with yoga, the help of an insightful and cheerful guide(s) and of supportive companions on
the way is helpful if not, for most of us, essential.1
For a recent Berkeley Wellness review of the benefits of Tai Chi, see
http://www.berkeleywellnessalerts.com/alerts/womens_health/tai-chi-health-benefits443-
1.html?ET=bwalerts:e1502:143685a:&st=email&s=ERA_120811_001 A new study, published in the Journal of
Alzheimer's Disease, included 120 healthy older people in China. Those who practiced tai chi three times a week
for 40 weeks showed increases in brain volume, as seen on MRI, as well as improvements on several tests of
memory and learning, compared to those not doing the exercise who had normal age-related brain shrinkage.
Previous research has shown that aerobic activity is good for the brain, but this study suggests that a more gentle
form of exercise is also beneficial.
(^2) See recent fibromyalgia trial, http://nqa.org/2012/08/a-randomized-controlled-trial-of-qigong-for-fibromyalgia/
(^3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_martial_arts.
(^4) Weil, A., Spontaneous Happiness (Little, Brown and Company, New York 2011), at 146 - 147.
(^5) Gerbarg practices integrative psychiatry, combining standard and complementary treatments. Her research
focuses on mind-body practices for reducing the effects of stress and trauma, particularly in survivors of mass
disasters, including the Asian Tsunami, 9/11 World Trade Center attacks, 2010 earthquake in Haiti, genocide in
Sudan and Rwanda, Gulf Horizon Oil Spill, and veterans.
(^6) Streeter, C.C., Gerbarg, P.L., Saper, R.B., Ciraulo, D.A. & Brown, R.P., “Effects of Yoga on the Autonomic Nervous
System, Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, and Allostasis in Epilepsy, Depression, and PTSD,” Medical Hypotheses (2012)
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2012.01.021.
(^7) Hatha Yoga may be viewed as a subdivision of Raja Yoga, which is the yoga system that most emphasizes
meditation. Of the Eight Limbs of Raja Yoga, the two limbs that are emphasized in Hatha Yoga are (3) Asana & (4)
Pranayama. Hatha Yoga was intended as a practice to lead one eventually to be fit to practice Raja Yoga. This is
clearly stated in the 1st verse of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. While it is true that when we say the word “yoga” in the
US, we mean Hatha Yoga, Hatha is a much more recent (not so ancient) way of practicing Yoga. Its spiritual and
moral practices are emphasized in Raja Yoga.
(^8) Pilkington, K., Kirkwood, G., Rampes, H. & Richardson, J., “Yoga for Depression: the Research Evidence,” J Affect
Disord. 89(1-3):13-24. Epub (2005).
(^9) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/161857 70.