According to scientists, yoga originated in India in the 4th millennium BC. So why does it continue to be popular all over the world today, in the 21st century?
Many people perceive yoga as an ordinary set of physical exercises, sometimes quite unusual in the eyes of a European.
However, yoga is a much broader concept, which includes not only physical, but also spiritual and mental practices that allow a person to control the functioning of his body at the level of physiology and psyche, to harmonize them.
Without going into the depths of yoga philosophy, we will try to answer the question: what are the benefits of yoga for health in general and especially women’s health?
What are the benefits of yoga for women?
Usually women start doing fitness or exhaust themselves in the gym to lose weight or get a figure , to get beautiful shapes. But most of these activities develop individual body parts and muscle groups. Yoga is aimed at harmonizing the entire body, all its organs and systems.
Yoga is especially useful for women, and this is due to the peculiarities of the structure and functioning of the female body: menstruation and PMS (premenstrual syndrome), pregnancy, childbirth and feeding a child - all this is a woman’s lot.
For many women, PMS and menopause cause nervousness and increased irritability; after pregnancy, significant weight gain is often observed.
Yoga can provide significant assistance in solving all these and many other problems. Yoga classes are indicated for various target groups: both for girls and women of all ages, including after 50 years, and specially selected complexes are even for pregnant women, so that childbirth is easier and the figure recovers faster after it.
The benefits of yoga for a woman’s body are numerous:
- the work of all organs and systems is activated: blood pressure is normalized, digestion is improved, blood and lymph flow is stimulated, as well as metabolism, and the overall tone of the body increases;
- a woman’s appearance changes for the better: her gait and movements become more graceful;
- thanks to more intensive blood supply, skin condition and complexion improves; the skin throughout the body becomes more elastic and toned, and by strengthening the muscles, cellulite is also reduced;
- thanks to improved blood circulation in the pelvis, women's health is strengthened, gynecological problems are reduced, PMS and menopause are less pronounced;
- The ability to cope with stress and control your emotional state increases.
And this is not a complete list of the beneficial effects that yoga has on the female body and the functioning of the hormonal system.
The benefit of yoga for women also lies in overcoming the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle and a purely female problem - high heels, which are harmful not only to the spine (osteochondrosis, pain in the lumbar region), but also cause varicose veins, muscle tension, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.
What types of yoga are especially beneficial for women?
Hatha yoga is especially useful for beginners. With its help, you can achieve a balance between different types of energy - active and passive, learn to be active without straining, and relax without falling into apathy. Here, a special role is given to the correct breathing technique, because the name itself is translated from Sanskrit as “inhale-exhale.”
Kundalini yoga also pays great attention to the development of special breathing techniques. Kundalini is translated as “coiled snake”, which implies “hidden power” - energy that needs to be awakened so that it spreads from its place of concentration at the base of the spine to all chakras.
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According to one interpretation, yoga is the achievement of harmony. Perhaps this is why yoga classes have now become very popular among women. Various specialized disciplines have emerged, such as yoga for women’s health and beauty, for weight loss, for pregnant women, “for those who are over …”. The benefits and harms of yoga for women is the topic of our article today: let’s organize classes correctly!
Yoga for women - what is it?
Ideally, yoga is a complex discipline addressed to the very essence of a person, including deep philosophy, restructuring of consciousness, various techniques of meditation and relaxation, proper breathing, and specially combined static and dynamic physical activity, involving deep layers of muscles and preventing formation of clamps. The goal of yoga is to learn to manage yourself, including control of your body. And here there is no fundamental division into “male” and “female” exercises. But at the same time, there is an understanding that the female body, like female energy in general, needs a special approach, as well as additional attention during certain periods. And by women's yoga we usually mean appropriate sets of exercises and the organization of classes in target groups.
This does not happen immediately, but with regular exercise and correctly selected loads, the internal currents of the body are harmonized, muscles and ligaments are strengthened, and the mobility of joints and the spine increases. As a result:
- Correct posture appears, metabolism is normalized and excess body weight disappears, a tightening effect is manifested;
- Muscle elasticity increases;
- The immune system is strengthened, resistance to a number of diseases increases: colds, arthritis, headaches, lung diseases, and so on;
- The skin tone increases, it becomes more toned and elastic, the formation of wrinkles and swelling is prevented;
- Vessels are strengthened and blood pressure is normalized, blood viscosity is reduced; the risk of strokes is reduced;
- The hormonal system is normalized, which helps, among other things, get rid of unhealthy appetite;
- Stress levels are reduced, depression is relieved, and sleep improves.
