Aparigraha (Non-Hoarding) and Healthy Aging

by Ram

Naushon Tree by Brad Gibson

In the Sadhana Pada of the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali we are introduced to the eight rungs/limbs/steps of yoga whose practice helps us to develop attention as a tool to discriminate between ignorance and awareness and truth from illusion, the means for liberation or enlightenment. One of the eight limbs is aparigraha, which has several meanings, including non-possessiveness, non-holding, non-indulgence, non-acquisitiveness. Verse 2.39 in the Yoga Sutras describes aparigraha as:

aparigraha sthairye janma kathanta sambodhah

When one is steadfast in non-possessiveness or non-grasping with the senses there arises knowledge of the why and wherefore of past and future lives). —trans. by Swami Jnaneshvara

 Aparigraha comes from the word parigraha, which means reaching out for something and claiming it for oneself; the "a" prefix' before parigraha turns it into an antonym. Thus, aparigraha is the concept of non-possessiveness or non-hoarding. Aparigraha means to limit possessions to what is necessary or important and taking what is truly necessary and no more. Nina briefly touched on this topic in one of her earlier postings (see Yama Drama).

Our senses are like portals or gateways into our body, mind and consciousness. We are what we eat, smell, see, hear and touch. Through our senses, we absorb the world around us. If we take in harmonious impressions, we will in turn be healthier. If we absorb disharmonious impressions through our senses, we are inviting with it all kinds of body-mind problems. Through these five senses we get attracted to material possessions and surround ourselves with them. Hoarding is the accumulation of things that may have little or no value. So great is the need to accumulate these things that they then becomes difficult to part with it. Hoarders accumulate and store old newspapers, food cartons, cans, mail, notes, clothes, garbage and other debris. Hoarding begins slowly and builds over time. Hoarders will not give up their possessions as they develop an emotional attachment to their belongings and have a distorted view about the importance/lack of importance of material possessions. People who develop a habit of hoarding identify their possessions as a part of their identities. Losing or disposing of a possession may produce extreme anxiety or a sense of loss and grief. Researchers believe that individuals who are experiencing emotional upheavals in their lives when faced with aging and the possibility of outliving their resources may begin to collect and save as these material possessions provides them a sense of security—sort of a comfort zone.

But hoarding is not just about accumulating material possessions. It is also about hoarding/holding thoughts and emotions that affect our normal mindset and thinking process. Hoarding, be it mental or physical, is associated with an inability to process information and make decisions when confronted with a large amount of information, attention and focus deficits and a failure of categorization. We tend to fill our minds with fear, worry, anxiety, grief, anger, rage, jealousy, and judgments, among others, and we do not let go of these emotions. Over time, these emotions—whether it be bitterness, fear, emotional damage, rejection or abandonment—build up. If you hoard/accumulate unexpressed or suppressed emotions and if they are not getting released, they keep building up in your body. Ultimately these pent-up emotions can trigger mental and/or physical pathological conditions. Thus, hoarding emotions can be devastating to both mind and body.

What is the easiest and effective way to ward off emotional hoarding? A simple method is meditation (dhyana), the cheapest and simplest recourse to a healthy body and mind (see Balancing Your Emotions with Your Breath). While meditation may not cure a person from the act of hoarding, the person having a meditation practice will react to life’s turbulence differently. This reaction and suitable action measures comes from a true awareness; awareness to the emotional turbulence arising from within that has remedial effects. As explained in an earlier post (see Never Go to Bed Angry), the individual will not only have the capacity to transcend the physical and emotional upheaval but will also not evoke the same physical and emotional reactions that are commonly seen in a person who does not meditate.

Just as you take a car for a regular tune up, you also need to detoxify and tune up our body and mind on a periodical basis. Disposing of any unwanted material possessions and detoxifying our mind-riddled emotions on a regular basis is a panacea for healthy aging and living. If you can do it for your car, you might as well think about doing the same for your mind and body.

Yoga and the Mind-Body Connection

by Ram

Succulent Plant with Blossom by Melina Meza

Both the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali provide several references to how a sound mental health helps to achieve a stable physical body. According to these texts, the goal of any human activity is to achieve a state of perfect understanding, clarity, and renewed strength that can be achieved only from a strong mind-body connection.The mind-body connection uses our thought process to minimize the negative effects and positively influence our body’s physical responses. Thus, positive qualities (including happiness, appreciation, selfless service, and so on...) help to relax the mind, which in turn strengthens the physical body.

The mind-body connection is described as follows in both the above mentioned texts:

“vita raga vishayam va chittam – Verse 1.37 Yoga Sutras (see here)

indriyanam hi caratam, yan mano 'nuvidhiyate
tad asya harati prajnam, vayur navam ivambhasi

Chapter-2 Verse 67, Bhagavad Gita  (see here)
Continuous thinking about the objects of senses creates attachment which leads to desire, and when the desire is not fulfilled, one gets confused. That in turn leads to delusion and loss of memory. The loss of memory causes destruction of reasoning due to which an individual loses his physical balance and is ruined. As a boat on the water is swept away by a strong wind, even one of the senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man's intelligence. Contemplating on having a mind that is free from desires, the mind gets stabilized and tranquil.

