Dietrich Ebert. PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF YOGA
Original: Dietrich Ebert. Physiologische Aspekte des Yoga.- 1.Aufl.- Leipzig: Georg Thime, 1986.- 41 Abb., 30 Tab.
Abstract to to the German edition
:
Based on the original Indian literature, yoga from the point of view of a physiologist is described as a system of psychophysical self-development. In the introduction, the author presents the traditional system of yoga in connection with its history and ancient Indian philosophy. Previously studied and accumulated information about the physiological effects of yoga asanas, breathing exercises and meditation form the subject of subsequent chapters. The currently possible theoretical constructions of physiological processes during asanas, pranayama and concentration dives in the last chapter are reduced to a general assessment of the long-term effects of practice and specific medical recommendations. The glossary explains the most important Sanskrit terms for those unfamiliar with Indology.
PREFACE TO THE GERMAN EDITION
1. INTRODUCTION
2. YAMA and NIYAMA
3. ASANA (POSE)
4. PRANAYAMA
5. MEDITATION
6. YOGA AND ADAPTATION PROCESSES
7. CONCLUSION
8. GLOSSARY
9. BIBLIOGRAPHY
PREFACE TO THE GERMAN EDITION
The wide spread and popularity of yoga indicate a growing need in society for what is commonly called “anti-stress”, “relaxation”, “self-control” or “the ability to concentrate”. Hence the need for a scientific assessment of this phenomenon also arises. In many countries, attempts of this kind have already been made, more or less confirmed by relevant data (see, for example, Vigh (1970) in Hungary, Mukerji and Spiegelhoff (1971) in Germany, Funderburk (1977) in the USA). This book is addressed to doctors, biologists, psychologists, psychotherapists; it summarizes the data available to the author, mainly from a physiological point of view. Elementary information from the practice of yoga is assumed to be known, so this book is in no way an introduction to the practice of yoga, much less a guide to the exercises.
Although the publications available today are often poorly connected with each other, and many of the measured values are not accompanied by any physiological commentary, and some studies were even carried out carelessly (which is indicated in the appropriate places on occasion), nevertheless, in this book the author tried to give a closed description and physiological assessment of the issues involved.
Each chapter opens with a brief introduction to the relevant physiological problem for those who are familiar in principle with human physiology, but are not specialists in this field. For those wishing to gain a deeper understanding of the physiological basis, references to additional literature are provided in the appropriate places. A more detailed presentation of physiological issues would be beyond the scope of this book.
It should be especially emphasized that we are talking here only about selected “aspects”, outside of which there are points of view that are not discussed here, but are quite worthy of attention within the framework of this topic. This is especially true for other areas of medicine. It would be highly desirable to gain a deeper understanding of yoga over time, for example, from the point of view clinical medicine or psychotherapy. The choice of aspects proposed here should therefore serve as a stimulus for the further accumulation of data and, accordingly, for the conduct of new research, thereby contributing to the scientific development of this great heritage of world culture.
For numerous fruitful discussions, criticisms and corrections, I sincerely thank my friends and colleagues Dr. P. Lessig, Dr. W. Fritzsche and Dr. Z. Waurik. I also sincerely thank the ethnologist Mr. G. Kucharski for numerous references on Indological issues, which occupy a significant place in the text, often without any references. My special thanks also go to my wife, Dagmar Ebert, for their mutual understanding and support in my work.
Dietrich Ebert
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Definition of yoga
The history of yoga in Indian culture goes back thousands of years. Already in pre-Aryan India (approximately 2500 - 1800 BC) the first images of yogis are found. After the Aryan invasion of North India around 1000 B.C. Indo-Aryan culture formed in the Ganges River valley. Even before its first flowering, around 500-100 BC, the Vedas (Hymns of “knowledge”) were written down. These are the oldest written monuments of the Indo-European languages that have survived to our time (Rig Veda, about 1000 BC). The Upanishads, philosophical commentaries on the Vedas, date back to a somewhat later time. From the wealth of thought imprinted in them, over time, six great Brahminical darshanas (philosophical systems) were formed: Mimamsa, Vedanta, Sankhya, Yoga, Vaisheshika and Nyaya.Thus, yoga as one of the philosophical schools came to us from the last third of the 1st millennium BC, being closely connected with the philosophy of Samkhya, one of the most ancient philosophical systems of India. It must be said that the concept of philosophy in ancient India, in addition to the theoretical understanding of the world, also included a unique way of life (Mylius 1983). Moreover, if Sankhya philosophy had as its subject precisely the rational-theoretical interpretation of world problems, then yoga was rather a practical system of self-knowledge. However, ultimately yoga was supposed to lead to the same results as the rationalistic philosophy of Sankhya.
Both systems are based on the same cosmology and proceed from a typically brahmanical moral-causal world order, according to which every act, every action (karma), in addition to its natural meaning, has another meaning, which, regardless of space and time, but only based on the interconnection of circumstances can naturally cause and influence new circumstances. These influences can only be realized in the next life, after a new birth. Thus, this cosmology includes the doctrine of the “transmigration of souls”, the “wheel of rebirths”. Each human act has as its consequence a certain confluence of circumstances arising from the principle of moral responsibility, and thus, in order to obtain the least sad rebirth possible, as well as to reduce or completely eliminate suffering already in this life, a correct understanding of cause-and-effect relationships and the correct image of life - which is what turning to yoga gives.
The world order in the dualistic and atheistic philosophy of Sankhya is explained by reducing everything that exists in the world to two principles:
Pramatter (Prakriti), unmanifested, formless, disordered, active, is in constant motion, devoid of spirituality and self-awareness.
The spiritual entity, the "soul" (Purusha), is inactive, spiritual, and self-aware.
Through yoga, our ignorance (avidya) regarding the essence of purusha and prakriti is eliminated and thereby liberation from suffering is achieved. Deliverance from suffering in this case means a certain state (enlightenment) obtained through knowledge, which annuls the action of Karma leading to suffering and frees the soul from the circle of rebirths. The difference from European ideas about the paths of deliverance is probably that this path is realized primarily through self-knowledge, and at the same time, no ritual actions with a personified deity are required (“atheistic religion”?).