All this undoubtedly affects women’s health and beauty; a noticeable rejuvenating effect is observed. In addition, specialized sets of exercises are useful, for example, those that improve blood circulation in the pelvis, or dynamic complexes for weight loss. Yoga for pregnant women includes poses and breathing techniques that provide relief to women during labor and childbirth.
As a gymnastics, yoga can be quite extreme, especially when separated from breathing exercises and exercises for mind control and relaxation. If you look at the pictures showing what poses are taken in yoga classes by “experienced” people, it becomes obvious that trying to repeat this is easy to get injured. The most common are muscle and ligament sprains (for example, some people damage the Achilles tendons by overdoing an asana such as downward-facing dog pose), joint damage, and various spinal injuries. Extreme attempts to turn the head can injure the vertebral arteries, leading to the formation of blood clots or compression of the arteries, with subsequent brain damage.
When we talk about the harm that classes bring, this applies both to those who do complex poses without proper preparation, and to those who decide that they are already quite experienced and excessively increase the load, striving to achieve maximum results.
A common mistake is also the incorrect use of pranayama.. Intense breathing exercises, as well as deep breath holds, can create an imbalance in the nervous system. Which leads to nervous disorders or loss of concentration, inability to concentrate. The conclusion is quite simple: improperly organized classes cause harm.
It’s trivial, but... in order to avoid negative consequences and get the expected benefits, it is important to organize classes correctly. (For women, especially on the days of the cleansing cycle, for example, do not perform inverted poses on these days and those in which the abdominal area is tense). Let's pay attention to three points:
- First, the load must be calibrated and the preparation thorough; yoga is truly an effective tool;
- Secondly, the recommended poses do not always correspond to the natural curves of the body and the developed flexibility of joints and ligaments (for example, since childhood we are not accustomed to sitting on the floor with our legs crossed), use auxiliary materials: blankets, bolsters, yoga belts;
- Third, listen to yourself, classes should bring pleasure and a good mood, even if difficult moments arise, efforts should not be excessive.
Yoga is a series of asanas (postures) that allow you to improve flexibility and achieve spiritual and physical harmony. But it is not a cure for all problems and, despite its many advantages, it has its drawbacks. Yoga: benefits and harm for women - what is more?
In order to get the maximum benefit from classes, you need to follow some rules.
All classes are based on breathing. Breathing exercises in yoga are called pranayama. First, exhale so that the stale air leaves your lungs. During breathing, the abdominal muscles and diaphragm are involved in the process. Thanks to proper breathing, the body relaxes, oxygen enters the brain, and well-being improves.
Do not fuss during classes under any circumstances. Each asana is performed at a measured pace. Focus on your breathing and the exercise you are doing.
Ideally, for classes you need to allocate a special bright room where street noise does not penetrate.
Listen to your body. Yoga should bring only positive feelings. If you experience pain while performing an asana, then the exercise should be replaced.
Types of yoga
There are several interesting types of yoga. If you read this list, you will definitely find something for yourself.
Hatha
The Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine conducted the study. It turned out that women who practice hatha yoga cope with stress faster than others.
You can start with the classic version: asana - even breathing - hold - exit from the asana.
Ashtanga Vinyasa
This type of yoga is especially popular among teenagers, as it is similar to aerobics. Ashtanga Vinyasa includes nine vinyasas (dynamic asanas using special breathing techniques), which flow from each other without stopping. At the same time, it is important to concentrate on breathing, do not forget about relaxation and perform asanas in the prescribed sequence. This type of yoga burns about five hundred calories per hour (equivalent to a bar of chocolate). So those who think yoga is boring will be surprised by Ashtanga.
Yin yoga
The name yoga comes from the word “Yin”. It symbolizes the peaceful feminine principle. Each asana requires a delay of three to five minutes. Yin yoga does not require a trainer, because the main thing here is not correct execution, but personal comfort.
