Family medicine practitioner and yoga instructor Dr R. Bhuvaneswari tells you why you should hit the mat and how to go about it.
1. How does yoga help improve general wellbeing?
Yoga is about being in the present – being aware of one’s actions and taking charge of one’s body, breathing and mental fitness. The study of yoga can start by asanas, pranayama, reading yoga texts or by mindfulness. However we start, as we progress, we learn to appreciate the holistic nature of a person’s being and how fitness and disease can affect different aspects of a person in positive and negative ways. Yoga can be an adjuvant therapy in managing illnesses. (Adjuvant therapy is provided in addition to the primary treatment.)
Yoga lets you take charge of your life and become an equal participant in the healing process by maintaining physical fitness through asanas (appropriate to your abilities and condition). You improve breathing and reduce stress through pranayama. Yoga also has a positive effect on one’s ability to accept one’s condition and maintain an optimistic outlook. Yoga also advocates a healthy lifestyle, which adds to your sense of wellbeing and quality of life.
2. How do you choose the instructor who is right for you?
- Firstly, assess your needs and goals.
- Research and identify yoga centres that have a good reputation, meaning they are efficient and ethical.
- Visit the centre and meet the yoga instructor. See if you feel comfortable in accepting that person as your instructor and are confident of his or her ability to help you achieve your goals.
- Monitor your progress constantly. Assess the efficacy of the course and communicate your thoughts to the instructor. The instructor should also constantly be reflecting on your progress and adjusting the practice accordingly.
- Always meet and try out the instructor for yourself. Do not follow recommendations blindly.
- The same rules hold for individual instructors instead of yoga centres. The focus should be on integrity, expertise and ease of communication.
3. Should you use a yoga video or a yoga magazine as a learning tool?
It’s better not to. You can get an idea about yoga from reading magazine articles or watching videos. But if you want to start practising it, it’s better to have a tutor, be it in a group class or an individual class as the tutor can point out your mistakes and help you fine-tune your pose to get the most benefit.
4. Do you have to start yoga while you are still young and flexible?
No. It’s never too late to start yoga. You can start practising yoga at any age or fitness level. You can start with asanas, where the focus is purely on perfecting the right physical posture. The instructor should take into consideration your age, fitness level, any ailment you may have, medications, diet, daily activities etc, before drawing up a course of yoga that suits you.
Once a certain level of comfort is reached with the asanas, then the instructor may gradually introduce breath control, meditative practices, chanting and visualisations.
The individual is always viewed holistically – mental and physical - and the healing or wellness of all layers of the body from the gross (physical) to the subtle is the attainable goal.
To achieve all-round wellness through yoga, this is the ideal progression: from physical to breath to mental to spiritual levels. This progression should come from the inner conviction of the practitioner. But, it is also fine to focus just on yoga’s physical benefits if you are so inclined.
5. What guiding principles should you keep in mind when embarking on a course of yoga?
- No over-enthusiasm. Do not push the body beyond its limit. Yoga is ‘ahimsa’ first – do no harm. So start slow, start safe.
- No over-greed. Do not try to achieve tougher poses in a short time. Start steady.
- No comparison with classmates regarding poses or progress. Each one is at a different level. Start at yours.
- Yes to honest communication with the instructor. Don’t hold back about your health issues, life style, drugs, medications and other concerns.