In the strictly atheistic Samkhya system, liberation is brought by rational knowledge and a virtuous lifestyle, while in yoga, liberation is realized through meditation and self-knowledge, and yoga, unlike Samkhya, is characterized by some theistic component, which, apparently, psychologically facilitates the realization of liberation ( see chapter 2). However, to Indologists this theistic component seems artificial (Frauwallner 1953, Glasenapp 1949). Theism does not correspond to the Samkhya worldview and can be considered an alien element in relation to yoga. From the point of view of philosophical content, there is nothing fundamentally new in yoga compared to Samkhya philosophy. Yoga only brings an in-depth understanding of psychology and the mechanism of the liberation process. So it is hardly legitimate to consider yoga as an independent philosophical system, but it would be more accurate to consider it a practice of the Samkhya theory (Frauwallner 1953, Chattopadhyaya 1978). The psychological mechanism of liberating enlightenment is considered on the basis of “mystical physiology” (see 1.3).
This yoga, oriented towards the path of practical self-knowledge, found its classical formulations in Patanjali's Yoga Sutra (ca. 200 BC). Sutras are sayings that are in the nature of axiomatic statements, which to a certain extent form the quintessence of the teaching. Each of the six Brahminical darshanas has its own fundamental sutras formulated in the form of axioms. As for the Yoga Sutras, it consists of four books:
Concentration
Concentration practice
Psychic powers
Liberation
Like all Brahmanical systems, the school of yoga in subsequent times was also provided with very detailed commentaries and additions. Further, already in the early Middle Ages, some significant changes in methodology were discovered, and a great many subtypes and variants of yoga emerged. Numerous schools of yoga differ in the characteristics of the technique of performing exercises, in their approaches to the problem of spiritual and physical self-improvement and, accordingly, in the objects of concentration.
Table 1. Some of the famous forms of yoga
| Yoga forms | The original object of spiritual self-improvement, respectively, the subject of concentration exercises (Evans-Wentz 1937) |
| Hatha yoga | Body functions, breathing |
| Mantra yoga | The sound of syllables or words |
| Yantra yoga | Geometric shapes |
| Karma yoga | Actions and selfless activities |
| Kriya yoga | Physical and spiritual cleansing |
| Tantra yoga | Psychic experiments |
| Jnana yoga | Knowledge, cognition |
| Laya yoga | Willpower |
| Bhakti yoga | Divine love, dedication |
| Kundalini yoga | Esoteric ideas |
In Europe, hatha yoga has gained popularity, which literally means “yoga of the Sun and Moon” (more precisely, “Combination of solar and lunar breathing” - Evans-Wentz 1937) and is often translated as “yoga of body control,” although, of course, this also includes spiritual practices. The most important classical texts on hatha yoga are the Hathayogapradipika, Shivasamhita and Gherandasamhita, which appeared in the 11th-17th centuries AD. (Kucharski 1977). Gorakshanath and Matsyendranath are considered the founders of hatha yoga.
Yoga was transferred to other countries, especially in East Asia, where, in particular, their own own schools yoga (Evans-Wentz 1937), moreover, new forms of culture arose, such as Zen in Japan (see 5.1). For centuries in Asia, and especially in India, yoga has remained a living practice and can still be found in our traditional forms(Brunton 1937, Vivekananda 1937, Ananda 1980).
In the current century, this modern and relevant yoga has become widespread in Europe and America, which has led to the emergence of a number of its Europeanized forms under mottos such as: “Yoga and Christianity”, “Yoga and Sports”, “Yoga and Medicine”. The abundance of forms, the intervention of European cults and philosophical ideas gave rise to that variety of exotic sects, in which “yoga itself” is hardly recognizable.
1.2. Construction of classical yoga
When analyzing all the variety of subtypes of yoga that we encounter today all over the world, it turns out, as well as when considering other traditional Indian schools, that the core and methodological basis of yoga will always be the well-known eight-step path. The first five steps (anga) are called Kriya Yoga (practical yoga), and the sixth to eighth steps are called Raja Yoga (royal yoga). The specific expansion of any one of the first five steps, or, equally, only parts of them, gave rise to many subtypes of yoga.
Intensive improvement, especially of the third and fourth stages, led to hatha yoga, which, due to the numerous and difficult variety of poses, is also called “body yoga” or “strong yoga.” The following basic components are common to all types of yoga:
Available code of conduct(set out in the first and second stages), which formally determines a person’s attitude to society and to himself.
Yogic praxis is always associated with conscious execution physical and mental exercises that are done regularly.
The execution of all elements of the exercise must be accompanied by conscious mental focus.
Setting the consciousness to some passivity(for example, during self-observation of breathing using the formula “I should breathe,” etc.) is a psychological technique that is different from “active concentration” (for example, when doing mental calculations), and creates a psychological basis for mental concentration.
Eight limb yoga
II/29 Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi - the eight steps of yoga.1st stage
II/30 Non-killing, truthfulness, non-stealing, abstinence and non-greed are called Yama(The literal translation of “Yama” means: discipline, commandment). II/31 These commandments, not limited by time, place, circumstances and caste laws, are a great vow.2nd stage
II/32 Internal and external purification, contentment, mortification, study and service to God are Niyama.(Niyama literally means: self-discipline; instead of mortification, the concept of “asceticism” is often used).3rd stage
II/46 motionless and comfortable position there is an asana.(Initially, only sitting poses could be called asana, since at the time of Patanjali many other poses were still unknown).4th stage
II/49 This is followed by mastering the movements of inhalation and exhalation (Pranayama). II/53 The mind becomes capable of Dharana. (Pranayama literally means: “restraint of prana” or “control of energy.” By prana is meant vital energy - see Chapter 4. - which comes through breathing and is regulated by it. Based on this, a free translation of pranayama is given by the term “regulation of breathing”) .5th stage
II/54 Detachment of the senses (Pratyahara) is achieved through disconnecting them from their own objects and simultaneously accepting the nature of mind (chitta). II/55 The result is complete mastery of the senses.(Psychologically accurate translation of the term “pratyahara”: “Lack of connection between the senses and the objects of their sphere of perception”).6th stage
III/1 Dharana is keeping one's thinking on a specific subject.(Dharana is often simply called “concentration” or “fixation of thought”).7th stage
III/2 If this (Dharana) forms a continuous flow of knowledge, then it is Dhyana.(Dhyana means precisely: reflection, imagination, analysis and is often translated by the term “meditation”. For the meaning of this translation, see Chapter 5.)8th stage
III/3 If this (Dhyana), leaving behind any forms, reflects only the meaning, then this is Samadhi.(The correct translation of Samadhi is so controversial that even contradictory definitions are used for this, see Chapter 5).6,7,8 stages
III/4 These three, when applied to one single object, are samyama. III/5 Upon achieving this, the light of knowledge is ignited. III/12 The focus of citta on any object is achieved when the past and present impressions are the same.The remaining sutras not quoted here explain and complement what has already been said and are of a more philosophical and didactic nature.