Power Yoga
Power translated from English means “strength”. This type of yoga is similar to Ashtanga in its dynamism. The difference is that power yoga does not require the order of asanas - you can perform different exercises each time.
Iyengar
This type of yoga is useful for people recovering from injuries. The asanas included in it are aimed at the harmonious development of the body and its perfection from the point of view of anatomy. You need to stay in each asana for three to four minutes.
The journal JAMA Internal Medicine conducted a study and proved that Iyengar yoga relieves chronic back pain in four months.
Bikram
The so-called “hot yoga”. The room is heated to a temperature of forty degrees. Such conditions improve muscle elasticity and remove waste, toxins and extra pounds from the body.
Yogalates
This is a partial synthesis of yoga (asanas that develop flexibility) and Pilates (strength exercises). This alternation leads to stronger muscles, beautiful relief and a slender body.
The benefits of yoga
So how is yoga beneficial for women?
Flexibility
One of the first things that is associated with yoga. And for good reason. All asanas are aimed at developing flexibility and strengthening muscles. Thanks to this, body tone increases.
In some cases, a person’s height may increase by a centimeter or two after systematic yoga practice.
Healing
Yoga classes promote the healing of joints and bones, and alleviate the situation with sprains, dislocations, and fractures. This happens because during exercise, blood circulation improves and provides damaged cells with nutrients. This relieves pain and promotes faster healing.
Yoga can also prevent all this damage.
Weight loss
Asanas do not carry a strong physical load, so you will not be able to lose weight quickly. But yoga can influence your diet, make it healthier, which will result in weight loss. Yoga also reduces appetite and normalizes metabolism.
Slenderness
Unlike losing weight, the result here is clear - after regular yoga classes, the body will become slim and toned, and the posture will be admirable.
Leather
The skin is toned, becomes elastic and toned, and the risk of early wrinkles is reduced.
Effects on the brain
Yoga strengthens motor memory, improves coordination, concentration and reaction.
The cardiovascular system
All asanas help improve the condition of the cardiovascular system and increase endurance. The heart processes a larger volume of blood, because of this the body receives a sufficient amount of oxygen.
Treatment of diseases
Hatha yoga is successful in treating asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure, and improves the general condition of rheumatism, epilepsy and hysteria.
Before taking the medicine, make sure that you have no contraindications to it. The situation is the same with yoga. Here's what's not compatible with it:
- diseases of internal organs in the acute stage (appendicitis, pancreatitis, etc.)
- blood diseases
- disorders of the cardiovascular system
- oncological diseases
- inguinal hernia
- the first six months after a heart attack or stroke
- infections in the brain or spinal cord
- increased blood pressure or body temperature
- serious mental disorders (schizophrenia)
- ARVI, flu, sore throat
- back problems
Yoga should not be practiced by pregnant women who are more than three months pregnant and within four months after giving birth.
Many girls (but not all) say that yoga during menstruation leads to severe pain.
Some girls, having seen enough pictures of professional yogis doing unimaginable poses, try to repeat it. In vain. Often this only leads to injuries: muscle and ligament sprains, spinal injuries and joint damage.
A beginner can exaggerate the concept of “pranayama” and breathe too actively. This will lead to an imbalance in the nervous system, loss of concentration.
The ideal option is to contact a trainer. Nowadays there are many unqualified people who teach yoga, so before you pay money, make sure the teacher is reliable.
Recently, yoga has become a mainstream sport, especially among women. Everyone finds their own panacea in it. With the help of yoga, people try to lose weight, find inner balance, cure scoliosis and much more. Let's remember what else discipline is useful for.
The benefits of yoga have never been questioned. The first mentions of philosophy were found on the seals of the Indus civilization 3300 - 1700 BC. Previously, yoga was inextricably linked with religion, but now it is more isolated and universal: a person of any religion, age, gender can practice this philosophical gymnastics.
The word "yoga" is deciphered ambiguously. This is “harmony”, and “exercise”, and “unity”, but, in fact, it is a synthesis of these concepts. The peculiarity of yoga is a combination of special exercises, proper breathing, philosophy, relaxation and even music. Yoga helps you get away from the daily game of racing against time and feel the harmony of body and soul.
