Yoga is a healing system of theory and practice. It is a combination of breathing exercises, physical postures, and meditation that has been practiced for more than 5,000 years.
While yoga evolved as a spiritual practice in Hinduism, in the Western world, a part of yoga, known as Asana, has grown increasingly popular as a form of physical exercise. Some Western forms have little to do with Hinduism or spirituality, but are simply seen as a way of keeping fit and healthy. A classic sequence of 12 poses, known as Surya Namaskara or Salutation to the Sun, is widely used in yoga. A dynamic series of postures, it may be used either as a warm-up to a more traditional style of hatha yoga practice (e.g., Iyengar Yoga), or it may form a main component of one of the more athletic styles, such as Ashtanga or Power Yoga.
Yoga was introduced to American society in the late 19th century by Swami Vivekananda, the founder of the Vedanta Society.[citation needed] He believed that India has an abundance of spiritual wealth and that yoga is a method that could help those who were bound by the materialism of capitalist societies to achieve spiritual well-being.
A survey released in May 2004 by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine focused on who used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), what was used, and why it was used in the United States by adults age 18 years and over during 2002. According to this survey, Yoga was the 5th most commonly used CAM therapy excluding prayer (5.1%) in the United States during 2002. Yoga is considered a mind-body intervention that is used to reduce the health effects of generalized stress.
Restorative yoga
Restorative yoga is often associated with healing from diseases. Restorative yoga is yoga practiced in a very relaxed state by using supports instead of muscular tension to maintain the pose alignments. Restorative poses help relieve the effects of chronic stress in several ways. First, the use of props provide a completely supportive environment for total relaxation. Second, each restorative sequence is designed to move the spine in all directions. Third, a well-sequenced restorative practice also includes an inverted pose, which reverses the effects of gravity. Because we stand or sit most of the day, blood and lymph fluid accumulate in the lower extremities. By changing the relationship of the legs to gravity, fluids are returned to the upper body and heart function is enhanced. Fourth, restorative yoga alternately stimulates and soothes the organs. With this movement of blood comes the enhanced exchange of oxygen and waste products across the cell membrane. Finally, yoga teaches that the body is permeated with energy. Prana, the masculine energy, resides above the diaphragm, moves upward, and controls respiration and heart rate. Apana, the feminine energy, resides below the diaphragm, moves downward, and controls the function of the abdominal organs. Restorative yoga balances these two aspects of energy so that the practitioner is neither overstimulated nor depleted.