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Brentwood Press - DiscoveryBayPress_07.18.08 - Index

JULY 18, 2008 HEALTH & BEAUTY THEPRESS.NET | 11B
Yoga brings body,
mind, spirit together
by Sandy Carmellini
Brentwood Yoga Center
Yoga is a holistic system intended to
purify the mind, body and spirit. The most
popular form of yoga in the West is called
hatha yoga, which is primarily a practice
of yoga postures, breathing techniques
and meditation. While this is yoga, and it’s
very benefi cial for us, it’s just a small part
of the practice.
Yoga is one of the six orthodox systems
of Indian philosophy, and has been
around for nearly 6,000 years. It was collated,
coordinated and systematized by the
great Sage Pantanjali in his classical work
known as the Yoga Sutras. The system is
called yoga (which means to yoke, or join
together) because it teaches the means by
which the individual is united to universal
energy and secures liberation. Pantanjali
enumerates the means to this union as the
Eight Limbs of Yoga, which is a system
for the quest of the soul.
The eight limbs are Yama (universal/moral
laws), Niyama (self purifi cation/discipline),
Asana (physical postures),
Pranayama (rhythmic breath control),
Pratahara (withdrawal of the mind/domination
of the senses), Dhrana (concentration),
Dyana (meditation) and Samadhi
(a state of oneness with the Supreme
Universal Spirit).
I’d like to elaborate on Asana (Sanskrit
for “pose”), the third of the eight
branches – representing physical exercise.
Asanas create health in the body by
developing balance, endurance, agility and
strength. Asanas reduce fatigue, soothe the
nervous system and ease chronic pain by
creating symmetry in the systems of the
body. The mind learns how to communicate
to the muscles in the body in order to
manipulate the limbs into various shapes.
This strengthens neurological pathways
of the brain, which develops intelligence
in the body (some might say “mind/body
connection”). The various shapes of
Asanas stimulate digestive, circulatory,
respiratory and lymphatic reactions.
This is what makes yoga so different
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from other forms of exercise: the various
systems in the body have been worked and
brought into balance. Most people walk
away from yoga class feeling euphoric.
This is due to neurological pathways to
pleasure becoming enhanced; chemicals
like dopamine and seratonin are released
into the brain naturally. We feel good
simply by manipulating the body with
purpose.
As the word “practice” means to continue
without end, so the practice of yoga
is ongoing. Practice unfolds and matures
with time and dedication. Although some
yoga is better than nothing, I recommend
practicing two to three times weekly with
an experienced teacher or at home on your
own. Although I have an established home
practice, I enjoy attending classes with my
teacher. There is an incredible sense of
community that comes from practicing
with others; we help, support and develop
together.
It is essential that you choose a teacher
and style of yoga that you feel safe and
comfortable with. There’s a vast variety of
styles of yoga available today – everything
from Bikram (26 postures in a hot room),
Ashtanga (energetic yoga which involves
jumping into postures and building upper
body strength) to Yin Yoga (holding
postures for long periods of time).
I teach a style of yoga called Iyengar
Yoga, in which we use props to make
poses safe and accessible, which encourages
proper, safe alignment and the ability
to hold poses longer. We also include a
good amount of anatomy and kinesiology
in our instruction.
Whatever style of yoga or teacher you
choose, note that a good teacher understands
the limitations and abilities of each
student. Yoga is not competitive. Your
yoga teacher should be able to direct you
safely into postures, explain the benefi ts of
each posture and adapt the pose for you if
it is beyond your capability.
Sandy Carmellini owns and teaches
at the new Brentwood Yoga Center, 8650
Brentwood Blvd, Suite H. Call 925-240-6864
or visit www.brentwoodyogacenter.com.
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