How to start doing yoga
Don't throw yourself into the pool headlong! Yoga is not fun and requires preparation. Don't start with difficult exercises, you will come to them over time. Moreover, difficulty can quickly wear you down and, in this case, harmony will remain just around the corner.
Stock up on the necessary attributes for training. Choose a quality mat that suits your height, as well as comfortable, loose-fitting but tight-fitting clothing.
Yoga styles for beginners - "dark forest". Therefore, when choosing, be guided by the purpose of the lesson. Don't be afraid to try several different techniques to find the right one. Consult with professionals.
A motivating and disciplinary option would be to purchase a subscription to a yoga studio. It is difficult for a beginner to grasp the subtleties of the exercises on their own. At first, it is advisable to exercise under the supervision of a trainer; the first weeks of training may be accompanied by “side effects.”
Remember that complex asanas and twists can do more harm than help to an unprepared person. And some yoga poses are completely impossible to do without a psychological attitude. This applies to the most complex asanas, which are performed on the head and standing on one hand.
Yoga puts a lot of stress on joints and muscles, so don't overexert yourself, listen to your body and use massage oils. Meditation techniques will help you avoid muscle and emotional stress. Some of them are not at all difficult to master.
And for theoretical support, we recommend the following books: “Jivamukti Yoga” by Sharon Gannon and David Life - especially useful for beginners, describes the scientifically based practice of yoga, “Bhagavad Gita” with commentaries by Sri Shailenda Sharma will talk about 18 different techniques, and “Bhagavad Gita” with Paramahansa Yogananda's comments will open new horizons of consciousness.
Use Kapalbhati breathing to warm up before practice.
One of the popular areas is hatha yoga, the benefits of which are to develop flexibility and maintain healthy joints and spine. People with constant emotional overload, stressful or monotonous work should pay special attention to it. The training will calm you down, help you correctly set goals and priorities in difficult tasks, and set the right mood.
Now let’s learn more about how yoga practices affect the body.
What are the benefits of yoga for health?
- The first is strengthening the immune system, every time during training, even with a haphazard approach. Without doing meditation and breathing exercises, you will still get the effect.
- When performing asanas correctly, blood circulation improves and the body becomes stronger. Yoga helps increase the resistance of body cells. By constantly doing yoga, you will forget what seasonal colds are. The body will do an excellent job of fighting infections. And if classes are regular, the effect is multiplied many times over.
- Yoga helps with scoliosis and poor posture. But(!) the choice of technique is especially important here, because performing some exercises can only worsen the condition. The right approach will strengthen your back muscles and relieve pain.
- Yoga is an excellent “pill” for headaches and irritability. It helps remove muscle tension that is formed from slouching, a sedentary lifestyle and bad posture habits. Relieves fatigue and tension.
- The benefits of yoga for the nervous system include immunity to stressful situations and a calmer attitude towards everything that previously could have caused a barrage of negativity.
- We will make a separate point about the benefit of the philosophical component in the fight against a weakened nervous system. Yoga calms you from the inside, creating the right approach to stressful situations.
- One more point emerges from the previous points - the fight against insomnia. The nervous system was calmed, illnesses were eliminated, peace of mind was gained... Insomnia has no choice but to run away with its tail between its legs. Anti-stress relaxation exercises before bed will help you.
- Control of food intake. By combining the physical and respiratory stress of yoga, and feeling harmony, you will begin to enjoy higher desires than the immense consumption of food, and you will begin to act according to the legend of Socrates: “Eat to live, and not live to eat.”
- Philosophical gymnastics treats sexual disorders. We will return to this point later.
- How is yoga beneficial for your figure? It keeps her in shape for many years, keeps her skin young and elastic, strengthens and stretches her muscles. With the help of training and breathing techniques, you can achieve weight loss, active fat burning, and normalization of the hormonal system.
- Benefits for the brain. After doing yoga, your brain thinks many times faster - this is a scientifically proven fact. You develop attention and can control feelings such as anger, fear and dark thoughts.
- Benefits for the heart and breathing. After yoga, the lungs expand, letting in as much oxygen as possible, and the heart strengthens. The risk of having a heart attack or other cardiovascular disease decreases.
