Yoga to the rescue

These exercises from Mary Beth Janssen, author of Rejuvenation: Spa Secrets for Menopause, will help you relax—and may even help keep hot flashes at bay.

Bridge

The Bridge

Lie down on a mat with your knees bent and your feet flat, placed hip-width apart and close to your butt. Your arms should be by your sides. Relax and focus on your breathing. As you let your body sink into the mat, feel your back lengthen and release. Firm your butt and draw your tailbone toward your heels to protect your lower back. Pressing your feet into the mat, slowly lift your spine upward as you inhale, raising your pelvis as high as is comfortable. Keep breathing smoothly. You may stay in this pose for a few breaths or longer, if desired. When you feel ready, exhale and slowly roll back down.

Downward-Facing Dog

Downward-Facing Dog

Kneel on all fours. Knees should be underneath hip­bones, and hands, with fingers spread, should be one-hand’s distance forward of shoulders. On an exhale, lift your butt toward the ceiling, pressing into the floor through your hands. (It’s OK if your heels don’t reach the floor.) Let your head hang between your arms. Breathe smoothly and naturally for several breaths. Release your body back down to all fours. Sit back on your heels, while lowering your torso and head to the floor. Rest in this position for several breaths.

Healing Breath

Sit in a relaxed position. Keeping your shoulders down, inhale through nostrils into lowest part of lungs, and watch your belly moving outward. Exhale completely before the next inhale. Repeat 10 times

Upward-Facing Dog

Lie face down with feet hip-width apart and the tops of your feet pressing into the mat. Place hands, with fingers spread, on either side of your chest, keeping elbows close to your body. Draw tailbone toward heels to protect lower back. Inhale and lift torso and hips off the floor, straightening arms. Keep shoulders drawn down and back. Look forward, keeping neck long and relaxed. Press down through your hands as you keep your body lifting away from the floor. Breathe. On an exhalation, lower your body to the floor. Place your arms by your sides and turn your head to the right for a couple of breaths; repeat with your head turned left.

What Is Menopause?

Menopause
Menopause is simply the name given to the last menstrual period, but for most women it means much more than this.

It is the cycle in a woman’s life when her ovaries stop producing eggs, when her periods begin to stop and when her hormone levels change. Menopause is something that typically happens between the ages of 47 and 53. It means hot flushes, no more periods, an end to a woman’s reproductive years – and is a natural part of her life, which for a women in her teens, 20’s, 30’s and early 40’s, should be far in the future.

Premature Menopause
Early menopause, premature menopause and/or premature ovarian failure are terms that are often used to describe the same condition, whatever the cause.

Age is the key factor, as early or premature menopause is typically used to mean menopause that comes well before the average age of normal menopause — when you’re still in your teens, 20s, 30s, or early 40s. Simply put, it means that the ovaries aren’t working properly. They stop producing eggs years, and in some cases even decades, before they should. This condition affects one per cent of women. Approximately one in every 100 women under the age of 40, one in 1,000 women under 30 and one in 10,000 under 20 experience this condition. In Britain 110,000 women between the ages of 12 and 40 are experiencing premature menopause. Early menopause affects 15% before the age of 45 affects 15% of the population.

Premature Ovarian Failure
Menopause And Climacteric
The term menopause is often used incorrectly. As explained earlier, menopause means your last menstrual period. Climacteric more accurately describes the gradual changes and symptoms which occur as the production of hormones and ovarian function diminishes. The process whereby periods stop is a gradual one, in most cases, and is a long process of changes akin to puberty.

Premenopause
This is the stage where your periods are still regular but the first symptoms such as night sweats and mood swings may occur. However, sometimes it is used to mean the years of your life when your periods are regular and you are fertile. So make sure you know which meaning the word has in the context you are reading it or being told about it.

Perimenopause
Premature menopause is not to be confused with perimenopause. Perimenopause lasts several years on either side of your last menstrual period. Vague symptoms you may not have connected may become significant when viewed as part of perimenopause. It is during this time that you notice the most physical changes, when your periods may become irregular and hot flushes and night sweats may start. During this stage you are still fertile and may conceive although the chances of getting pregnant are often negligible. Perimenopause is the time during which your ovarian hormones start to change and your egg production is significantly reduced. One of the key indicators of this change is the rise of the Follicle Stimulating Hormone levels – see Hormones .