Even today, classical eight-step yoga is practiced in India in this full form, but various variations are also taught. Moreover, both the number and prevalence of the above-mentioned varieties of yoga have increased significantly. Further, it became common to select individual elements or groups of exercises from the system and use them as therapeutic agents in medical practice. Many government-funded yoga clinics and institutes offer yoga therapy techniques. various groups diseases that are partly based on clinical experience (see Chapter 6). In addition, for preventive and hygienic purposes, yoga is included in the training programs of schools and sports institutions.
Modern European literature on yoga, consisting mainly of practical recommendations and attempts at interpretation, also contains more or less developed elements of the system classical yoga. Unfortunately, under the influence of sectarian movements and commercial interests, the original content of yoga that is still preserved, albeit incomplete, is often displaced into the dubious area of superficial speculation. In medical practice, yoga as a system is not used, although there are many applications, primarily in the field of psychotherapy and physiotherapy.
Fig.1. Ancient Indian diagram of the subtle body with seven chakras and three main nadis: Ida (blue), Pingala (red) and Sushumna (straight). The symbolic content of the chakras is conveyed by the number of lotus petals.
1.3. Traditional view of the human body
In order to understand the traditional explanation of certain yogic actions, it is necessary to have an idea of the ancient Indian “mystical physiology”, according to which the human body is organized according to the following structural and functional principles (see Fig. 1):The human body is permeated by a system of nadis, the number of which is about 70,000. Nadis are channels through which vital energy (prana) flows, supplying all tissues. There are three main channels, which are located along the midline of the body from top to bottom: Ida, Pingala and Sushumna. Ida is located on the left, Pingala on the right, Sushumna in the center. Ida and Pingala are often depicted as channels twisted with a right screw relative to each other (Fig. 1). Through these two channels prana flows downwards (Ida) and upwards (Pingala) in the form of “life current”. The middle channel does not function normally. But the serpentine force of Kundalini, which rests on the lower pole of the body, can rise up along it. Kundalini is a hidden, normally dormant energy that appears as a coiled snake.
Yoga leads, among other things, to the awakening of this serpentine force, which can then rise up the middle Sushumna channel through seven stages, or chakras (see below). These seven chakras (lit.: “Wheels” or “Whirlwinds”) are according to these ideas energy centers, related to spiritual processes, so that they could be called centers of mental activity (Kucharski 1982). They are activated by directing attention to them. Concentrative meditations in tantra and kundalini yoga are designed for this activation. The rise of kundalini should be accompanied by intense sensations in the area of the chakra that is respectively involved. This is how spiritual perfection is gradually achieved. And when kundalini is in the last chakra, perfect enlightenment is achieved.
According to this ancient Indian teaching, every person has such chakras and can activate them. In a state of activity, they begin to rotate (hence the “Wheel”). The doctrine of chakras is also interconnected with cosmology; each chakra corresponds to certain colors, shapes and sounds, the meaning of which, in turn, is associated with the Sanskrit alphabet, etc. (For a complete and accurate description, see Avalon 1958).
This ancient Indian diagram of the human body does not have any anatomical correspondence; both nadis and chakras are not found anywhere in the body as morphological structures. Reducing them, as can be found in many articles on yoga, to nerve plexuses, glands, “vegetative centers”, etc. without any basis. If we seriously take this diagram of the “subtle body” as a result of empirical self-knowledge, then its interpretation is possible only with physiological point vision (see Chapter 4).
1.4. Yoga and physiology
If we ignore all those cultural and historical forms and interpretations in which yoga was modified or included, then from a natural science perspective, what ultimately remains is some empirical knowledge that exists independently of any interpretation, in which yoga appears as a method of self-discipline. In a physiological sense, we are talking about a certain system of teaching methods of conscious control and regulation of motor, sensory, vegetative and mental activity. In this case, there is a conscious impact on somatic and mental functions, coinciding with conscious “self-recognition”, “experience” of the function.Physiological aspects of Yoga. Ebert D.
Per. with him. - St. Petersburg, 1999. - 160 p.
The book contains introductory information on yoga itself, but its main focus is on the physiological processes underlying the exercises of yogic practice.
This concerns the physiological mechanisms of maintaining posture and muscle tone, energy shifts, cardiovascular, respiratory and endocrine systems, metabolic processes. Considerable attention is also paid to the activities of various units nervous system.
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CONTENT
PREFACE TO THE GERMAN EDITION
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Definition of yoga
1.2. Construction of classical yoga
1.3. Traditional performance about the human body
1.4. Yoga and physiology
2. YAMA and NIYAMA
2.1. Prescriptions of Yama and Niyama
2.2. Yoga cleansing treatments
2.3. Yoga diet
3. ASANA (POSE)
3.1.Definition and classification of asanas.
