The observation that our mental state affects our body and health can be found in all cultures. And, conversely, if a person, say, makes exercises every day, his overall tone and performance will increase significantly. The ancients said that “healthy body, healthy spirit”. These observations became the heart of yoga.
Etymologically, the word “yoga” comes from Sanskrit “juj” that means “to link”. Yoga connects a human consciousness and his body on a harmonious network. The ancient Hindus were looking for ways of reconciliation of consciousness and curbing of body, so they can follow the principles of the Holy Vedas, which show, that, both consciousness and body can affect each other. But this bare knowledge helps them a little. And then Lord Shiva taught people to become masters of their being through meditative practices, the root of which was yoga. This myth of occurrence of the described practices can be perceived whatever you want, but one thing remains unchanged – its effectiveness.
At the heart of yoga is a fundamental method that is suitable for any person of any age – namely, the curbing of your own body. This is the foundation of a long journey of self-development. This way extends through subtly and intelligently developed science of Hatha yoga as its first stage. It can be translated as “strengthening”. Europeans and Americans have been practicing yoga for hundreds years. It brings an ocean of healthiness, physical and mental strength. It’s often called a physiotherapy, but the real impact she has on a human can by grasped by one phrase. There is not any such complex influence on the human body in the medicine yet.
An integral part of Hatha yoga is a formulation of breathing and developing the ability to control it, which improves the tone of the heart muscle, helps keep blood vessels toned, improves circulation, strengthens and fills the body and improves sleep. And it’s just the first exercises. Further, with the complexity of exercise, it increases the muscle tone, relieves back pain and strengthens the spine, makes the body flexible and elastic, increases static strength of the muscles. And that’s just the physical aspect.
With the mental side, Hatha yoga is able to develop attention, to deprive a person of distractions, improves memory, in short, improves all cognitive abilities. This comes from improved circulation and increasing of oxygen supply to the head.
But in additional to improvement impact, it can develop your mental health. A review of researches of the use of Hatha yoga as a method of treatment of depression says the it can be effective in its management and gradual deliverance from even the deepest of its forms.
There are some evidences, that the implementation of therapeutic programs of Hatha yoga can help people with dementia to perform their daily activities. With all these factors, Hatha yoga isn’t understood by modern science yet. But it’s already obvious that it’s a very useful tool for person, who lives in the busy modern era, for therapeutic relaxation and spiritual growth.