Studies have shown that when you just think of a past traumatic experience, your mental and physical responses to that experience are similar to the responses you would have exhibited when the event actually happened. For example, if you recall a painful/agonizing experience, you will notice that your heart is beating faster, you may start to sweat, and your hands may become numb, cold or clammy. Thus, mind-body connection means that you can use your thoughts to positively influence your body’s physical responses. It is imperative that we minimize the negative thoughts and maximize the healthy, healing aspects of our mind-body connection.

So powerful is the mind-body connection that a new model of understanding human behavior and health has been put forward by leading psychologists and psychiatrists. The “biopsychosocial model,” requires that a healthcare team address the biological, psychological and social influences upon a patient's functioning for treatment of any diseases. In essence, the biopsychosocial model states that the stability of the physical body depends on the status of the mind, and the mental strength in turn depends on the physical stability. Poor mental health can weaken the physical body and puts an individual at risk from several physical ailments. According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, an estimated 40 million adult Americans suffer from some form of mental disorder. Treating these disorders costs the US more than $42 billion a year. When you are feeling stressed, anxious or upset, you tend not to take good care of your health. Thus, health is best understood in terms of a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors rather than purely in biological terms. This concept is now widely used in the medical field to address health and disease, especially chronic diseases.

How do we stabilize the mind and improve our mental health? Some of the simplest ways are:

• Try to reflect on your emotions and understand the causes that triggered these emotions
• Sort out the causes
• Express your feelings in harmonious ways and make changes to your lifestyle to improve your mental health
• Live a balanced and harmonious life
• Focus on the positive things in life
• Let go of events/things in your life that overwhelm or stress you
• Create a place of joy at home or your workplace
• Calm your mind and body
• Exercise your brain just like you exercise your physical body

There is now scientific evidence to support some of the above mentioned claims, especially the latter ones. According to a recent study, twenty minutes of yoga is better for boosting brain activity than vigorous exercise for the same amount of time. Researchers report that a single, short session of hatha yoga improves memory, speed and focus, more so than regular workouts. The study involving 30 female undergraduate students focused on seated, standing and supine yoga postures followed by a brief meditation and regulated breathing (pranayama). The students also completed an aerobic exercise session where they walked or jogged on a treadmill for 20 minutes. At the end of the yoga and exercise sessions, the students were all asked to take a short survey that tested their cognitive skills. The researchers were surprised to see that students showed more improvement in their reaction times and accuracy on cognitive tasks after yoga practice than after the aerobic exercise session. Nearly all of the participants were better able to focus their mental resources, process information quickly and more accurately and also learn, hold and update pieces of information more effectively after a yoga practice than after performing the aerobic routine. The researchers believe several factors could explain the results including but not limited to (1) enhanced self-awareness and mental clarity that comes with meditational exercises and (2) reduction in anxiety and stress after yoga, meditation and breathing exercises which may improve scores on cognitive tests.

An earlier study also found that regular yoga sessions can help fight off depression as it boosts levels of a chemical in the brain which is essential for a sound and relaxed mind. Researchers found that the levels of the amino acid GABA are much higher in those who practice yoga than those who do the equivalent of a similarly strenuous exercise such as walking. This suggests that yoga could serve as a safe therapeutic treatment for disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders that feature low GABA levels. (See sciencedirect.com and ncbi.nlm.nih.gov for more information.)

A week ago I wrote about the benefits of yoga in curbing inflammation and inflammatory diseases in my post Chronic Inflammation and Yoga. Together with today’s article, it appears that yoga can be adapted as a safe and effective therapy for inflammatory diseases and mind-body problems as well. Now I have a couple of choices to ease the rheumatic pain in my joints and reduce the fear in my mind. Either I choose the NSAID or I go for my mat.  The yoga mat in the corner of the room is beckoning me, so you may have recognized my next move: GOT YOGA!!!

Chronic Inflammation and Yoga: Combating the Fiery Killer

by Ram

Red Leaves by Melina Meza

Ever experienced an unexplained excruciating pain in the joints, ankles, knees that lasted for some time and then subsided? Or, maybe when you bent your fingers to hold some object, you experienced a burning pain in your fingers so painful that you were unable to straighten them for some time. Or, for some of us who do yoga regularly, we may have experienced pain, burning, numbness, or tingling in the buttock, hip, low back, knees, etc. Notice how this pain subsides when you are advised by your physician to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, or for some of us who have been living with this chronic agonizing pain, relief comes from those powerful anti-inflammatory steroid medications.