3.2. Mechanically determined effects of asanas on internal organs
3.3.Effects on blood circulation
3.4. Functional and energetic aspects of asanas
3.5. Biomechanical aspects of asanas
3.6. Somatosensory effects of asanas
3.7. Sensorimotor aspects of asanas
4. PRANAYAMA
4.1.Theories of prana
4.2.Pranayama techniques
4.3. Breathing forms and parameters of pranayamas
4.4. Energy exchange in pranayama
4.5. Effects of pranayama on blood circulation
4.6. The role of breathing in the human body
5. MEDITATION
5.1.The concept of meditation
5.2. Meditation techniques
5.3. Physiological effects meditation
5.4. Psychophysiological significance of meditation
6. YOGA AND ADAPTATION PROCESSES
6.1.The importance of regular yoga practice
6.2.Sensorimotor system
6.3. Vegetative system
6.4. Mental adaptations
6.5. Learning special abilities
6.6. Yoga therapy
6.7. Contraindications
7. CONCLUSION
8. GLOSSARY
Bibliography
Year of manufacture: 1986
Genre: Traditional medicine
Format: DOC
Quality: OCR
Description: The wide spread and popularity of yoga indicate a growing need in society for what is commonly called “anti-stress”, “relaxation”, “self-control” or “the ability to concentrate”. Hence the need for a scientific assessment of this phenomenon also arises. In many countries, attempts of this kind have already been made, more or less confirmed by relevant data (see, for example, Vigh (1970) in Hungary, Mukerji and Spiegelhoff (1971) in Germany, Funderburk (1977) in the USA). The book “Physiological Aspects of Yoga” is addressed to doctors, biologists, psychologists, and psychotherapists; it summarizes the data available to the author primarily from a physiological point of view. Elementary information from the practice of yoga is assumed to be known, so this book is in no way an introduction to the practice of yoga, much less a guide to the exercises.
Although the publications available today are often poorly connected with each other, and many of the measured values are not accompanied by any physiological commentary, and some studies were even carried out carelessly (which is indicated in the appropriate places on occasion), nevertheless, in this book the author tried to give a closed description and physiological assessment of the issues involved.
Each chapter of the book “Physiological Aspects of Yoga” opens with a brief introduction to the corresponding physiological problem for those who are familiar in principle with human physiology, but are not specialists in this field. For those wishing to gain a deeper understanding of the physiological basis, references to additional literature are provided in the appropriate places. A more detailed presentation of physiological issues would be beyond the scope of this book.
It should be especially emphasized that we are talking here only about selected “aspects”, outside of which there are points of view that are not discussed here, but are quite worthy of attention within the framework of this topic. This is especially true for other areas of medicine. It would be highly desirable to gain a deeper understanding of yoga over time, for example from the point of view of clinical medicine or psychotherapy. The choice of aspects proposed here should therefore serve as a stimulus for the further accumulation of data and, accordingly, for the conduct of new research, thereby contributing to the scientific development of this great heritage of world culture.
For numerous fruitful discussions, criticisms and corrections, I sincerely thank my friends and colleagues Dr. P. Lessig, Dr. W. Fritzsche and Dr. Z. Waurik. I also sincerely thank the ethnologist Mr. G. Kucharski for numerous references on Indological issues, which occupy a significant place in the text, often without any references. My special thanks also go to my wife, Dagmar Ebert, for their mutual understanding and support in my work.
Warm-up - preparatory part any training process, which includes performing special exercises immediately before the main part training complex. The main goal of warming up is to achieve an optimal level of central nervous system excitability and mobilize the physiological functions of the body before the upcoming load.
Sometimes the need for dynamic warm-up in the structure of a yoga complex is questioned. In our opinion, warming up is not only necessary, but also has its own characteristics.
Many asanas involve quite complex joint rotations necessary to take the pose and therefore warm-up is mandatory should include joint exercises.
Firstly, with active joint movements is happening normalization of the amount of synovial fluid, filling the joint cavities: if there is an initial insufficient amount, its formation and release into the joint cavity by the synovial membrane is stimulated; if there is an excess (which can occur during inflammatory processes), it is absorbed back into the blood or lymphatic bed. In addition, its viscosity and electrolyte composition changes. This greatly facilitates further work in asanas, prevents possible pain and, therefore, the impossibility of performing many poses.
Secondly, the articular apparatus, in addition to its own ligaments, also includes muscle tendons passing through the joint or attached to its capsule. Thus, the joint “coordinates” the action of a group of muscles whose tendons participate in the formation of the joint. The group is called functional and unites muscles that perform a specific motor act (the group includes the main muscle, synergists, antagonists and auxiliary muscles).
When used in warm-up all major joints, is happening coordination of relationships and movements of various functional muscle groups and parts of the body. This is one of the tasks that asanas “perform”. And therefore, joint gymnastics can be considered an integral part of the main complex, preceding a deeper study of intermuscular relationships in asanas.
Thirdly, articular surfaces and articular ligaments are an extensive receptor field, which includes more than 4 types of receptors that are located in the joint capsule, in the thickness of the joint ligaments, as well as in the tendons of the muscles passing through the joint or attached to its capsule.
Let's look at the main types of joint receptors. One of the types - Golgi endings sensitive to changes in the joint angle; another - Ruffini corpuscles,– to the speed of change. At the same time, Ruffini endings are also sensitive to the activity of muscles that change the tension of the joint capsule. Vater-Paccini endings sensitive to changes in the tension of the joint capsule due to its tension and movements. The difference between the Vater-Paccini endings and the Golgi and Ruffini receptors is that the former give a quick response, which lasts while the tension of the joint capsule changes and stops no later than 1 second. The latter are “slow” receptors, the adaptation period of which lasts for 0.5 -1 minutes.
Hence the need to warm up one joint for at least 1-2 minutes.
Thirdly, when performing joint gymnastics, blood and lymph circulation increases, local temperature rises, metabolism occurs more intensely, which helps to increase the elasticity of the ligaments, tendons and fascia of the muscles attached to the joint. This makes it possible to “stretch” the tendons (in this regard, it is understandable recommendation to perform joint exercises with tension, with a certain effort) and, as a consequence, “open” the muscle for further work in the asana. It is the density and elasticity of connective tissue elements muscle tissue, serving as a kind of frame, often does not allow the necessary muscle to be stretched and intensively worked.