Postmenopause
This term describes the time from after your last menstrual period to the end of your life.

yoga

Meditation means different things to different people, and there are many ways to do it. This topic focuses on a kind of meditation called mindful meditation. This practice may help you relax and relieve stress.

Key points

The goal of mindful meditation is to focus your attention on the things that are happening right now in the present moment. The idea is to note what you experience without trying to change it.
Meditation can help you relax, because you are not worrying about what happened before or what may occur in the future.
You don’t need any special tools or equipment to practice this meditation. You just sit in a comfortable position in a chair or on the floor. Or you can lie down, if that is more comfortable for you.

* If your mind wanders, don’t worry or judge yourself. When you become aware that your thoughts are wandering, simply focus again on the present moment. One way to do this is by paying attention to your body. For example, is your breathing fast or slow, deep or shallow?
* Meditation may bring up certain feelings or emotions. If this happens, don’t try to rid your mind of these feelings. Just focus on what you feel at the present moment. Don’t get lost in the thoughts that those feelings might trigger.

How do you practice meditation?

Getting ready

* Choose a time and place where you can meditate without being interrupted. Try to find a quiet place, but don’t worry if there are some noises, such as traffic. That kind of noise is just part of the present moment.
* When you start, try to meditate for only 10 minutes at a time. Then you can increase the time bit by bit. You can also try meditating for 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening.
* Before you sit down, remind yourself that you are there to focus on the present moment. This may help keep your mind from wandering. Your daily routine and other distractions will all be waiting for your attention after your meditation session.

The practice

* Sit in a comfortable position, either in a chair or on the floor. Or lie down, if that is more comfortable. You can close your eyes, or you can look down, keeping your gaze a few inches in front of you on the floor.
* As you sit, start to pay attention to your breathing. This is a good way to focus your attention on what is happening right now. Don’t try to change your breathing. Just notice how it feels in your lungs and chest.
* If your mind wanders, don’t worry or feel bad about yourself. Try to notice your thoughts, such as “I wonder what I will need to do at my 10 a.m. work meeting.” Then let the thought go, and bring your focus back to the present moment and your breathing. You may do this over and over again during a meditation session. That’s okay.
* During your meditation, you may feel certain emotions, such as anger, impatience, sadness, or happiness. Don’t try to hold on to or let go of these feelings. They are part of your experience of the present moment. Keeping your attention on your breathing will help you stay focused and not get lost in the thoughts that your feelings may trigger. For example, if you feel impatient to finish the meditation so you can start the laundry, see if you can focus on the feeling of the impatience rather than thoughts of the laundry. Where do you feel the impatience in your body? Does it feel tight? Does it affect your breathing?

However, the practice of yoga is much more than a system of physical exercise for health. Yoga is an ancient path to spiritual growth, and originates out of India where Induism is practiced. The practice and goal of yoga dates back to the Upanishads, written between 1000-5000 BC.

History of Yoga – Is it spiritual?
The history of yoga is based in the Indus Valley civilization. The techniques are practiced by the Indus to initiate spiritual growth. The yogis encourage union with the finite jiva (transitory self) and with the infinite Brahman (eternal self). Brahman is a term used by the Hindus to mean “God.” So, what are we supposed to unite with? Yogis usually think of God as an impersonal, spiritual substance, coexisting with all of reality. This doctrine is called pantheism which is the view that everything is God. In the Bible, God reveals Himself as the personal Creator of the universe.

yoga history

Since it is taught by the yogis that everything is God, it then stands to reason, man is God. Christianity, on the other hand, teaches us there is a clear distinction between man and God. Since God is the Creator, we are one of his creations and created “in the image” of God.

Unlike the yogis, the Bible presents man’s primary problem to be sin — a failure to conform to God’s character and standards. The solution is Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. He calls men to freely receive all the benefits of His salvation through faith in Christ alone.

Yoga views man’s problem primarily in terms of ignorance. Man simply does not understand he is God so the solution is enlightenment, or an experience of union with God. In order to reach that goal, there must be a lot of striving and effort which is not needed in the Christian viewpoint.