So, what is inflammation, why does it occur, and what are the best safe and natural options to curb this disorder? Let’s start by defining the term: From the Latin term "inflammo" (meaning setting alight or igniting), inflammation is part of the body's immune/defense response, the body's attempt at self-protection. The objective of inflammation is to remove damaged cells, harmful irritants, or toxic pathogens and begin the healing process.

When something harmful or irritating affects a part of our body, there is a biological response to try to remove it. This response takes the form of inflammation for the body to heal itself. While inflammation is not infection, an infection itself caused by bacteria, virus or fungus can trigger an inflammation process. Thus, you may appreciate the fact that inflammation in a true sense is beneficial when, for example, you develop a viral infection or if your back sustains a blow and the injured tissues need care and protection. The classical signs of acute inflammation are pain, heat, redness and fluid accumulation (swelling). Inflammation may also be associated with symptoms including: fever, chills, fatigue/loss of energy, muscle aches, headaches and loss of appetite.

Chain of Events that Occur during the Inflammation Process. Just as every country maintains an army, air force and naval units to defend itself from enemy forces, our body too has an excellent defense system (aka immune system) characterized by an arsenal of molecules. Acute inflammation is the initial response of the body to harmful stimuli and is characterized by the release of (a) specialized chemicals that create a conducive atmosphere for the defense molecules (pro-inflammatory molecules) to act and (b) specialized defense molecules/cells that fight the invaders. You may have heard from your physician or other sources terms including but not limited to: leukocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells, mast cells, bradykinin, histamine, and TNF. All these constitute our defense/immune system that is akin to a country’s defense system, with several layers of defenses of increasing specificity that culminate in the removal of pathogens and promote healing of any damaged tissue. Thus, in a perfect world or perfect body, the inflammatory process occurs just as it should, releasing defense/pro-inflammatory molecules when needed and then turning them off when the threat has been sufficiently addressed.

Negative Aspect of the Inflammation Process. Imagine if the defense forces take on their own country and its citizens! Similarly, chronic inflammation is characterized by a defense response that is aberrant, out of control and is not completely turned off or extinguished. Just like a slow-burning fire that does not ebb, in chronic inflammation the defense/pro-inflammatory molecules continue to be present in the body even when they are not needed. With the inflammation switch refusing to turn off, the body operates as if it is always under attack. Inflammation draws on our body’s energy and resources and having a constant, low-grade flow of powerful pro-inflammatory molecules can result in bodily damage with time. Furthermore, once this system goes out of control, it self-perpetuates and quickly spirals into disease in areas such as blood vessels (atherosclerosis), pancreatic tissue (diabetes), bones and joints (arthritis), digestive system (lactose and gluten intolerance), limbs, muscles and nerves (fibromyalgia), fat tissue (obesity), throat (thyroid issues)—just for starters. Sounds like the body going haywire in its own defense, with the immune system failing to distinguish between what is foreign and what is our own self, and making the body vulnerable to attacks from its own defense team.

Causes of Chronic Inflammation. As an aging researcher, I have learned that aging is one of the biggest risk factors for chronic inflammation because as we age, our bodies are less able to disarm the inflammatory process. Couple the aging process with a genetic predisposition, hypertension, or even smoking and it fuels the flames. In addition, stress (both physical and mental), environment, poor foods (sugary, processed, or fast food), high blood-insulin levels (type-2 diabetes), hormonal imbalance (estrogen and menopause) and obesity (leptin, adiponectin and other dietary hormone imbalance) are just a few of the factors that promote chronic inflammation.

Treatment for Chronic Inflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that include drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen, reduce the level of certain chemicals called prostaglandins that are involved in inflammation. Treatment with NSAIDs can lead to less swelling and less pain. However, extended use of NSAIDS can cause intestinal bleeding and serious damage to the stomach, liver and kidneys. Commonly referred to as steroids, glucocorticoids work to calm an overactive immune system and to decrease the level of inflammation in the body. People with multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other chronic inflammatory diseases are frequently prescribed these steroids to calm the inflammatory response. The problem is that these come with their own baggage of side effects and extended use of steroids can trigger osteoporosis, glaucoma, weight gain, high blood pressure and a lowered resistance to infections. Finally, a nutritious diet is the basis for good health. Vitamins D, E and C and folic acid have powerful anti-inflammatory actions, and foods high in omega 3s&6s, fruits, vegetables, fermented foods and unrefined carbohydrates may help to reduce the body's inflammatory response.

Yoga as an Anti-Inflammatory Therapy. There’s also good news for those of us who have a regular yoga practice. Several studies now report that a regular yoga practice (a) brings down the levels of stress hormones that promote inflammation (b) lowers the levels of a number of pro-inflammatory molecules in the body and brings down inflammation that is beneficial in conditions like arthritis, (c) reduces a subset of pro-inflammatory molecules called cytokines thereby relieving severe pain seen in diseases like fibromyalgia, and (d) inhibits inflammation that in turn weakens and even kills cancerous cells in people with cancer. See Stress, Inflammation and Yoga Practice to read one of the original studies.

