Yoga works wonders on mind, body

Yoga expert Umesh Dwivedi says that yoga is excellent both for the mind and body. It is also suitable for all ages, but beneficial only when done regularly

Yoga is very good for older people as it is mild and gentle. But with old age, come several limitations and by the time we are old, we have already developed ailments and caused damage to the body. Starting yoga, early, is therefore a good idea. It keeps you fit through life and even as you age, you are still flexible enough to continue intermediate and advance level of asanas. It is also good to start young as the younger generation is now prone to physical and mental diseases because of sedentary lifestyles. Yoga is not only asanas, but pranayama and meditation too. Yoga begins with physical action, but gradually, cognitive, mental, and reflective actions are integrated into yoga practise. Normal exercise deals with mostly isotonic muscle activity whereas yoga focuses more on isometric activity. Yoga changes the brain Yoga also brings neuroanatomical changes and balances irregularities of the brain’s neuron movements and of the endocrine system responsible for hormonal secretion. Yoga works on both mind and body, and gives importance to breathing with changes of posture in asanas. In yoga, results are a trifle slow, but this is because when you first start yoga, you first have to decondition the body and mind that might be wrongly conditioned for years. Muscle, bones, nerves and organs, therefore, take time to adapt to the new routine. Pranayama also increases ventilatory capacity of the lungs, and oxygen, then, reaches all parts of the body. Results, however, come only after regular practice of yoga. Dietary changesYoga helps in weight loss and cures many autoimmune and psychosomatic ailments, but diet change is a must. Without dietary changes, there is no way that yoga can help. Diet directly affects the mind and body. Yoga is more of a lifestyle than a therapy. It should form a part of your life, just as you do bathing and brushing daily as a preventive action. Many people think that yoga just twice or thrice a week is enough, but in reality, body conditioning (muscle stretching, massaging of organs, and breathing patterns) require continuous practice so that required levels of health and strength are maintained.