History of Yoga – Is yoga safe?
Can the methods used in the yoga techniques for exercising be separated from the philosophy? The answer is a distinctive “no” because yoga is considered to be a practice of psychosomatic exercises. There is no way to separate the two. The yoga scholar will tell you that in order to practice yoga in the fullest, one must experience what is called the “kundalini” effect within meditation. What does this mean? For spiritual lessons to be grasped by the soul within the person, the chakra, or different locations within the body where a circle of metaphysical and/or biophysical energy resides, join together in the process. Kundilini stimulates the chakra center to open and release the energy held within. If not done properly, some believe that a person can injure the brain.

By researching the history of yoga, we learn that it is not safe spiritually. Yoga teaches us to focus on ourselves instead of on the one true God. It encourages us to seek the answers to life’s difficult questions within our own conscience instead of in the Bible.

History of Yoga – A Complete Overview of the Yoga History

The saying, “What’s in the past, should stay in the past” – doesn’t work here.

We might already have an idea of what Yoga is but to understand it better, we have to know what it has become as well as its roots and beginnings. A quick look at the history of Yoga will help us appreciate its rich tradition and who knows, it might help us incorporate Yoga into our lives.

Although Yoga is said to be as old as civilization, there is no physical evidence to support this claim. Earliest archaeological evidence of Yoga’s existence could be found in stone seals which depict figures of Yoga Poses. The stone seals place Yoga’s existence around 3000 B.C.

Scholars, however, have a reason to believe that Yoga existed long before that and traced its beginnings in Stone Age Shamanism. Both Shamanism and Yoga have similar characteristics particularly in their efforts to improve the human condition at that time. Also, they aim to heal community members and the practitioners act as religious mediators. Though we know Yoga as focusing more on the self, it started out as community-oriented before it turned inward.

For a better discussion of the history of Yoga, we could divide it into four periods: the Vedic Period, Pre-Classical Period, Classical Period, and Post-Classical Period.

Vedic Period

The existence of the Vedas marks this period. The Vedas is the sacred scripture of Brahmanism that is the basis of modern-day Hinduism. It is a collection of hymns which praise a divine power. The Vedas contains the oldest known Yogic teachings and as such, teachings found in the Vedas are called Vedic Yoga. This is characterized by rituals and ceremonies that strive to surpass the limitations of the mind.

During this time, the Vedic people relied on rishis or dedicated Vedic Yogis to teach them how to live in divine harmony. Rishis were also gifted with the ability to see the ultimate reality through their intensive spiritual practice. It was also during this time that Yogis living in seclusion (in forests) were recorded.

Pre-Classical Yoga

The creation of the Upanishads marks the Pre-Classical Yoga. The 200 scriptures of the Upanishads (the conclusion of the revealed literature) describe the inner vision of reality resulting from devotion to Brahman. These explain three subjects: the ultimate reality (Brahman), the transcendental self (atman), and the relationship between the two. The Upanishads further explain the teachings of the Vedas.

Yoga shares some characteristics not only with Hinduism but also with Buddhism that we can trace in its history. During the sixth century B.C., Buddha started teaching Buddhism, which stresses the importance of Meditation and the practice of physical postures. Siddharta Gautama, the first Buddhist to study Yoga, achieved enlightenment at the age of 35.

Later, around 500″ class=”related_products_container” B.C., the Bhagavad-Gita or Lord’s Song was created and this is currently the oldest known Yoga scripture. It is devoted entirely to Yoga and has confirmed that it has been an old practice for some time. However, it doesn’t point to a specific time wherein Yoga could have started. The central point to the Gita is that – to be alive means to be active and in order to avoid difficulties in our lives and in others, our actions have to benign and have to exceed our egos.

yoga history

Just as the Upanishads further the Vedas, the Gita builds on and incorporates the doctrines found in the Upanishads. In the Gita, three facets must be brought together in our lifestyle: Bhakti or loving devotion, Jnana which is knowledge or contemplation, and Karma which is about selfless actions. The Gita then tried to unify Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Karma Yoga and it is because of this that it has gained importance. The Gita was a conversation between Prince Arjuna and God-man Krishna and it basically stresses the importance of opposing evil.