In a study that confirms nearly all of the above observations, researchers at Ohio State University in Columbus divided 50 women with an average age of 41 into two groups: new to yoga and experts. The researchers than subjected these women to a battery of stress-inducing tasks, including holding their feet in extremely cold water or solving difficult math problems without the aid of a paper and pencil. Blood samples were taken several times before, during and after the stressful activities and measured for the levels of several pro inflammatory molecules. The research team found that women who were new to yoga had higher levels of nearly all the pro-inflammatory molecules tested and a much greater inflammatory response to the stressful tasks than women who were experts - suggesting that yoga may help to tune down the stress responses. See Adiponectin, leptin, and yoga practice.

Yoga’s beneficial effects on inflammation are not confined just to people with inflammatory conditions. Remember, I wrote a previous post about caregivers and how yoga could help these Karma yogis. Turns out that caregivers who exhibit high levels of stress-associated inflammation and who often don't have the time or energy to bring on a little relief from the stress of taking care of a loved one will benefit from a yoga practice even if it is for a brief period daily as it lowers stress-associated inflammation. In a study published in the  journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, researchers found that caregivers who participated in a yoga practice experienced a change in the response of 68 anti-inflammatory genes, leading to a global decrease in inflammation.

After writing this article in one sitting I am experiencing an unexplained burning pain in my fingers. So, guess what? It’s time for me to roll out the mat and do a few yoga stretches. What a cheap and effective therapy for combating inflammation!

Hindu, Hinduism and Yoga: Connecting the Dots

by Ram 

Locked Door by Melina Meza

What is the connection between Hinduism and yoga? And hatha yoga in particular? And Iyengar yoga in particular?

This was the question put forth by one of our blog readers and Nina aptly provided a reasonable perspective in her post Friday Q&A: Modern Yoga and Hinduism. But Nina also asked me to provide additional information to satisfy a broader audience. This reader’s question and Nina’s suggestion that I add my two cents to this topic is akin to opening the Pandora’s box of Hindu philosophy. Nevertheless, to have a better understanding of these concepts, it would help for all of us to be firmly established in our “higher Self”—a place of higher awareness. It is from this pedestal of higher awareness that consciousness expands, illusion of this physical body and materialism disappears and we realize our true nature. So here I go in simple terms.

1. Who or what is a Hindu?

The exact definition of this term has eluded many a scholar. The word “Hindu” is an adjective to the term “Hinduism.” There’s so much controversy to both these terms that even the Supreme Court of India, which has repeatedly been called upon to define “Hindu and Hinduism,” has not been able to satisfy a broader audience with its inconsistent definition to mean different things at different times. The term could refer to the people born in India or it could refer to an individual who practices a certain religion originating from India. However, Muslims, Christians, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jews, Zoroastrians among others who are born in India do not prefer to be referred to or described as “Hindus.”

Furthermore, that definition does not hold when you look to India’s neighboring country Nepal, which is the world's only Hindu kingdom. And what about the Hindus of other Southeast Asian countries like Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Cambodia, etc. who are not born in India? The next time you visit a Nepali restaurant or if you happen to meet an Indonesian or Cambodian, ask them if they are Hindus and the reply will be in negative.

“Hindu” could be categorized with words like Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or Jew, however, while the latter terms denote a specific religious order, the term “Hindu” does not define a specific religion. A Christian is a person who accepts the gospels as his or her scriptural guide and believes that Jesus is the incarnate God. A Buddhist follows the guiding principles from the Tipitaka and believes in the Buddha. A Muslim accepts the Qur'an as their scriptural guide, and believes that there is no God but Allah. However, “Hindu” neither belongs to the category of words like “Muslim,” “Christian,” or “Buddhist” nor to the category of words like “American,” “British,” “Australian,” or “Chinese.”

Interestingly, in the Sabda Kalpadruma, which is one of the oldest comprehensive Sanskrit dictionaries written in the 18th century, the term “Hindu “is defined as:

“Hinam dushyathi Iti Hindu”- A hindu is one who dispels unhealthy thoughts and actions.

Personally, this definition sounds not only appropriate but it is empowering as well. Thus, going by this definition, any individual in this universe who does not harbor unhealthy thoughts and whose actions are not detrimental to self and others is a Hindu. So the staff of this blog, or the readers, or other individuals might well be “Hindus” if they harbor healthy thoughts and perform harmonious actions. How many of us are willing to embrace this definition?

2. If Hinduism is not a religion, what religion do Hindus follow?

Naturally, if Hinduism is a religion, the people following it are Hindus. But if there is no true religion called Hinduism, what about those people born in India who are not Muslims, Christians, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jews, Zoroastrians, etc? What religious order do they follow? Furthermore, what religion is followed by those “Hindus” who are free from unhealthy thoughts and whose actions are not unfavorable?