Warm-up involves preparing muscle tissue. It is known that at rest, muscles receive about 15% of the minute blood volume (MBV). With dynamic muscle work these indicators increase and can reach 88% of the IOC, primarily due to the opening of the “reserve” capillaries of muscle tissue. Volume velocity blood flow increases from 4 ml/min per 100 g of muscle tissue to 100-150 ml/min, that is, 20-25 times (O. Wade, I.M. Bishop, 1962; J. Schemer, 1973, Dubrovsky V.I. , 1982, etc.). Blood flow increases at the beginning of the exercise, and reaches a stable level by 3 minutes, depending on the intensity of the exercise and the initial state of health.
Increased blood flow leads to an increase in the temperature of muscle tissue from 34.8 C to 38.5 C. An increase in temperature, in turn, reduces the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen and promotes its (oxygen) release from chemical bonds. And while the speed of blood flow will increase by 20 times, aerobic metabolism in the muscles can increase by 100 times due to an increase in oxygen utilization from 20-25% to 80%.
Some stages of glycolysis and glycogenolysis, oxidative processes that provide working muscles with energy, are sensitive to temperature increases. Consequently, as the temperature rises, the rate of oxidative processes and the supply of energy to the muscle will increase.
Thus, preliminary dynamic load contributes to the most efficient blood supply to the muscles, which contributes to the deep development of muscle tissue in asanas, without switching to anaerobic energy supply. This prevents the formation of lactic acid and the occurrence of sore throat.
The impact of dynamic warm-up on cardiorespiratory system comes down to an increase in external respiration, heart rate, stroke volume, minute blood volume, blood pressure and stabilization of these indicators at a new level.
For the most harmonious and complete integration of the body into the activity, it is advisable involvement of more than 2/3 of the entire body muscles. Therefore, the warm-up should include general exercises for uniform training of the main muscle groups. If you want to prepare any zone more carefully, you can add special exercises.
From here you can roughly calculate duration of proper warm-up– to work out large joints and major muscle groups, increase and stabilize cardiorespiratory parameters, you will need at least 15-20 minutes. The duration of the dynamic load will depend on the body’s fitness: the more trained a person is, the less time it takes to get into the basic mode.
All of the above processes affect the state of the nervous system, helping to achieve optimal excitability.
Criterion for the correctness and sufficiency of the performed warm-up for a healthy person - a feeling of warmth, heat throughout the body, the appearance of sweat. This indicates a transition of metabolism to a new level; sweating helps to establish the required level of thermoregulation and better ensure excretory functions. The listed effects correlate with the signs of stimulation of the etheric body described in treatises on yoga.
To maintain the state achieved during warm-up, the rest interval before the next main complex should not exceed 10 - 15 minutes.
So, the basic rules for warming up:
1. Warm-up should involve at least 2/3 of the total muscle mass and last at least 15 – 20 minutes
2. The warm-up should have a general and a special part (if necessary, work on a specific area)
3. An obligatory part of the warm-up is joint gymnastics, with treatment of all large joints
4. Joint work should be done with additional tension.
5. The duration of working on one joint should be at least 1 minute
6. The criterion for correctly performing a warm-up is a feeling of warmth, heat in the body, and the appearance of sweating
7. The transition time from warm-up to the main complex should not exceed 10 – 15 minutes.
The desire to improve their health is the main reason why people turn to yoga.
Let us consider from a scientific (physiological) point of view the key aspects and mechanisms of the influence of yoga on human health:
Cleansing procedures(shatkarmas) are used without fail when practicing yoga at all stages of improvement. When working with the physical body, a thorough cleansing of the entire body from waste and toxins is carried out, the intestines, sinuses, tongue are cleaned, special exercises are performed for the eyes and respiratory system. When working with consciousness, all negative thoughts and emotions are eliminated, the sphere of the subconscious is cleansed of the negativity accumulated over the years, and a mood of impeccability in deeds and actions is created. This practice of internal and external cleansing very quickly begins to provide powerful support. immune system and facilitates further steps to improve the health of the body and mind.
Asana practice in static and dynamic modes it affects the human body in accordance with fundamental physiological laws, activating absolutely all functional systems. The functional state of the body and health are closely interrelated processes. An indicator of the state of health of the body is not only the absence of pathological disorders, but also the level of development of adaptive changes that arise due to systematic adaptation to increased demands and, in turn, are a protective factor against extreme stress. The beneficial effects of physical activity in yoga are realized through the activation of metabolism in the process of adaptation to the practice of asanas. During the adaptation process, changes occur in all organs and systems that are in one way or another involved in the management and provision of energy to working muscles:
– the musculoskeletal system is optimally trained,
- strengthens the heart and blood vessels,
— the reserves of the cardiorespiratory system are revealed,
— autonomic nervous regulation is improved,
- the hormonal and nervous systems begin to work more harmoniously and harmoniously.
As a result, practitioners of even the initial stages of hatha yoga experience a new quality of psychosomatic balance, when diseases that were the result of a negative psycho-emotional state and slagging of the body begin to disappear. In parallel with this, the tasks of strengthening muscles, increasing their elasticity and endurance, and improving the flexibility of the spine are solved. And this is the basis for good health, high performance and, ultimately, good mood and an optimistic attitude, which create a feeling of health.
Our body is an integral system. High performance, good health, absence of diseases - is possible only if in not a single cell of the body, organ or system there are areas where the genetic code is damaged, the innervation or supply of oxygen, hormones, amino acids, etc. is impaired, and the cells in general have high reserve capacity in case of “unforeseen circumstances”. However, certain damages and deviations from normal functioning in different parts of the body occur constantly. This is primarily due to the body’s reaction to stressful situations. everyday life, study and work. The body, in response to a stressful situation, reacts by activating the sympathoadrenal system, which leads to the release of stress hormones into the blood, which should stimulate the body to take active action (fight for survival or escape). If neither one nor the other occurs and a person does not respond to a stress factor with any physical activity, then in his body these same stress hormones destroy the membranes of those organs that have been weakened due to genetic characteristics, poor ecology, injuries or lifestyle. As a rule, we end up with diseases. cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, autonomic nervous disorders or musculoskeletal diseases.
