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Maui Sunset
(Photo: Anastasia Gilliam)
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The goal of Integral Yoga:
To maintain our natural condition of:
- A body of optimum health and strength; senses under total control
- A mind well disciplined, clear, and calm
- An intellect as sharp as a razor
- A will as strong and pliable as steel
- A heart full of unconditional love and compassion
- An ego as pure as crystal
- A life filled with Supreme Peace and Joy
By practicing Yoga we develop an easeful body, a peaceful mind, and a useful life.
How does Integral Hatha Yoga differ from other forms of Yoga?
Integral Yoga Hatha classes guide the student to go gently inward and experience the effects of each of the postures. The classes are never competitive.
Silence, acceptance, and awareness are used to relax the body and calm the mind.
Classes begin with a short warm up followed by simple yoga stretches to improve strength & flexibility.
A period of deep relaxation is next to absorb the healing benefits of the yoga session.
The class is finished with breathing & vocal toning exercises to cleanse the body of toxins & flood the system with fresh oxygen.
The total class time is about 90 minutes.
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What are the benefits of Yoga?
Psychological Benefits:
- Improves mood and well-being increases
- Self-acceptance and self-actualization increase
- Social skills & adjustment increases
- Anxiety and Depression decrease
- Hostility decreases
- Concentration improves
- Memory improves
- Attention span improves
- Learning efficiency improves
- Mood improves
- Self-actualization increase
- Over-all Well-being increases
- Self-acceptance increase
- Learning efficiency improves
- Symbol coding improves
- Depth perception improves
Yoga vs Traditional Exercise:
- Parasympathetic Nervous System dominates
- Subcortical regions of brain dominates
- Slow dynamic and static movements
- Normalization of muscle tone
- Low risk of injuring muscles and ligaments
- Low caloric consumption
- Effort is minimized, relaxation maximized
- Energizing (Utilize forms of natural or controlled & syncronized breathing)
- Balanced activity of opposing muscle groups
- Noncompetitive, process-oriented
- Awareness is internal (focus is on breath and bodily sensations)
- Limitless possibilities for growth in self-awareness
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Biochemical Benefits:
- Glucose decreases
- Sodium decreases
- Total cholesterol decreases
- Triglycerides decrease
- HDL cholesterol increases
- LDL cholesterol decreases
- VLDL cholesterol decreases
- Cholinesterase increases
- Catecholamines decrease
- ATPase increases
- Hematocrit increases
- Hemoglobin increases
- Lymphocyte count increases
- - Total white blood cell count decreases
- Thyroxin increases
- Vitamin C increases
- Total serum protein increases
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Physiological Benefits:
- Stable autonomic nervous system equilibrium
- Pulse rate decreases
- Respiratory rate decreases
- Blood Pressure decreases (of special significance for hyporeactors)
- Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) increases
- EEG - alpha waves increase (theta, delta, and beta waves also increase during various stages of meditation)
- EMG activity decreases
- Cardiovascular efficiency increases
- Respiratory efficiency increases
- Gastrointestinal function normalizes
- Endocrine function normalizes
- Excretory functions improve
- Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increase
- Breath-holding time increases
- Joint range of motion increase
- Grip strength increases
- Eye-hand coordination improves
- Dexterity skills improve
- Reaction time improves
- Posture improves
- Strength and resiliency increase
- Endurance increases
- Energy level increases
- Weight normalizes
- Sleep improves
- Immunity increases
- Pain decreases
- Steadiness improves
- Depth perception improves
- Balance improves
- Integrated functioning of body parts improves
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The Six Branches of Yoga:
Hatha Yoga
Focuses on the physical aspects through asanas (postures), pranayama (breath control), mudras, kriyas, yogic diet, and deep relaxation.
Raja Yoga
Balance and control of the mind through ethical practices, concentration and meditation.
Bhakti Yoga
The path of devotion, by constant love, thought, and service of the Divine. Bhakti Yoga can be practiced by everyone. All that is needed is faith and constant remembrance of God.
Karma Yoga
The path of action and selfless service. Serving without attachment to the fruits (or results) of the action.
Jnana Yoga
The intellectual approach. Through the knowledge of what really exists, that is, what is not changeable, one who engages in the Path of Wisdom realizes Oneness with the entire Universe.
Japa Yoga
Japa means repetition of a mantram - a sound structure of one or more syllables which represents a particular aspect of the Divine Vibration.
Integral Yoga puts equal emphasis on the Pranayama (Breathing Control), Meditation, and on the Asanas (Physical Poses). This Style of Yoga was developed by Swami Satchidananda.
(He introduced chanting to the crowd at the original Woodstock concert.)
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