In general, what determines whether a person is a follower of any particular religion is whether or not they accept, live by and strictly follow the scriptural authority of that religion. By that definition, a true Hindu who dispels unhealthy thoughts and actions is following the religion of Sanatana Dharma—“The Eternal Natural Law.” Sanatana Dharma is a religion that calls upon all Hindus to live in accordance with the divine laws as revealed in the Vedic scriptures. These ancient scriptures called Vedas expound an absolute set of duties or ordained practices incumbent upon all “Hindus,” regardless of ethnicity, gender, class, social order or sect. There are several Vedic texts that give different lists of the duties, but in general Sanatana Dharma consists of day-to-day living by virtues such as honesty, selfless service, non-violence, purity of thoughts, words, deeds and actions, mercy, patience, forbearance, self-restraint, generosity, goodwill and respect for every being. A very popular invocation drawn from the Vedic text and corroborating the principles of Sanatana Dharma also demonstrates the concern for universal affiliation:

Om sarve bhavantu sukhinah. Sarve santu niraamayaah.

Sarve bhadraani pashyantu. Maa kaschid dukhbhaag bhavet.

May all beings be happy. May all beings be healthy.

May all beings experience prosperity. May none in the world suffer.

Thus, the religion followed by true Hindus is Sanatana Dharm, a religious order that promotes coexistence and well defines the concept of pluralism.

3. What is the connection between Hinduism and yoga?

It has been the historically accepted standard that if you accept the Vedic texts as your scriptural authority and live your life in accordance with the principles of “sanatana dharma” as mentioned in 2, you are a Hindu. For all members who lead the Vedic path, Hinduism promotes not only tolerance and respect for individual differences in all aspects of life, but also acknowledges the existence of more than one path to the “Supreme God Principle” otherwise known as Satyam or Truth. This concept of pluralism is best captured in the ancient Sanskrit hymn:

“Ekam sat vipraha bahudha vadanti”—Truth is only one, the wise call it by many names.

How does one see, perceive or achieve truth? Among the hundreds of paths known through history are six classical philosophical paths to achieve or perceive truth collectively called as Shad Darshana (Shad= six, darshana= awareness). These six paths are understood as varied attempts at describing Truth and the path to it. Each path to truth has its own founder or author, and the authors of these six systems of philosophy were individuals of the highest order who not only saw truth but had devoted their lives to the study and propagation of the path to truth. Elements of each path form part of the Hindu fabric of daily existence.

Yoga is one of those six paths whose objective is to achieve, at will, the cessation of all fluctuations of consciousness, and the attainment of Self Realization. Codified by Patanjali, who authored the Yoga Sutras or the aphorisms of yoga, this philosophical path is of great value to the seekers of the state of spiritual absorption. Yoga aims at the final state of spiritual absorption through eight component parts, together called Ashtanga Yoga. Yoga is wholly dedicated to putting the high philosophy of Sanatana Dharma into practice to achieve personal transformation through transcendental experience.

4. What is the connection between Hinduism and hatha yoga in particular? And Iyengar yoga in particular?

If my replies to the above three questions are clear, the answer to this question is fairly easy to follow. Any individual who cultivates pure thoughts and performs harmonious actions is a Hindu. As a seeker of truth, this individual has six principle paths to achieve enlightenment. As described above in 3, yoga is one such path. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali expounds adherence to eight steps to experience truth and achieve enlightenment. Swatmarama, a 15th/16th century yogic sage pulled out specific modules from the complex Yoga Sutras and compiled the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, which focused exclusively on asanas, pranayama, chakras, bandhas, nadis and mudras as a means to purify the body and the mind.

Just like any modern texts, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika was subjected to numerous revisions, editions and interpretations by a multitude of authors. Through his dual knowledge of Sanskrit and English, BKS Iyengar made it very easy for Westerners by drawing from the Yoga Sutras and the Pradipika and developing his own style of hatha yoga that lays emphasis on detail, precision and alignment in the performance of posture (asana) and breath control (pranayama). BKS Iyengar systematized nearly 200 classical yoga poses and more than one dozen different types of pranayama to ensure that students progress gradually from simple poses to more complex ones and develop their mind and body in a step-wise manner. Thus, the yoga predominantly practiced in the West deviated from the classical philosophical aspects since it consists of mostly asanas understood as physical exercises and as a stress-reducing practice.

4. Additional Query: Is chanting necessary in an asana class?

I checked some of the ancient texts and there is no mention of chanting alongside an asana class. To my knowledge, chanting in a class does not in any way enhance the spiritual experience compared to a class where there is no chant. There is no sutra in the Pradipika asserting that asanas be accompanied by a Gayatri chant or an invocation to Patanjali. My advice to any teacher that wishes to have chanting is to use chants, quotes or lines from all traditions and religious background so that the class turns into a purely non-denominational experience. Personally, chanting is secondary; instead I would look to see if the teacher is a “Hindu” who brings in qualities prescribed by the Sanatana Dharma.