07.06.2011
It is science, in modern conditions, that is important factor, which determines progressive transformations in any sphere of human activity, including yoga, as one of the most methodologically carefully developed systems of human self-improvement.
Under scientific approach we will mean considering yoga in the aspect of sciences that most thoroughly study the work of the human body and psyche, such as: physiology (studies the structure and patterns of functioning of the physical body), biomechanics (studies the possibilities of optimizing the functioning of the musculoskeletal system), psychology (studies the structure and patterns functioning of the psyche). However, it is worth noting that human capabilities have not been thoroughly studied not only by these sciences, but by all the others combined. Indeed, until now, scientists are unanimous in the opinion that they have discovered only an insignificant part of the true knowledge about the human being.
Physiological aspects of yoga contribute to a deeper understanding of the essence of the impact of hatha yoga exercises, first of all, as a therapeutic system and are prerequisites for building a scientific foundation for health-improving effects on humans. Let us consider, from a physiological point of view, the basic mechanisms of functioning of the human body as a result of the use of classical eight-step yoga (yama-niyama-asana-pranayama-pratyahara-dharana-dhiyana-samadhi).
From a natural science perspective, yoga appears as a method of self-discipline. In a physiological sense, we are talking about a certain system of teaching methods of conscious control and regulation of motor, sensory, vegetative and mental activity. In this case, a conscious influence on somatic and mental functions is carried out, coinciding with conscious “self-recognition”, “experience” of the function. The goal of yogic practice can be seen as intensive and precise research inner world a person, and in the implementation of practices and lifestyles that lead the body to a situational and constitutional optimum. In this sense, it would be legitimate to define yoga as individually practiced and subjectively experienced “therapeutic physiology.”
The human body has about 200 segments of striated muscle, each of which is surrounded by fascia, which turns into a tendon and is attached to the bone. In addition, at the points of articulation of bones - joints, there are ligaments that form joint capsules. Each such segment has receptors through which the central nervous system receives appropriate information about the strength and nature of irritation (excitation). The immediate localization of this irritation is the cerebral cortex.
Thus, by stimulating certain muscle groups, using static and dynamic training modes, as well as stretching and relaxing muscles, with the help of motor actions and asanas, an indirect effect on the central nervous system becomes possible. Stimulation of certain areas of the cerebral cortex affects the thought process and associated feelings and emotions. Mental activity, in turn, affects both the skeletal and smooth muscle muscles internal organs. In addition, certain body positions affect the endocrine system, which is also manifested in the corresponding reactions of the body. The use of various means and methods of working with the musculoskeletal system allows one to achieve the necessary functional reactions and states of the human body to perform or solve the corresponding tasks.
Speaking in the language of physiology, there is an impact on the functional state of the central nervous system, therefore the regulation of the mental and physiological functions of the body is carried out. Due to this, a person can subjectively diagnose his psychological and physical conditions, as well as the implementation of appropriate programs for their correction. This process of self-knowledge makes it possible to bring a human being to a new stage of evolutionarily significant changes and, as a consequence, to a higher level of personality realization.
The first two stages of classical yoga(Yama and Niyama) are represented by rules of behavior that are found unchanged in all schools of yoga. Moreover, they have also become generally accepted moral precepts for all those who, although not practicing yoga, live in the Indian cultural traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism or Jainism, and, apparently, only the purification precepts are not observed as strictly as in yoga . At first glance, it seems that Yama and Niyama do not have direct relationship to physiology. However, in the sense of a holistic consideration of the eco-socio-psycho-somatic organization of life, some of these prescriptions have points of contact with physiology. For purely medical areas of activity in which psychotherapeutic, psychohygienic, socio-medical or physio-dietological aspects are important, tempting prospects may be hidden here.
Prescriptions of Yama and Niyama from a physiological point of view have an energy-saving effect on human psychosomatics and help in any circumstances to maintain the regime of optimal energy-informational relationships with the World and with oneself. The level of stress hormones is noticeably reduced as a result of persistent practice of the first two steps of yoga. In addition, Yama covers all subsequent stages of yoga or prepares for them, and Niyama, through practices of cleansing the physical body, promotes active mechanical stimulation of the mucous membranes, thereby causing revitalization of visceral functions, reduces susceptibility to pathogenic factors and reduces the reactivity of the mucous membranes, promoting hardening.
From a physiological point of view, the practice of internal and external cleansing very quickly begins to provide powerful support to the immune system and facilitates further steps towards healing and improving the body and mind.
Asana is the third stage of classical yoga, represented by poses. This step is perhaps the most popular due to its detailed development in Hatha Yoga.
Many asanas deform the body cavities, in particular the thoracic and abdominal ones, which leads to a change in pressure and, accordingly, volume. At the same time, in those lobes of the lungs that are located in the expandable region of the chest, the alveoli expand more, i.e. there the area of gas and blood exchange increases.
Under the influence of asanas, the consequences of abdominal deformation will be completely different. Retractions and protrusions of the abdomen, wave-like contractions of the abdominal muscles in the horizontal and vertical plane lead to activation of the abdominal region of the nerve plexuses located deep inside the abdominal cavity, which activates the parasympathetic department of the autonomic nervous system, as a result of which manifestations of psycho-emotional stress disappear and the person becomes calm and balanced.
Many yoga asanas stimulate gastrointestinal motility and affect blood circulation. Regarding the gastrointestinal tract as a whole, the following conclusion can be drawn: changes in pressure accompanying stretching (twisting) of the torso, first of all, lead to stretching of the muscles of the intestinal wall. Conditioned by asanas, as well as bandhas, mechanical effects on the digestive tract can, first of all, stimulate intestinal motility and normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Along with changes in cardiac activity and blood pressure as part of the general energetic adaptation of the blood circulation, asanas influence blood circulation through changes in three mechanical quantities: pressure inside the body cavities, hydrostatic pressure and possible local pressure fluctuations due to the biomechanical position of the limbs. These influences can affect, on the one hand, hemodynamics in the systemic or regional circulation, and, on the other hand, fluid exchange in the microcirculation area.
