What Can Yoga Asanas Do For Skeletal Alignment?

What Can Yoga Asanas Do For Skeletal Alignment?
 
By
Sanjeev Patel, CYT 500


Let’s be honest; not many of us have students who enter our Yoga school and
say, “I really need to practice asana because I want to improve my skeletal
alignment and my posture is poor.” People with bad posture usually aren’t aware
of it until somebody tells them about it. Worse yet, even if their coworkers
imitate their bad posture, they still might not ever take action. For anyone, of
any age, Yoga asanas can correct poor posture; but a lifetime of bad posture is
much harder to correct. For this reason, people of all ages need to practice
some form of Yoga posturing exercise.


The Typical View of Asana Practice


“It’s for women or young people who are already fit and flexible.” Firstly,
there’s a style for everybody these days, even if you can’t get out of the
chair. As a Yoga teacher, you have heard all of the excuses by now. Secondly,
some tough guys think they don’t need to practice asana because they lift
weights, drink protein shakes, eat lots of meat, and create big stiff muscles.
That’s not all weight lifters, but it’s the usual response. I don’t want to get
in the way of a big guy who is hell bent on blocking his arteries, but I wish
some people would read.  Yes, I know: A bad diet doesn’t have a warning
label yet!


Back to reality: It’s really nice to have women in a Yoga class, but a lot of
guys aren’t getting it, and many of them have the worst posture. Some of us have
necks like buzzards. So, when it’s time to eat, they have to slightly lift their
face off the table and slide the plate in between. It’s a perfect fit and my dog
has better posture during meals.


Practicing yoga asana regularly helps people gain a level of fitness, unlike
anything before, and achieve mental serenity. Many people, who practice yoga,
don’t even realize the positive benefits that happen underneath their muscles in
the skeletal frame. Yoga is known for having a more positive impact on joint
function, as certain yoga poses strengthen the muscles by releasing fluids
throughout the body. Here are some ways, for anyone to practice yoga, to improve
their joint health and their overall skeletal alignment.


Yoga to Strengthen Joint Supporting Muscles


The isometric contractions that occur during asana practice train the smaller
muscles that surround the joints to withstand more pressure, and it makes them
work harder to stabilize the body properly. For example, poses that force people
to balance on one leg, and change elevation, trains the supporting muscles to
work in ways for strict balance and stability. The practice of daily yoga helps
people improve their function and their overall daily activities.


Improving Flow of Synovial Fluid


Synovial fluid is a slippery liquid that occurs in the joint systems, and
which allows bones to move in a smooth and painless way. Synovial fluid is in
joints, such as the hips, elbows, and knees, where there is a lot movement of
the bones. There are few joints in the body that do not have synovial fluid,
such as sacroiliac joints on the pelvis and the discs on the back.  The
synovial fluid is also important for delivering oxygen and nutrients to the
hyaline cartilage, which doesn’t have any source of blood supply. The poses in
yoga allows the synovial fluid to reach different parts of the body, thus making
the joints move more smoothly.


Weight Control


Oops! Did I write that? Look, I know there are so many scams out there for
weight loss, but a yogic lifestyle is going to cause a practitioner to watch his
or her weight. If people just ate their veggies first, they would lower their
health risks and make life easier on the old skeleton. Let’s face it; extra
weight is not good for your ankles, knees, or hips. For every pound of weight
somebody puts on their body, it puts an additional burden on their joints. Forms
of exercise, such as jumping or running is good, but the impact may add up over
time, especially if I am carrying extra body weight. The joints in the body are
made to support the human body as individuals carry extra pounds. So, when
individuals carry the extra loads via weight gain, then they’re gradually
causing more serious joint problems throughout their lives. Yoga, walking, and a
healthy diet can help individuals manage weight, which is putting unnecessary
pressure on their joints and inhibiting their movements. I’m not saying, yoga is
a weight loss remedy, but the lifestyle might keep some extra weight at bay.


With all that said, no other form of exercise can concentrate the muscles
that surround the joints like yoga asana, while promoting a healthy blood flow
throughout the body.


© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division


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Tags: affordable yoga teacher training
intensive, isometric contractions that occur during
asana, overall skeletal alignment, practicing yoga asana
regularly, yoga asanas can correct poor
posture, Yoga school


                             
This entry was posted                                                           
on Wednesday, August 7th, 2013 at 4:31 pm                              and is
filed under