Classical Period

The Classical Period is marked by another creation – the Yoga Sutra. Written by Patanjali around the second century, it was an attempt to define and standardize Classical Yoga. It is composed of 195 aphorisms or sutras (from the Sanskrit word which means thread) that expound upon the Raja Yoga and its underlying principle, Patanjali’s Eightfold path of Yoga (also called Eight Limbs of Classical Yoga). These are:

1.Yama, which means social restraints or ethical values;
2.Niyama, which is personal observance of purity, tolerance, and study;
3.Asanas or physical exercises;
4.Pranayama, which means breath control or regulation;
5.Pratyahara or sense withdrawal in preparation for Meditation;
6.Dharana, which is about concentration;
7.Dhyana, which means Meditation; and
8.Samadhi, which means ecstasy.
Patanjali believed that each individual is a composite of matter (prakriti) and spirit (purusha). He further believed that the two must be separated in order to cleanse the spirit – a stark contrast to Vedic and Pre-Classical Yoga that signify the union of body and spirit.

Patanjali’s concept was dominant for some centuries that some Yogis focused exclusively on Meditation and neglected their Asanas. It was only later that the belief of the body as a temple was rekindled and attention to the importance of the Asana was revived. This time, Yogis attempted to use Yoga techniques to change the body and make it immortal.

Post-Classical Yoga

At this point, we see a proliferation of literature as well as the practice of Yoga. Post-classical Yoga differs from the first three since its focus is more on the present. It no longer strives to liberate a person from reality but rather teaches one to accept it and live at the moment.

Yoga was introduced in the West during the early 19th century. It was first studied as part of Eastern Philosophy and began as a movement for health and vegetarianism around the 1930′s. By the 1960′s, there was an influx of Indian teachers who expounded on Yoga. One of them was Maharishi Mahesh, the Yogi who popularized Transcendental Meditation. Another one is a prominent Yoga Guru Swami Sivananda. Sivananda was a doctor in Malaysia and he later opened schools in America and Europe. The most prominent of his works is his modified Five Principles of Yoga which are:

1.Savasana or proper relaxation;
2.Asanas or proper exercise;
3.Pranayama or proper breathing;
4.Proper diet; and
5.Dhyana or positive thinking and Meditation
Sivananda wrote more than 200 books on Yoga and Philosophy and had many disciples who furthered Yoga. Some of them were Swami Satchitananda who introduced chanting and Yoga to Woodstock; Swami Sivananada Radha who explored the connection between psychology and Yoga, and Yogi Bhajan who started teaching Kundalini Yoga in the 70′s.

Yoga History
Yoga is more than mastering postures and increasing your flexibility and strength.

“The traditional purpose of Yoga, however, has always been to bring about a profound transformation in the person through the transcendence of the ego,” (Feuerstein 3)

In Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism the word yoga means “spiritual discipline”. People often associate yoga with the postures and stances that make up the physical activity of the exercise, but after closer inspection it becomes clear that there are many more aspects of yoga. It is an activity that has been practiced for thousands of years, and it is something that has evolved and changed overtime. Different factions of yoga have developed since its conception.

The exact history and origins of yoga is uncertain; however, there are pieces that have been connected and allow us to make some conclusions. It is known that yoga originated from the East. The earliest signs of yoga appear in ancient Shamanism. Evidence of yoga postures were found on artifacts that date back to 3000 B.C. Evidence of yoga is found in the oldest-existing text, Rig-Veda. Rig-Veda is a composition of hymns. Topics of the Rig-Veda include prayer, divine harmony, and greater being.

“The primary goal of shamanism was to heal members of the community and act as religious mediators,” (“History of Yoga” 1).

Yoga originally focused on applying and understanding the world. Its focus later changed to the self. Self-enlightenment became the ultimate goal.

It was not until the sixth century B.C. that the poses and meditation became a critical element. They were implimented by Buddhist teachings.

Modern Yoga
Modern yoga is based on five basic principles that were created by Swami Sivananda.