As a result, there is an increase in the number of blood cells and increased lymphatic outflow, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of muscles, internal organs and the hormonal system. As a result, immunity increases, the level of endurance of the body and resistance to adverse environmental influences increases.
Biomechanical principles of asana practice and kriyas can be traced in the following aspects of the influence of hatha yoga on the functional state and motor activity of a person:
Firstly, in humans, when adapting to the environment, all the infinite variety of brain activity is finally reduced to just one phenomenon - muscle movement. To realize this phenomenon, the body has a powerful muscular system, part of the musculoskeletal system, which uses various forms of activity - dynamic, static and tonic. All levels of the central nervous system and hormonal apparatus are involved in the process of combining and regulating all forms of motor activity: the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, limbic system, cerebellum, brain stem and spinal cord. The involvement of all levels of the central nervous system in the implementation of motor adaptation is an indicator of the multifaceted significance of yoga exercises for the life of the body.
Secondly, motor activity manifested during the practice of asanas and kriyas of hatha yoga is a genetically determined biological need. Satisfying the need for movement is as vital as any other, for example, for food, water, etc. The purpose of any need is to encourage the body to satisfy it. Consequently, the need for motor activity, performing an incentive function, ensures the interaction of the organism with the environment and contributes to the improvement of forms of adaptation (adaptation) to changing environmental conditions.
Thirdly, the systematic physical activity of hatha yoga is an effective universal training factor that causes favorable functional, biochemical and structural changes in the body. Global coaching influence physical activity due to the fact that the body reacts to it according to the principle of systematicity, involving adaptation mechanisms in the process: neurohumoral regulation, executive organs and autonomic support.
Fourthly, deep systemic and local transformations in the body during practice physical exercise hatha yoga is associated with the decisive role of the functions of the genetic apparatus of cells responsible for the implementation of movement. The result of systematic training of the body and mind is an increase in mitochondria (energy ultrastructures of the cell) of nerve and muscle cells and the energy potential of skeletal muscles. The same positive morphofunctional changes occur in the mechanisms of nervous and humoral regulation, as well as in the circulatory, respiratory, and excretory systems. The end result of these transformations is increased vitality of the body and improved health.
And fifthly, positive effect Yoga exercises have two aspects: specific, manifested in the body’s endurance to physical activity, and nonspecific, expressed in increased resistance to other environmental factors and diseases. This determines the protective (preventive) function of systematic motor activity. The preventive nonspecific effect of physical activity in yoga is expressed in increasing resistance to pain and negative emotions, improving the ability to learn and, which is especially important for modern people, increasing the body’s resistance to factors that cause damage to the heart and circulatory system, the appearance of which is largely facilitated by stress. Hatha yoga exercises, transferring energy exchange to an optimal and economical level, ensure high stress resistance of the body to various unfavorable factors of the biological, and especially social, environment.
Physiological prerequisites for the beneficial effects of pranayama on the human body and psyche are caused, first of all, by the reflex effect of air passing through the nasal sinuses on many systems and organs of the human body. In addition, excursion of the diaphragm (with deep “abdominal” breathing) is an additional massage of the abdominal organs.
Rare, full and deep breathing increases the amplitude of changes in the partial tension of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, which helps relax the smooth muscles of blood vessels and improves nutrition of the tissues of the nervous system, internal organs and muscles.
Pranayama- special breathing exercises that affect the physiological component of a person by changing the concentration of oxygen and carbon dioxide, as well as the emotional component, influencing it through a system of psychosomatic correspondences using specific types of breathing. The mechanisms of action of breathing exercises include:
1. change in the ratio of oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations in the body;
2. inclusion of various groups of respiratory muscles in the process of breathing;
3. reflex effect on the brain through influence on olfactory and other receptors;
4. massage of internal organs;
5. reflex effect on the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.
By practicing pranayamas, especially long-term breath holdings, and energy pumping, the adaptive functions of the body expand, and consciousness becomes resistant to experiencing various altered states. In the traditional understanding, breathing exercises serve to control the receipt and distribution of prana in the body, which, on the one hand, should give harmony of body and spirit, and on the other, prepare or directly lead to spiritual meditative practices.
The concept of "meditation" Usually the stages of yoga from the fifth to the eighth (raja yoga) are combined. Due to the well-known similarity with Japanese Zen and similar schools, many different Eastern psychotechniques are summarized under the same term. Through meditation, a person clears his consciousness and harmonizes psychosomatics. Modern medicine confirms that meditation can improve mental focus, effectively eliminate stress and even alleviate chronic diseases.
Meditation strengthens the immune system against a number of diseases, including influenza, hypertension, asthma, spastic colitis, psoriasis and even cancer. This is the result of ten years of research carried out by America's leading neurosurgeons at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the temple of the world's most advanced science, located in Cambridge in the suburbs of Boston.
Meditation reduces the activity of a certain part of the brain, namely the right prefrontal cortex, which is associated with negative emotions - anxiety, anger, fear - and depression. People who regularly meditate develop more antibodies that fight off infections such as flu and colds because the left prefrontal cortex, which is associated with positive emotions, is more active.
Many researchers note a decrease in breathing rate and heart rate in a meditative state, which indicates the body’s transition to a trophotropic state. The latter is characterized by activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, and therefore helps relieve stress. Deep meditation has a therapeutic effect due to the fact that it: a) is, from a physiological point of view, the exact opposite of the sympathetic stress response; b) contributes to the normalization of the psychophysiological functioning of the body.
