Psychomotor functions such as grip strength, balance, dexterity and fine motor skills, eye–hand coordination and reaction time, steadiness and depth perception, and the integrated functioning of body parts improve. Mood often improves and subjective wellbeing increases while cognitive functions such as attention, concentration, memory, and learning efficiency improve.
Overall biochemical effects of yoga
The biochemical profile often improves, indicating an anti-stress and antioxidant effect, which is important in preventing degenerative diseases. There are decreased levels of blood glucose, total white blood cell count, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). At the same time, following yoga, it has been reported that there are increased levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, ATPase, hematocrit, hemoglobin, thyroxin, lymphocytes, vitamin C, and total serum protein.9
Therapeutic modalities of yoga therapy
There are numerous therapeutic modalities used in the application of yoga as a therapy. It is important to remember that yoga therapy is not a prescriptive modality and we always start from assessing the client and their disease and keep the assessment process throughout the length of the therapy. As different traditions of yoga emphasize using different methods for yoga therapy, it is therefore beneficial for a therapist to be familiar with the different lineages that offer specific practices. The more we know, the more research we study, the more tools we have at hand to help our clients. As therapists our loyalty is with the client and not the lineage—we should always use the best tool for the client’s benefit, no matter what lineage the tool comes from.
In general terms, however, we can divide a vast array of yogic practices into the following:
Physical therapies
Consciously adopted static postures (asanas), systematic and managed breathing coordinated with movements (kriyas), and seals and locks for neuromuscular energy (mudras and bandhas) gently stretch and strengthen the musculoskeletal system in a healthy manner. They improve the mobility and flexibility of the different joints and groups of muscles. There is also concomitant improvement in the systemic function such as respiration, circulation, digestion, and elimination. A general sense of health and wellbeing is also promoted by these aspects of yoga that help release “feel good” hormones such as endorphins and encephalin.
Emotional and mental therapies
Yoga addresses the deeper aspects of emotional wellbeing and introspectional self-analysis (swadhyaya), breath-based techniques of vital energy control (pranayama), practices enabling mastery and withdrawal from sensory reactivity (pratyahara), intense concentration (dharana), and contemplative oneness (dhyana). Chanting, devotional music (bhajana), and yoga nidra are very effective in managing emotions, attitudes, and thought processes.
Development of healthy psychological attitudes
Yoga encourages us to step back and take an objective view of our habitual patterns of behavior and thoughts. This enables us to cope better with situations that normally put our bodies and minds under strain. Patanjali emphasized the need to develop the following qualities in order to become mentally balanced human beings: a non-attached and objective meta-cognitive attitude (vairagya), balanced acceptance of life (chitta prasadanam), friendliness towards those who are at ease with themselves (maitri), compassion for those who are suffering (karuna), cheerfulness towards the noble and virtuous (mudita), and indifference towards those who stray from the noble path (upekshanam), and so on. Conscious adoption of the right attitude towards the situation, person, place, and/or event is one of the most important aspects of yoga as a therapy. If this is not done, we practice yogopathy, and not yoga therapy.
Mental therapies
There are a great many useful techniques of relaxation and visualization, and these are found in the higher introspective aspects of Jnana and Raja Yoga10 as well as yoga nidra. There are also practices such as concentrated gaze (trataka).
Spiritual therapies
Scriptural study and self-introspection (swadhyaya), spiritual community seeking knowledge of the reality (satsangha), devotional singing (bhajana), and chanting sessions and yogic counseling are important aspects of yogic therapy that are often neglected in favor of physical therapies alone. These are described in more detail in a separate chapter dedicated to yoga therapy and spirituality (Chapter 3).
The correct use of these modalities according to the condition and needs of clients can enable us to strike at the root cause of the disease. If this is done properly and early enough in the process of disease, the manifestation of the disorder can correct itself, and health and harmony can manifest once again.
Managing the breath
The vital life force acts as a catalyst in all our activities, and yoga, through the enhancement of this energy, attempts to help achieve optimal health and healing. Pranayama may thus be defined as the art and science of controlled, conscious expansion of such vital energy through managing the breath. Masters of ancient (Vedic) times placed great importance on pranayama and advocated its practice in order to unleash the inner potential energy (kundalini). Indian culture lays great emphasis on prana and pranayama—ancient Vedic literature says, “God is breath” as well as “Breath is life and life is breath.”11 Atharvana Veda even goes on to state, “prana is the fundamental basis of whatever is, was and will be.”
In the Prasnopanishad we can find the following statement: “All that exists in all the three worlds is under the governance of prana.” It is said in the Shiva Swarodaya, “The life force (prana) verily is one’s greatest friend, companion and there is no greater kinsman than the life force.”12 In the Yoga Vashista, sage Vashistha says that when the energy of the life force (prana) is restricted, then the mind dissolves, like a shadow of a thing when the thing is absent.13
In the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Yogi Swatmarama says, “When respiration is disturbed, the mind gets disturbed. When breath is steady and undisturbed, mind is also steady and undisturbed. By consciously controlling respiration, the Yogi attains steadiness of mind” (II:2).14 He also says, “Mind is the master of the senses, while the breath is its Lord. Mastery of the breath lies in its absorption that depends on conscious vibrations induced during smooth, steady inhalation and exhalation” (IV:29). He lists the important breath-based energy practices (kumbhaka) such as skull shining breath (kapalbhati), sun-cleaving breath (surya bhedana), victorious breath (ujjayi), hissing breath (sitkari), beak tongue breath (sitali), bellows breath (bhastrika), and bee-sounding breath (bhramari), among others.15 He also warns us that, although pranayama can eradicate all diseases, it may cause a multitude of problems if performed improperly (II:16).
According to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, when the nerves are purified by pranayama, the body becomes slender and lustrous, gastric fire increases, inner sounds are heard, and excellent health is attained. Chapter II, verses 36–68 describe the benefits of each pranayama:
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