Note: Nina and other readers may finally ask, am I a Hindu? I was born and raised in India to Hindu parents. I started my journey on the path of Sanatana Dharma several years ago when I embraced the sciences of yoga and ayurveda. I am trying my best to cultivate healthy thoughts, dispense harmonious actions and provide selfless service to the society. I leave it to all of you to decide if I am a true “Hindu.”

Yoga Asanas: Endurance Training or Resistance Training?

by Ram

Thin Branches by Melina Meza

Endurance training improves functional capacity while resistance training improves muscle strength and endurance. While the anaerobic system enables muscles to recover for the next burst, aerobic system ensures that the energy demands are continuously met during the exercise regimen. Therefore, training for many sports demands that both energy-producing systems be developed. The question is: where do yoga asanas fit into the above mentioned definitions? The answer becomes very important in terms of regeneration and renewal of muscle stem cells with yoga.

After carefully researching several sites, I have come to the conclusion that yoga is both an endurance training system as well as strength training. Before talking about that in detail, let me review some of the terms:

Endurance Training: This kind of training is what we refer to as aerobic exercise. It may involve bicycling, walking on a treadmill, swimming, rowing, cross-country skiing and other exercises that generally increase stamina and endurance. Since endurance training generally refers to training the aerobic system as opposed to anaerobic system, this type of training primarily employs the slow twitch (type 1) fibers and increases their efficiency and resistance to fatigue. Endurance in sport is closely tied to the execution of skill and technique.

Resistance/Strength Training: Resistance training or strength training is a type of physical exercise that induces muscular contraction that helps builds the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles. Strength training is primarily an anaerobic activity, uses the fast twitch muscle system (type 2 fibers) and provides significant functional benefits and improvement in overall health and well-being, including increased muscle, tendon, ligament strength and toughness, improved joint function, increased bone density, increased metabolism, improved cardiac function, and elevated HDL (good) cholesterol. Strength training increases the force output of the muscle through incremental weight increases and also uses various forms of exercises and equipment to target specific muscle groups.

Anaerobic Exercise: Anaerobic exercise is typically used by athletes in non-endurance sports to promote strength, speed and power, and by body builders to build muscle mass. It involves using muscle energy systems that develop differently compared to aerobic exercise and lead to greater performance in short duration, high-intensity activities, which typically last from few seconds to up to about couple of minutes. Anaerobic exercises trigger lactic acid fermentation and recruit the fast twitch muscle systems (also known as Type 2 fibers). If the intensity of the exercise exceeds the rate with which the cardiovascular system can supply muscles with oxygen, it results in buildup of lactate, making it impossible to continue the exercise. Unpleasant effects of lactate buildup initially include the burning sensation in the muscles, and may eventually include nausea and even vomiting if the exercise is continued.

Aerobic Exercise: In contrast to anaerobic exercise, aerobic exercise includes lower-intensity activities performed for longer periods of time. Aerobic means "in air” and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise Generally, light-to-moderate intensity activities that are sufficiently supported by aerobic metabolism can be performed for extended periods of time. Activities include, but is not limited to, walking, long, slow runs, rowing, and cycling, all of which require a great deal of oxygen to generate the energy needed for prolonged exercise. Aerobic exercises generally use slow twitch muscle fibers or Type I fibers that are slow to fatigue and suited for endurance.

Reasons why Hatha Yoga is Endurance Training

1. Breath: Endurance training is all about using the aerobic system and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise. Similarly, it is not yoga if you don’t breathe. Breath practice is an integral part of yoga, and it is very common for practitioners and students as well to use the back-of-throat nose breathing called ujjayi pranayam, which lengthens inhalations and increases lung capacity. This in turn delivers more oxygen to the body and helps with overall performance and efficiency. In addition, the increased flow of oxygen relieves soreness and also enhances tissue repair.

2. Endurance: Endurance training improves functional capacity and requires the use of physical and mental strength. In yoga, physical strength requires for us to cover more ground with fewer steps, develop a longer natural stride and smoother and steadier pace. To achieve this we need flexible hip flexors for greater hip flexion, well-lubricated joints, and properly stretched muscles. Holding a certain yoga pose for a long time requires discipline and commitment. This helps in not only strengthening the muscles but it also builds confidence and slows down the chattering in mind; the practice of simply holding the pose helps to overcome mental negativity and the fear of pain. It is also a common practice to incorporate several minutes of meditation either before or after a yoga asana class that helps with concentration and to develop the mental strength.

3. Core Strength: Endurance training not only increases stamina but endurance as well. Yoga asanas that focus on abdominal strengthening keep a body strong, centered, and powerful. Yoga core strengthening poses not only assist in building strong abdominal muscles but also help to strengthen and protecting the back and hips.

4. Focus: Training in endurance sports (including, but not limited to, bicycling, swimming, rowing, and cross-country skiing) requires developing an inward, mindful state of being, and endurance training athletes are always encouraged to “stay in the moment.” Focus helps you understand and follow the energy and action of a yoga pose and also helps you develop mental fitness. Yoga practitioners thus constantly focus on their inhalation or exhalation and on every movement and nuance of a pose.