A scientific approach to understanding yoga serves as a guarantor of a competent attitude towards one’s own practice and as a guarantee high level training of specialists teaching yoga, because relies exclusively on the objective fundamental laws of the existence and activity of a human being.
complex exercise physiology yoga
According to the teachings of yogis, our body lives due to “positive” and “negative” currents, and when they are in complete balance, we can talk about excellent health (we are apparently talking about the balance of the processes of assimilation and dissimilation in metabolism). In the language of ancient symbolism, “positive” current was denoted by the word “ha” (Sun), and “negative” by the word “tha” (Moon). By merging these two words, the word “hatha” is obtained, the meaning of which symbolizes the unity of opposites. According to V. Evtimov (1986), with the help of long-term and targeted exercises, yogis achieve the ability to regulate autonomic functions. Each hatha yoga exercise is characterized by a certain positive impact on various human organs and systems. The high vitality and dexterity of the body achieved through regular practice of the yoga system can be maintained until the end of life.
The leading specialist in the field of sports physiology, Doctor of Biological Sciences V. S. Farfel, states: “...my acquaintance with gymnastic exercises allows us to assert that asanas - static exercises of yogis - good remedy to develop joint flexibility and a sense of balance with little expenditure of physical energy.” In hatha yoga, as in any system of physical culture, it is emphasized that with caring for the body, the development and improvement of the main thing begins - the spirit (“a trained body helps train the mind”).
It is well known that many functions of our body are regulated by consciousness. We walk, run, stop, sit down, take a spoon, chew solid food, swallow liquid food, open and close our eyes, etc. - all these actions can be started and interrupted by at will. But are we able to speed up or slow down the heartbeat with just an effort of will? Can they affect the functioning of the stomach and intestinal motility? Can we control the functioning of the endocrine glands? According to M. S. Tartakovsky (1986), these questions should be answered positively. A little special training - and you can speed up or slow down your heart rate. Let us remember the sour taste of lemon, the cut surface wet from juice - and saliva flows in your mouth. It is not very difficult to cause an involuntary reaction in another person, for example, to make him blush, that is, to provoke a sharp expansion of the smallest blood vessels. In case of unreasonable or inadequate fears or insomnia, when the right, “emotional” hemisphere of the brain is excited, sometimes it is enough to rationally analyze your emotions, i.e., “connect” the left “logical” hemisphere in order to calm down. An irritable person can be advised to hold his breath somewhat at the moment of an emotional outburst, and as he exhales. Excess carbon dioxide focuses the brain's work on the respiratory center and the outburst of anger goes away.
Minor expenditure of energy sharply distinguishes hatha yoga from European athletics. More emphasis is placed on relaxation than on muscle tension. It is no coincidence that some studies half-jokingly note that “yoga is gymnastics for lazy people.” However, the yogis themselves take credit for this. “... Muscular development is by no means identical to health... All movements are performed slowly and smoothly... The main goal is to increase blood circulation and oxygen flow. This is achieved through movements of the spine and various joints, with deep breathing, but without intense muscle work” (Kosambi D., 1968). Another opinion was expressed by E. A. Krapivina (1991), who believes that the European physical culture, rooted in classical Hellas, is much more natural and closer to nature than yoga. Exercises for body flexibility and strength individual muscles(and these are the main asanas) are widely practiced in European athletics when selecting newcomers to sports sections.
It has long been noted that some rather uncomfortable body positions stimulate the internal forces of the body and cause resistance in response. The fact is that with such poses, “clamps” occur in the body, breathing is constricted, the largest blood vessels are partially blocked, and in some cases, the lymph flow. These “vital juices” have to overcome significant obstacles on their way, and at the same time the vessels seem to be exercising. The miniature muscles that regulate them, performing additional active work, require more oxygen and nutrients. A kind of exercise without movement, something similar isometric gymnastics. At the same time, certain parts of the body work under extreme conditions. Blood pressure in certain places increases due to “constrictions”. It tends to spread through adjacent small vessels and capillaries. Not only the main lymphatic channels, but also intertissue and intercellular spaces are more actively involved in the work. Hence the feeling of warmth in these areas.
Cramped conditions also help train the respiratory system. To maintain vital functions, our body continuously consumes energy, which it receives from the breakdown of complex high-molecular organic compounds into compounds with a simpler structure and lower molecular weight. Various organic compounds that enter into a chemical reaction with atmospheric oxygen burn to simpler products and release the energy necessary to maintain the vital functions of the body. The end products of this combustion, the largest proportion of which is carbon dioxide, are continuously released into the environment. Thus, throughout its life, the body, in constant contact with the environment, constantly absorbs oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. The respiratory process consists of three stages: external (pulmonary) respiration, transport of oxygen from the lungs to tissues through oxygen, and internal (tissue) respiration. At external respiration gases are exchanged between the blood in the pulmonary capillaries and atmospheric air (in the alveoli). Gas transport is the transfer through the blood of oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs and internal respiration, which includes all oxidative processes. During normal breathing, the diaphragm moves by approximately 1 cm. When breathing according to the yogic system, this displacement reaches 7-13 cm. Comparison of normal breathing with yogic breathing exercises shows that:
- 1. If ordinary breathing is carried out automatically and is regulated by the respiratory center in the medulla oblongata, then the breathing of yogis is controlled by consciousness.
- 2. With the usual breathing of yogis, there is a certain duration of inhalation and exhalation and their strict rhythmic sequence.
- 3. Full breath Yogis is a combination of three types of breathing: diaphragmatic, thoracic and clavicular.
- 4. While performing breathing exercises, consciousness is concentrated exclusively on the breathing itself.
For proper breathing according to the yogic system, good patency of the nasal cavity and the absence of pathological changes in its mucosa are essential. The goal of yogis is to exert an indirect effect on tissue respiration through rhythmic breathing in order to maximize the bioenergetic efficiency of metabolism. A direct consequence of this is slower breathing as a result of more economical and selective oxygen consumption.
In general, in the physiological aspect, hatha yoga gives the following results:
- - develops muscles and increases mobility;
- - massages internal organs, which ensures their good functioning;
- - eliminates physical tension and mental stress, which automatically leads to muscle relaxation and stress relief and thus provides the first step towards relieving mental tension, since physical relaxation cannot be achieved if a person is in a state of mental tension.