Proper relaxation
Proper exercise
Proper breathing
Proper diet
Positive thinking and meditation

Yoga

Introduction
“Yoga” is one of the most ancient cultural heritage of India. The word yoga in Sanskrit means “to unite”, and so yoga can be said to connote a unitive discipline. In this sense it is an exercise in moral and mental cultivation that generates good health (arogya), contributes to longevity (chirayu), and the total intrinsic discipline culminates into positive and perennial happiness and peace. Therefore, yoga is the said to be indispensable of the ultimate accomplishment in life. It is a science that affects not only the conscious self but the subconscious as well. It is a practical physiological training (kriya yoga), which if practiced can exalt man to the ‘supra mundane level’.

What Yoga Is Not
There are too many misconceptions clouding the science of Yoga. People perceive it to be some kind of black or white magic, sorcery, physical or mental debauchery through which miraculous feats can be performed. For some it is an extremely dangerous practice which should be limited to only those who have renounced the world. Few others think it to be a kind of mental and physical acrobatism that is compatible only to a Hindu mind.

What Yoga Really Is
Yoga is an all-embracing way of life, a science of self-culture and mental discipline that ensures the purgation of the ignoble in man and brings forth what is most noble in him. It is pertinent to all people irrespective of his caste, creed, sex, and religion. It can be beneficial to all – the good and the bad, the sick and the healthy, the believer and the non-believer, the literate and the ignorant, the young and the old. A person may begin at any age and can go on reaping its benefits.

The Origin of Yoga
Yoga had its genesis in the wandering ascetics who sought the solitude of the forests to practice this ancient science and then imparted their knowledge to the ardent students (mumuksu) who lived in their ashrams. The ancient yogins were possessive about this art form and did not make any effort to popularize yoga. The yogic postures and the subsequent stages of yoga were handed down only to the deserving students. Hence, this science remained limited to the confines of the forests or remote caves.Very little was known about this Vedic practice until the Yoga Institute of Santa Cruz, Mumbai was founded in 1918, which became India’s oldest technical institute on Yoga.

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The word yoga means “union” in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India where yoga originated. We can think of the union occurring between the mind, body and spirit.
What is commonly referred to as “yoga” can be more accurately described by the Sanskrit word asana, which refers to the practice of physical postures or poses.

Asana is only one of the eight “limbs” of yoga, the majority of which are more concerned with mental and spiritual well being than physical activity. In the West, however, the words asana and yoga are often used interchangeably.

Yoga Poses
Many people think that yoga is just stretching. But while stretching is certainly involved, yoga is really about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. This is done through the performance of poses or postures, each of which has specific physical benefits. The poses can be done quickly in succession, creating heat in the body through movement (vinyasa-style yoga) or more slowly to increase stamina and perfect the alignment of the pose. The poses are a constant, but the approach to them varies depending on the tradition in which the teacher has trained.

Yoga Classes
In addition to practicing the poses, yoga classes may also include instruction on breathing, call and response chanting, meditation, or an inspirational reading by the teacher. The variety and amount of this will depend on the individual teacher and the yoga tradition in which he or she has trained. Typically, a yoga class at a gym will be more focused on the purely physical benefits of yoga, while one at a yoga center may delve more into the spiritual side. Some people find that the physical practice of yoga becomes a gateway into a spiritual exploration, while others just enjoy a wonderful low-impact workout that makes them feel great…

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If you’ve been apprehensive about attending a yoga class because you’re afraid you won’t be able to bend into the shape of a pretzel, never fear! Yoga is a gentle, slow-moving exercise that helps to create awareness necessary to be in tune with your body. All that matters is that you do your personal best. If you can’t touch your knees at first, no problem: Postures can be modified to accommodate your current level.

And yoga can help us in so many ways. Recently, when Cait was having a mild asthma attack, a friend showed her a special yoga breathing technique that almost miraculously stopped the attack in its tracks. Who knew yoga could be good for asthma? And that’s just the beginning.

Practicing yoga is a perfect way to help deal with Western cultural problems of incorrect posture, aggressive lifestyles, job stress, demanding family lives, overeating and indigestion, and stiff muscles and joints.

The many benefits of yoga include increased flexibility, profound relaxation, clarity of thought, and improved muscle tone and strength, as well as improved balance, coordination, concentration, and oxygen intake.

Yoga practice can also help manage anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, blood pressure, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, depression, diabetes, heart disease, menopausal symptoms, migraines, multiple sclerosis, and osteoporosis.