Reasons why Hatha Yoga is Resistance Training

Resistance training or strength training involves a lot of muscular contraction that helps build the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles thereby providing functional benefits in muscles, tendon, ligaments and joints. Strength training uses various forms of exercises to target specific muscle groups. Yoga uses the body’s own weight as resistance to build strength and balance thus strength gains are achieved without elaborate and expensive weight-training equipment. Yoga poses place the body in many positions that not only require strength but also require contraction of certain specific muscles (referred to as an isometric contraction) to hold the position. In addition, muscular contractions actually help more muscle fibers to be recruited, resulting in improved strength gains. While this does not result in acquiring bulky muscles, continuous muscular contraction helps to lengthen, tone and strengthen the muscles. A continuous flow sequence that calls for moving into several poses sequentially is a physically demanding practice that provides students with opportunities for continued strength gains.

Conclusion

In conclusion, yoga increases muscle strength, power and endurance through weighted exercises. By holding the body in specific poses, yoga helps to improve balance, strength and stamina. Certain postures improve circulation, digestion, balance, flexibility and agility. Keeping the body in certain postures and focusing intensely on moving through and holding each of the poses not only helps to improve strength, balance and concentration but also builds endurance. Thus, in my opinion, a consistent yoga practice is both strength and endurance training.

Watch out for the sequel article to understand how this aspect of yoga asana relates to regeneration and renewal of muscle stem cells with yoga, an important component of healthy aging.

Understanding the Relationship Between Yoga and Ayurveda

Reflections by Melina Meza

by Ram

A lot of questions/comments are being raised in this blog regarding Ayurveda and yoga, so Nina asked me to address these issues. While I think that the science of Ayurveda and yoga is better addressed and understood in a verbal format—akin to a didactic exchange of information—through this article I will try to lay out the main principles that govern both these sciences.

Thanks to Swami Vivekananda, yoga came to the West in 1893 and was welcomed by a very receptive audience. While people embraced yoga, its counterpart Ayurveda, was left behind in India. This despite the fact that both yoga and Ayurveda are two very similar paths sharing a close relationship, so closely related that they are often described as two sides of the same coin. Both these sciences, which have their origin in the Vedic texts, address health and health practices. If Ayurveda is the healing aspect, yoga is the spiritual/practical side of the Vedic teachings. Together they emphasize a complete approach to the wellbeing of the body, the mind, and the spirit. In fact, their close relationship has even led to some scholars arguing that Patanjali, considered by many to be the father of yoga, and Charaka, often considered as the father of Ayurveda, may have in fact been one and the same person known in Vedic India by different names during his travels to spread the teachings of these ancient sciences.

Both sciences have common underlying principles: the well being of an individual at the level of body and mind and the aim of helping an individual re-connect to their true nature through direct and personal experience (pratyeksha in Sanskrit). While yoga prepares the body and mind of the individual for eventual liberation and enlightenment, Ayurveda describes the various ways to keep the body and mind healthy. Both sciences emphasize our close relationship with the environment and how to alter our environment in such a way that it is harmonious with our deepest nature.

In today’s world, yoga is often thought of as “asanas only,” something like a stretching tool to keep the body limber and agile. People are drawn to yoga as a way to keep fit even though the idea behind the physical practice of yoga is to help the mind to become clear or pure and develop deeper mind-body awareness. A clear mind is not affected by stress and a clear mind produces a healthy body thus creating a greater connection with one's own pure, essential nature. Similarly, Ayurveda brings with it the knowledge of how to keep the physical body healthy and how this relates to one's spiritual journey. It addresses our entire lifestyle, including exercise and yoga. However, Ayurveda is highly individualistic and sees each individual as unique and an individual's path toward perfect health as a unique path. Hence, what is right for each individual is unique to that individual alone. This could be described as person’s unique genetic background or constitution or dosha in Sanskrit. An individual’s constitution describes who the person is at the most fundamental level.

The above concept is remarkable because as a result of this understanding, Ayurveda prescribes a unique, “tailor-made” program to each individual based upon his/her constitution and the nature of the imbalance, and avoids the “one size-fits all” concept that is followed in many systems of healing. As Dr Marc Halpern, director of the California College of Ayurveda, points out:

While Ayurveda does not agree with the "Fits all" concept, it subscribes to the philosophy that “nothing is right for everyone and everything is right for someone.”

Thus, Ayurveda is based upon understanding individualized needs and what is right only for the individual - not the masses - and fulfilling those needs to bring complete harmony.

As with diet, herbs, colors, aromas, etc, Ayurveda sheds light on which specific yoga asanas are best for each individual based on his/her constitution. With the knowledge of Ayurveda, a practitioner of hatha yoga can refine his/her practice so that it is in harmony with their internal balance of energy. Some yoga postures are best for one person while others can cause greater imbalance. By knowing one's constitutional balance, an individual can use constitution-specific asanas to reverse their imbalances and improve their health and wellbeing. Indeed, if we can understand our constitution, we can control our choices and choose only those that will lead us toward optimal health.

