The five pillars...
The main aim of yoga is to bring your body and all its cravings, passions, worries and urges under the control of your mind. Indian sage Patañjali defined yoga through methods such as controlling your breath and holding your body in steady poses – these days, known as hatha yoga. Today, yoga has evolved into many modern-day hybrids – from the physically challenging ashtanga and Bikram yoga to restorative yin and meditative raja yoga. But the basic principles of hatha yoga remain the same and can be broken down into five essential principles that create a total conditioning system for your body.
EXERCISE In yoga, exercise takes the form of ‘asanas’ or postures which lubricate, strengthen, stretch and tone your body. Though they can be demanding, yoga asanas are different from other forms of exercise as they incorporate both challenge and recovery. Rather than only focusing on dramatically expending energy, yoga focuses on conserving and renewing your energy, so that after each session you’ll feel refreshed and energised.
BREATHING Correct breathing deepens your yoga practice and has a direct impact on your nervous system. A range of yogic breathing techniques, known as pranayama, can help calm, restore and energise your body and mind. Your breath links your body to your solar plexus, located deep in your navel where potential energy is stored and created. The yoga breath helps release this energy for mental and physical restoration. RELAXATION Yoga recognises that proper, regular relaxation releases tension and allows you to make new energy, even when you’re tired and overworked. Relaxation is therefore a central part of any yoga practice. The most powerfully restoring posture is Savasana where you lie flat, face up, with your eyes closed. You can use this at the end of yoga practice or in between demanding poses. According to yoga experts, it’s among the most important of all postures as it’s the time when your body assimilates the accumulated benefits of the preceding practice.
MEDITATION Meditation and mindfulness – even a few minutes a day – are an essential part of yoga because they help control, focus and refresh your mind. But, don’t worry, meditation doesn’t have to mean sitting in Lotus position for hours. Meditation simply requires observing your thoughts as though they’re clouds in the sky, shifting and changing. Meditation can take place at the end of your yoga practice or for 10 minutes in the morning. You can even do it for a minute on the bus or train or between meetings. A little regular meditation done often is better than a lot, done sporadically.
DIET Yoga philosophy recommends a diet of simple, natural foods that are easily digested to promote good physical and mental health. Ideally vegetarian, a yogic diet should include fruit, vegetables, grains, leafy greens, dairy produce, pulses, nuts and seeds. Eating mindfully until you are only 80 per cent full is also recommended.
‘For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on Earth’ Sanskrit proverb