The Philosophy
The word Yoga means union of the body, mind and soul. Yoga is a spiritual practice, and can be a pathway to good physical health but has nothing to do with giving up one’s own religion. Yoga can be a moving meditation. During yoga, you focus on who you are, in relation to yourself, other people, and to what you consider to be your source of energy. The poses are only one part of the practice of Yoga. When you have achieved your yoga goals, the poses may no longer be necessary as they are done to prepare the body for meditation. Although yoga is historically a spiritual discipline, it has also been used clinically as a therapeutic intervention for patients with chronic low back pain, insomnia, depression and other conditions as cited in the Science section below.
The Art
Yoga is a 5,000 year-old-art, which started as a practice of meditation. Pantanjali wrote the ancient Yoga Sutras, which consisted of 196 short sentences describing what to do to reach full spiritual enlightenment. Westerners associate the practice of yoga with Hatha Yoga that in America has come to mean the physical exercises (asanas), however, the poses and breathing were originally designed so that the poses and breathing enabled the practitioner to meditate. There are three aspects of Hatha Yoga: postures, breathing and meditation. Hatha Yoga is the overall umbrella with other types fitting under it. Hatha Yoga classes (if advertised as such) usually mean a gentle form combining these three factors, postures, breathing and meditation.
The important part of choosing the right yoga approach for you, is to choose a style that matches your level of physical fitness, and to attend a class with a particular teacher to evaluate if the voice, postures, breath and meditation offered by that particular teacher fits your needs.
The Science
The exact mechanism of Yoga actions in therapeutic contexts is not known, but it is thought that the balance of the autonomic nervous system is improved with yoga. This results in a relatively hypo metabolic state that lessons the energy demands on the body. Also, efficiency of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems is enhanced (Mishra, Singh and Dagenais, 2001).
Studies have found that Yoga has a wide range of beneficial physiological and psychological effects on numerous body systems. After Yoga training, the cardiovascular system appears to function more efficiently, showing increased endurance and aerobic power, improved blood flow, lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and decreased heart rate (Pandya, 1999). In a landmark study, Ornish (1983) showed that Yoga training plus dietary changes was associated with a drop of 14 points in cholesterol levels in three weeks and with increased work efficiency of the heart. Another study found reductions in blood pressure, heart and respiratory rate, and body weight among healthy physical education teachers who had already exercised an average of nine years before receiving three months of Yoga training (Telles, 1993).
Additional documented physiological changes that occur after practicing Yoga include: better ability to cope with stress (Schell, 1994; Baldwin, 1999); decreasing levels of serum cortisol; increasing levels of alpha wave activity in the brain (Kamei, 2000); changes in brain activities, including improvements in cortical activities and inhibition of limbic activities (Pandya, 1999); enhanced metabolic function (e.g. increased oxidation of fats and improved anabolic functions (Pandya, 1999); increased levels of mental and physical energy (Wood, 1993); increased spinal and hamstring flexibility (Baldwin, 1999); and significantly decreased hyperglycemia in non-insulin dependent diabetics (Jain, 1993). At least some of these physiological changes, such as diminishment of overt sympathetic tone, are assumed to occur via improved regulatory function of the autonomic nervous system (Pandya, 1999). Research studies have documented the effectiveness of yoga in reducing sympathetic activation and cognitive and somatic arousal and in the treatment of specific medical disorders. For further information, go to: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/backgrounds/mindbody.htm
The National Institutes of Health has funded the following studies related to Yoga
- Efficacy of Yoga for Self-Management of Dyspnea in COPD (Virginia Carrieri-Kohlman, University of California, San Francisco).
- Yoga as a Treatment for Insomnia (Sat Khalsa, Brigham and Women’s Hospital).
- Effects of Yoga on Quality of Life during Breast Cancer (Alyson Moadel, Yeshiva University).
- Evaluating Yoga for Chronic Low Back Pain (Karen Sherman, Center for Health Studies).
- Yoga and Peak Flow Rates in Pregnant Asthmatics (Judith Balk, Magee Women’s Health Corp.)
Current NIH clinical studies
- Evaluating Yoga for Chronic Low Back Pain
- Yoga as a Treatment for Insomnia
- Yoga: Effect on Attention in Aging and Multiple Sclerosis
- Yoga for Treating People at Risk for Diabetes or With Both HIV and Depression
- Yoga for Treating Shortness of Breath in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) The Ohio State University: The Effects of “Mindful Office Yoga” on Physiological and Psychological Indicators of Stress in Healthy Adults ( Klatt, Buckworth)
Practitioner Requirements
To be a registered Yoga Teacher** with Yoga Alliance at the 200-hour level. This assures the client that the yoga instructor has attended a certified yoga school with Yoga Alliance (a National Registry) covering all aspects of yoga philosophy, art and science.
CIM Practitioners
Maryanna Klatt, PhD, RYT
Jennifer Olejownik BA, MS, RYT
Julia McSheffery, RYT
**The CIM offers both individual and group workshops. View our class schedule or e-mail Laura Kunze at Laura.Kunze@osumc.edu