing down of mental pace and body clock as part of the regime. Once you discipline yourself towards that, it is like getting a Milion Dollar Massage and going to Hawai on a vacation!

Doing Yoga is fresh air and open space, specially in morning, with the Nature and softness of grass with the Morning Dew, has its own benefits.

Yoga utilizes the principle of opposites, like Forward Bend followed by Backward Bend, and symmetry and anti symmetry, like Right Extention/Flexion/Adduction/Abduction balanced by the Left pairing Extention/Flextion/Adduction/Abduction to counter-balance, and create push-and-pull forces.

Stretching - Muscles and body tissues as such have a tough time discharging toxins, and that is one reason, why drinking a lot of water helps. When one stretches, the tissues get squeezed like a soaking wet towel, and the rate of excretion of the body waste from the tissues accelerates. Also the tissues burn energy in the process, and Heart Beat also increases to keep up with the fresh need of nutritional supplies. It also "strokes" the cells, and nerve endings, that increases the production of endorphins (like Morphine), which makes the body feel less pain and more pleasure. This also improves the Blood Circulation, as the vascular volume increases in the stretched part and that leads to Heart beating faster to supply more energy. Then there is a massaging effect also, which is good for the tissue's "well being".

Cardiovascular - In Yoga, the Heart is gently nudged to beat faster over a long time, off and on, and it builds an endurance that is more practical to life. Jogging and fast-paced exercises are good but they maximize one parameter only, that is the heart-beat - and perhaps at expense of increased production of Lactic Acid and soreness of body muscles. Besides the heart-beats increasing in Stretching, in Surya-Namaskar Aasan (Sun Salution), Paschim-Othan Aasan(Forward Stomach Bend) and inverted poses like Sheersh Aasan (Head Stand), Sarvanga Aasan (Shoulder Stand) and Hal Aasan (Plough), it also increases either beacuase of Lung's capactity being restricted, like in Forward Stomach Bend, or in Plough, or 1/3 of Body's Blood being pumped extra into the Heart, making the heart Expand, like in during Inverted Exercises. Besides that a mere physical energy required to do some Aasans paces up the heart slowly. During Aasanas, one is suppose to relax and capture back his or her normal breath and heart beats. Expansion of Heart with extra 1/3 Body Blood makes the heart Flexible and avoids plaque building up in Heart Muscles and in its Veins/Arteries. It is like a "Baloon Angio" Effect and similar effect is observed in Aasans and Stretches for others parts of bodies' vein and arteries.

Weight Bearing - In Yoga, one makes the body a Gym, and uses it to do weight lifting. Examples are Head Stand, Salabh Aasan (Scorpion), and many other Aasans. It may look very simple, but it is very subtly tough. Like doing the Kaga Aasan (the crow) one will know what focus, and weight bearing one needs to do.

Muscle Toning and Strengthening - Muscle Flabbing happens with aging and lack of exercises. In Yoga the principle of Opposites and Symmetry/Anti Symmetry is exploited for this. In fact, one can remove wrinkles and improve eye-sight as well, and get rid of Asthama. But having a faith and positive attitude is very important followed by discipline (which is hard to keep with the rat-race fast paced life style we lead). This also helps in old age related sickness and ailments. Muscles are equally important as the Skelton Frame.

Flexibility - Modern Science has established that the Degree of Flexibility is one of the indicators for Physical Wellness. If one goes to a Proactive Wellness Program as part of Health Insurance, one will notice that they also talk about this. In Chinese, there is a saying, the more Flexible you are, the more Alive you are! In Urdu, there is a saying, "Murda Kya Khaak Mudaa Karte He", or "What!, Dead can hardly move!!".

Self Massage - Internal and External Organs get the massage and stimulated, which is good for the Body as confirmed by the Modern Medicine. At the end of a Yoga Sessions, people often go to sleep during Meditation, because they feel so good, and if not then, after a few hours and specially after a hot shower. It is advisable though that one does not have bath after a Yoga session for a few hours, and has a shower before a Yoga session.


Finally Pranayama, helps one improve Meditation and other aspects of life like Ablutions.