Did you know there are 60,000miles of blood vessels in your circulatory system? Also, are you aware that the complete cycle for a blood cell from the heart through the body back to the heart takes less than one minute? A well-balanced yoga class will provide moderate exercise for the heart muscle during the active part of the class and complete relaxation at the end of class. This balance of moderate work and complete rest is an ideal program for a healthy heart.
Did you know that the endocrine system regulates the secretion of important chemicals into your body’s blood stream? The chemicals have important functions like regulating the fight or flight response. Like all of the systems of the body, the endocrine system is designed to have periods of activity and rest. If this system is operating on red alert status all of the time the glands can be affected. The thyroid can lose its ability to secrete sufficient amounts of thyroxin. The adrenal glands can loose their ability to secrete adequate amounts of adrenaline and the pancreas can loose its ability to secrete adequate amounts of insulin. Yoga balances the endocrine system as a whole by balancing the mind, which then sends a message of balance to the pituitary, the master gland of the endocrine system. The yoga postures have a direct massaging and balancing effect on all the different endocrine glands.
The muscular-skeletal system of the body is designed to provide strong support and free
movement to our frame. Chronic stress, tension and inactivity can limit the body’s natural movement. When the muscles are chronically contracted through physical or emotional trauma, poor posture, and such, the skeleton loses its natural alignment. This may cause wear and tear and conditions such as osteo-arthritis and other chronic pain symptoms. As the muscular system comes back into balance through yoga, healthy alignment of the skeleton occurs, strength and flexibility return and this allows the muscular-skeletal system to be pain free and move with ease through the day.
For a strong immune system the yoga postures, the breathing exercises, the relaxation and meditation practices are fantastic tools. As we know, a strong immune system fights off invaders that can make us sick from invading bacteria or viruses, causing flus, colds etc. Our immune system can also be over working and producing too much mucus, which creates allergy symptoms like, inflamed eyes, headaches, stuffy ears, nose and difficult breathing. Through postures done in a relaxed way, slow, deep breathing and deep relaxation techniques we can calm and settle the nervous system which informs the immune system to stop attacking foreign bodies and decrease the amount of mucus being produced. Our symptoms may subside.
There are more systems at work in our bodies including our respiratory and digestive systems. It’s important to remember we are taking care of a whole large multifaceted system that is designed to work synergistically, in harmony with all of its parts, in order to experience optimum wellbeing. The essential teaching of Yoga is Unity Consciousness, bringing things together, joining all of the systems into balance. This integration is key to the positive benefits that we receive from a regular yoga practice. As our awareness in this deep interconnectedness grows, we can experience a reconnection to the sacred in everyday life and we will truly delight in the joy of being alive.
