national center for complementary and alternative medicine five-year strategic plan 2001–2005

Hoffman, a native New Jersey yogi for 27 years,

the practice focuses on relaxation, breath,

self-observation, and individual awareness,

according to Hoffman, whose website is http://www.

verycalm.com. Simple and common yogaasanas

(postures) include balasana(the child’s posture),

paschimottanasana (posterior stretch), bhujan-

gasana(cobra), shalabhasana(locust), ardha mat-

syendrasana (half-spinal twist), shavasana

(corpse), sarvangasana (shoulder stand), and

ardha matsayana (half-fish). Yoga therapy is

known to be beneficial as a preventive health

and exercise regimen and as complementary

treatment for back pain, arthritis and rheuma-

tism, anxiety, migraines, insomnia, nerve or

muscle disease, menstrual problems and pre-

menstrual syndrome, menopause symptoms,

high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma,

bronchitis, duodenal ulcer, hemorrhoids, dia-

betes, obesity, and substance addictions.

172 yoga