The benefits of yoga for the female body
Initially, yoga existed only for the stronger sex, but after a while it became universal. Women will primarily appreciate the benefits of yoga for their figure, but its benefits for the female body as a whole cannot be underestimated. It develops flexibility, creates external and internal harmony, makes a woman more self-confident and reveals sexuality.
The muscles are tightened, strengthened, and the functioning of all internal organs, including reproductive ones, also improves. Yoga helps women fight frigidity. This happens thanks to relaxation techniques and increased blood flow to the genitals.
Exercise will also help relieve menstrual pain and delay menopause. Exercises will strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which will improve sex life and help cope with urinary incontinence.
Yoga is especially important for pregnant women: regular practices relieve pain during contractions. And some asanas help prepare the female body for childbirth or recover after it.
Undoubtedly, a purposeful and balanced woman will feel more confident and look sexier.
The benefits of yoga for men
Try introducing your significant other to yoga. The practices are very useful for men. Yoga not only relaxes, but also tones the male body. When performing asanas, endurance is trained and all muscle groups develop.
Yoga will teach men to relax, which will relieve sexual dysfunction. Correct techniques will ensure blood flow to the genitals and relieve stress, which is the first enemy of an erection.
For men who love yoga, training in fitness rooms is very easy, and they achieve results in less time. The stronger sex will be able to quickly increase muscle mass without working out to the point of exhaustion, as in the gym. Measured yoga exercises give lasting results without injuring the muscles.
Do yoga with the whole family. There are no age restrictions. Starting yoga classes is a guarantee of your flexibility, healthy joints and elastic muscles. It suits everyone, and it’s never too late or too early to start doing it. You just have to start and your life will change.
From time to time, books and forums dedicated to yogis and yoga classes literally fly up on the Internet.
Also, many patients ask me whether it is worth doing yoga to improve health, to lose excess weight, and so on.
I always answer everyone categorically - no, it’s not worth it. Why am I so adamant in my beliefs?
This question is similar in meaning, for example, to this question: is it worth going to a circus school? Or is it worth becoming a monk? Why do I think these questions are similar? Because yoga is just akin to circus art or monasticism. Or rather, both together.
First of all, yoga is a way of life. It takes away all 24 hours a day from a person. This is a kind of religion, a school, and, as I said, a way of life. Yoga unites the body, thoughts and soul, and therefore, it will need to give both body, soul, and thoughts. Are you ready for this? Somehow I doubt it. Otherwise, there is no need to fence the garden. Just as someone who does not intend to completely part with worldly life should not become a monk.
You can say that all you need from yoga is exercise. Let's assume this is true. Although asanas without a soul are just a kind of gymnastic exercises, nothing more. They will be of little use. However, you want to try. Does this even make any sense?
And I will say no again. Because yoga “exercises” are extremely difficult to perform and carry a high risk of injury. When performing some exercises, such as the one-leg stand, people lose their balance and fall. The second most common injury is ligament damage when performing various asanas (yoga poses). When trying to sit in the lotus position or any other position, you don’t need to put too much pressure and pull your legs. Otherwise, you risk getting a muscle and/or tendon strain.
If you want to stretch, it’s better to do stretching. From my point of view, this is much more effective. Or if you have already planned training for the rest of your life, go to a circus school. There's plenty of it there. Just remember that the “circus people” have a completely different life. Keep this in mind.
But let’s say that you have a lot of free time and inherited money. And you want to devote yourself to yoga completely and completely. Let yoga become your way of life. What could I say in this case? - Yes, the same thing, no!
Since you are reading my article, it means you know Russian. And I can assume that you were not born in Delhi or Calcutta, but most likely in Samara or Zhitomir, am I right?
When I was little, everyone wondered why only Caucasians traded at the market? Why don't the Russians go there? Yes, because in order to trade WELL, you need to be born in the Caucasus.
The same is true with yoga. In order to become a full-fledged yogi, you had to be born in India and have roots from there. Otherwise, all your yoga ventures are doomed to failure. Here's just a small example.
The same external influence can cause a deep shock in an Indian (Indian), a bad mood in a Russian, but an African-American will pass by and not even sneeze even once. Do you feel the difference in your psyche and mentality?