Therapeutic Effects of Yoga & The Five Points

Yoga is a holistic system. This means that yoga focuses on all aspects of the self: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. While asanas and meditation are likely the most commonly known practices within yoga, there are so many more… and there’s probably some you wouldn’t have categorized as yoga but fall under the yogic umbrella.

The origin of yoga started with the concept that your physical body is a temple and a vehicle for your soul. It is believed that harmony and balance must be cultivated and nurtured in order to keep that vehicle running smoothly… as well as to maintain optimal connection between the physical self and the soul.

How do you keep your vehicle running smoothly?
Maintenance.
Care.
Discipline.
And looking at the entire system rather than just focusing on one aspect.

In yoga “maintenance” is defined within the Five Points of Yoga. Within these five points, simple living and high thinking are the foundational tenets, and each point benefits mind, body and soul in some way. Meaning, nothing within the system works alone. One always affects the whole.

Let’s break down each of the five points to reveal the therapeutic effects yoga provides you.

Proper Exercise

In yoga, this is commonly termed as “asana”. But what does asana mean? Originally asana was considered a seated meditation posture. Now, it is simply any body posture. While within the yogic community there are already developed postures (those you see and practice in yoga classes), this can really refer to any form of exercise.

When you lift weights or go for a walk, have you ever noticed how you use your breath to help you? You try to slow it down or gather more control within your breath in order to help you push a little further. Same focus occurs in yogic asanas.

So why is this important?

Asanas, or movement, is key in maintaining cardiovascular health, respiratory health, lubricates your joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and organs, and increases circulation and flexibility. Flexibility within the spinal column, for example, which houses your nervous system, increases circulation, which ensures oxygen and nutrients are supplied to your nerves.

Not to mention, have you ever practiced asanas, or exercised, and found that your mind became quieter? Your focus and attention is on the physical body, feeling it, moving it, pushing it, that there is no focus other than that present moment.

Proper Breathing

“Pranayama” is the term for the focus on the breath. It is conscious breathing. This idea of conscious breathing is becoming more mainstream. I’m sure we’ve all had those moments in life where we suddenly recognize our breathing is shallow or labored. You’ve probably become aware of it and then consciously decided to take a deep breath right after.

Breath in this physical body is life.

It not only allows you to move but it can be seen as our battery, or the connector to the battery. Have there been times in your life where you needed to focus more clearly or relax, so you took a few deep breaths? When we properly breathe, we receive both physical and mental rejuvenation.

In yoga, the ability to control your breath translates to the ability to control your mind. Going back to the exercise example, breath control is key when you exercise in any form. It allows you to push further and persevere, even when your mind is telling you to quit.

Proper Relaxation

Have you ever been in a yoga class after a really rough day, the teacher guides you into savasana, and for the life of you, you just… can’t… relax…? Or, moving outside of the yogic examples, at the end of the day, are there times when you struggle to let it all go and relax into the evening?

Proper relaxation is key to the Five Points of Yoga because, like a vehicle, it cannot continuously run without a chance to cool down. Your body is the same way!

When you don’t give yourself and your body a chance to cool down and relax, your efficiency diminishes. We’re meant to rest and recharge. Similarly to how sleep allows for your body to heal and repair from the previous day.

Proper relaxation allows tension to be released from the body, easing the muscles and all systems within the physical body, rejuvenating the nervous system and allowing the mind to settle. Breathwork, or pranayama, can also be used to assist you in reaching proper relaxation, which only further strengthens your circulatory and respiratory systems.

Proper Diet

Commonly within yoga, a vegetarian diet is emphasized. The reason being is due to the focus on whole foods that are as closely connected to the earth as possible. However, every body is unique and different. And whether you follow a plant-based diet or not, we can all agree that whole foods and food harvested and consumed with intention is key. This simply means less processed foods and food that actually have an expiration date.

Proper diet is viewed as fuel and nutrients for the physical body and the mental and emotional bodies. Science continues to show and support the gut-brain connection. What you consume matters. And it has an effect on much more than just physical health. Anxiety and depression are two examples that are largely affected by the foods we consume.

Positive Thinking & Meditation

We all have and participate in subconscious beliefs and thinking. And hey, we’re only human and sometimes life can just be down-right difficult. But how many of you can relate to experiencing a bad mood, or feeling stressed, and therefore, all the overwhelming thoughts show up to the party and … things just get worse.

One negative thought leads to another, and then a negative belief pops up too which just continues that vicious cycle until you’re on an endless loop of negativity. And now your day is ruined.

There’s a reason we see more and more motivational speakers and thought leaders saying the same thing:

Find time for stillness.
Pay attention to your recurring, unintentional thoughts.
Examine those deep-seated, conditioned beliefs you’ve carried your whole life.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “your ego will scream at you while your intuition whispers”? That’s your conscious vs. subconscious minds. Practicing being still, quiet and present with yourself will allow for increased mental and spiritual clarity. Not to mention, I don’t know about you but, if someone is screaming at me all day, that’ll sure increase my stress, a.k.a cortisol and adrenaline, which also affects the physical body.

Yoga extends far greater than the yoga class in a studio, and is actually practiced by everyone. The Five Points of Yoga is simply a way to define a holistic approach to health and well-being. It aims to nourish all aspects of the self, because as we also know definitively, they all work and coalesce together. So whether you’re a self-subscribed yogi, or someone who has never attended a yoga class in their life, simply remember this: move your body, pay attention to your breath, allow yourself to relax, nourish your body with foods that feel good for you, and allow the quiet and stillness … you’ll hear your most authentic self a little clearer.

And if you’re still here and this has piqued your interest or stoked your fire to nourish your whole self, we have a class for you.