Yoga and Total Health — February 2018

YOGA AND TOTAL HEALTH • February 2018YOGA AND TOTAL HEALTH • February 2018^1919

Hypertension, migraine, constipation,
asthma, hyperacidity are some of
the physical symptoms which have
their origin in mental tension. When
emotional stress does not find a socially
acceptable outlet, it makes in-roads
into the physiological functioning
of the body, and manifests itself as a
physical disorder. As we have already
seen, working women are exposed to
tension on two fronts - domestic and
official. Hence they have to take extra
care in handling their tensions. Yoga
can help a great deal in this matter.
The benefit from yoga comes on two
levels. Yogic exercises help to divert the
mind from the cause of the tension,
and thus afford a relief to the system.
Even such temporary relief goes a long
way in restoring the system back into
gear. On a higher and more permanent
level, Yogic instructions help a person
to take the proper perspective in
handling situations that are likely to
create tension; it so to say, nips the
trouble in the bud.

A few overall exercises for the spine,
a couple of breathing practises,
proper relaxation technique and
psychosomatic training, combined
with proper dietary habits form the
sum total of Yogic instructions that are
useful to a person for leading a healthy
and happy life.

A very common complaint made
against yoga is that it is rather time
consuming, and hence difficult to fit
into the busy schedule of a working
person. A working woman being
doubly busy may have even more
doubts about accommodating yoga
in her daily routines. Her selection of
yoga practises would depend on her
individual needs and the time and
space available for performing them.

The practise should be divided into

two, or preferably, three groups, and

spread over the day’s routine, to fit

into available intervals of not more

than 10 minutes at a time, may be even

less. A trained yoga teacher is the best

person to be consulted in this matter.

It is true that Yogic physical exercises

are slow, compared to western

physical exercises, but their benefits

ensure from this same slow, rhythmic

movement and the concentrated

attention that goes with it. An effort

should be made to take from them the

utmost that they offer. Twenty to thirty

minutes grouped into two or three

parts, are certainly not too much to

ask for out of the sixteen waking hours

that a person gets every day. Even a

working woman is able to take out

this much time for her personal use,

if she has been handling her routine

properly. The benefits far out-weigh

the adjustments involved in matters of

prevention as well as cure of physical

and mental problems.

We have instances where certain

embarrassing psychological problems

were solved within a couple of weeks

of starting yoga lessons. We also have

cases where eyesight noticeably

improved. The credit here goes to the

easing of tension, physical as well as

psychological.

A working woman usually spends

most of her time either sitting on a chair

or standing. The postural pecularities

create an imbalance in the functioning

of the various physiological systems

of the body, like the digestive system,

the nervous system, the circulatory

system, the reproductive system, etc.

These peculiarities are due to the

overuse of certain muscles and joints,

and underuse of certain parts of the