Benefits
of "Foundation Of Life"
FOL for Nervous System
Nerves from the brain and spine go to every tissue in the body
and therefore the health of every tissue in the body depends
upon the health of the brain and spine.
The headstand causes an increase in circulation to the brain,
which stimulates the brain's nerve cells. This result in increased
vitality and improved brain function (intelligence and memory).
Since the nerves from the spine go to all the organs and glands
of the body, healthy spine obviously plays an important role
in vitality and rejuvenates.
FOL for Glands
The most important are pituitary, pineal, thyroid, adrenal, pancreas
glands. The pituitary and pineal glands are situated in the
brain; the thyroid is in the neck area, the adrenals and pancreas
in the solar plexus area.
The function of these glands is to secrete powerful hormones,
which control your growth, weight and size. They also determine
your metabolism, vitality, and emotional state.
Since the pituitary and pineal glands are situated in the brain,
the headstand has a powerful effect on them.
Thyroid gland problems are very common and often go undiagnosed
until the symptoms are very obvious. The shoulder stand is specific
for the thyroid gland and will prevent and help cure thyroid
gland problems.
The adrenal glands produce a variety of hormones such as adrenaline
and cortisone that are important in controlling your stress and
immunity. The twist posture is a powerful stimulant to the adrenal
glands, causing them to release extra energy to boost your vitality
level.
FOL for Internal Organs
As well as having a dramatic effect on the brain, spine and glands,
most asanas also benefit the internal organs by massaging and
stimulating them. These results in healthier internal organs
that will function better and last longer.
FOL for Digestive System
Even if we eat the most nourishing food, it still has to be digested
and assimilated properly and the toxins have to be eliminated
efficiently. As we get older the digestive system functions
with gradually reducing efficiency. The asanas result in an
improved blood and nerve supply to the digestive and eliminative
systems, which in time will get them functioning at peak efficiency.
The stomach lift massages the digestive organs, as well as contracting
and stretching them.
FOL for Joints
The stretching of the joints in asanas causes the secretion of
a lubricant called synovial fluid. This is released into the
joints and keeps them supple, as well as removing waste products.
The result is to reduce stiffness, which will prevent arthritis
or improve it if you already have the condition.
FOL for Skin
Stretching of the skin during the asanas causes stimulation of
the skin cells. This results in firmer, healthier skin, which
won't sag or wrinkle.
FOL for Flexibility.
Increasing your flexibility with yoga leads to more ease of movement
and fewer injuries. It enables you to move more freely with
a greater range of motion. The more freedom your body has to
move into the positions necessary for your sport(s), the more
quickly you can do so, with less effort, strain of risk of
injury.
FOL for Balance.
Many sports, because of their quickness and/or concentration,
require your body to be able to move in any direction with
ease within a split second. If your body is off balance and
the upper half of the body feels disconnected from the lower
half, your response time increases. Many yoga postures require
you to find your center that is your balance. Through the conscious
practicing of balancing postures, your body learns where its
center is and how to find it rapidly.
FOL for Mental Focus.
Many athletes will share that they play a mental game; either
their mind was or wasn't "in the game." Yoga teaches
the discipline of being present in the moment through the physical
postures and breathes work. In learning to hold postures, you
automatically become clearer in your mind. You learn to focus
on what is happening that moment in your body, breath and mind.
This skill of learning to be in the moment will not only help
improve your athletic game by allowing you to stay focused
on the task at hand, but it will also help bring more joy into
your life.
FOL for Strength.
Yoga uses your own body as the weight you lift or hold. Many
yoga postures require many major and minor muscle groups to
be used simultaneously. In some it feels like every muscle
in your body is being used! This is much different than traditional
weight training in which you isolate one or two muscle groups
per exercise. The strengthening in yoga requires your entire
body to be working as a unit so the strengthening of one muscle
group is connected to that of another muscle group. This improves
your overall sense of strength from a centered, connected place.
You'll find it much easier to move quickly and effortlessly
in sports when your whole body feels strong as a unit.
FOL for Mind/Body Connection.
In yoga you learn to listen to your body through your mind
and learn to quit your mind through your body. The breath is
the essential tool used to unite body and mind. The word "yoga" means
to yoke, establish a relationship with each other that affects
every area of your life. The more you tune into the mind/body
connection, the more awareness you have of your movement and
your state of being. With this tool, you can assess where your
mind is when you are playing your sport and draw your mind and
body back into union if they become separate. This helps you
prepare to be present in whatever sport you are playing.
FOL for De-Stress.
One of the quickest and most significant benefits of yoga is
the effect it has on reducing stress. How does this affect
athletic performance? When you are stressed out, your body
holds onto that stress. It can be held in the neck, back, hamstrings,
stomach, and head - just about anywhere. Tense muscles decrease
flexibility and energy and increase pain and risk of injury.
Yoga helps release stress in your body and mind so the body
has more freedom to perform at its best with the least amount
of pain.
FOL for anti-ageing.
Yogis look young even when they turn old because yoga involves
less wear and tear of muscles. The muscle tone remains untouched
leading to a very healthy skin. Yoga increases the antigens
present in the body, and consequently the ability of the body
to fight against disease. If all other system works smoothly,
the immunity o f the body is automatically high because there
are fewer toxins in the body. This prevents the body from falling
sick. Aging is merely a state where the dying cells are greater
in no. then the new cells being formed. Yoga stops the cells
from dying and helps to enhance the growth of new cells, thus
keeping the body toned and youthful.
Yoga works not only at the muscular level but at all levels of
the body, to ensure that every aspect of the body's functioning
is smooth, balanced an in equilibrium. |