How does one get to know their inherent constitution? There are several alternative health journals or web sites that analyze your constitution based on your answers to a specific set of questions. Chances are that your alternative health practitioner (who does not hold a proper certification in Ayurveda studies) may have made a passing remark about your constitution. Do not rely solely on this analysis, instead take it all with a grain of salt. Before jumping to any conclusion about your constitution and changing your diet, asanas or lifestyle, it is always best to consult with an Ayurvedic health professional who will help to determine your constitution, help you to understand the nature of any imbalance, and establish a plan to bring you to balance thus providing guidance toward success in establishing a disease-free lifestyle.

Despite my opposition to separating these two sciences, let me emphasize that when it comes to the Yoga for Healthy Aging blog, we have a general policy against writing about anything except yoga and the science of aging. Not all the staff of Yoga for Healthy Aging are trained in the area of Ayurevdic sciences and we would like to keep this subject off limits. So we’re going to have to decline to address questions on specific diet, herbs, or general Ayurvedic medical advice as it is a highly individualized system. Besides we cannot provide Ayurvedic advice without examining you in person in a private setting and this, after all, is a yoga blog! So, we hope you understand.

Namaste.

Saucha: Oral Hygiene and Healthy Aging

by Ram

White Rose by Melina Meza

In the Sadhana Pada of the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali we are introduced to the yamas and niyamas that can be looked at as universal morality and personal observances. The five niyamas are observances/practices of self-training and deal with how we relate to ourselves inwardly. In my previous blog article santosha or true happiness, I mentioned that happy people have an advantage over unhappy ones—they are not only healthier but they may also live longer. In addition to santosha, the second of the five niyamas is saucha that literally means cleanliness/purity. In Chapter 2 of the Yoga Sutras Patanjali describes saucha as:

Sauchat Sva-Anga Jugupsa Paraih Asamsargah

Through cleanliness (saucha) and purity of entire body (Sva-anga), the mind (tends toward the divine) gets drawn away (jugupsa) and ceases contact (asamsargah) with the external, physical world (pariah). When the physical body is clean, our five senses are controlled, the mind is pure and, we develop the awareness about our true inner self. —trans. by Swami Jnaneshvara

Saucha is purification on all levels (body, mind and our environment). It includes keeping our body clean, eating healthy food and harboring pure thoughts. A purified body brings clarity and purity to the mind. A clear and pure mind draws only harmonious impressions that allow the individual to walk on the path of truth. Thus, saucha not only lays the foundation for good health of body and mind, it also serves as an essential portal to understand our true nature. Therefore, it becomes essential to find time each day to practice the observance of saucha. The saucha recommended after a good night sleep is oral hygiene: brushing our teeth, cleaning the gums and scraping the tongue. According to the Ayurvedic system of medicine, clean teeth, strong gums and a clear tongue serve as strong indicators of a harmonious body and mind devoid of any toxins and negativity respectively.

Now research studies from several independent groups not only confirm the importance of oral hygiene but also suggest that diseases that affect the tongue, gums or teeth can negatively affect several aspects of our health and impact the aging process as well (see Periodontal infections: a risk factor for various systemic diseases and Toothbrushing, inflammation, and risk of cardiovascular disease).  Some of the conclusions from these studies include:

1. Oral disease increases the risk of many other diseases and is devastating to the immune system.
2. Oral diseases will reduce the length of your life. People with gingivitis and periodontitis have a 20-50 percent higher chance of dying than those who are free of this disease.
3. Men under age 50 who have advanced periodontal disease are three times more likely to die prematurely and three times more likely to die from heart disease than those who have healthy teeth and gums (after controlling for other pertinent factors, such as smoking, alcohol, and overeating).
4. Poor oral hygiene together with any associated diseases served as strong indicator of premature death. Young people who had a maximum oral hygiene index of 6 had a three to four times higher risk of dying sooner than those who had a hygiene index of 0 (0 indicating ideal oral hygiene and 6 poor oral hygiene).
5. Dental diseases and tooth loss not only make you look older, they actually make you older. Gum diseases not only increase the risk of many serious diseases but it can actually shorten our life expectancy These diseases can make our chronological age more than 3.4 years older. Furthermore, the absence of periodontal diseases makes you 6.4 years younger than the median person.

Thus, the evidence supporting the role of dental disease in general health problems are not only strong and conclusive, in addition the studies also suggest that by eliminating gum disease you can expect to live longer. Therefore, instead of choosing to have gold in the teeth, silver in the hair or metal plates inside the body, why not just opt for a regular oral hygiene and cleanliness. Remember, saucha leads to santosha so let’s begin the day with clean teeth and a harmonious smile!

The Dangers of Being Sedentary: Styana, Alasya, and Yoga

by Ram

Dance by Marc Chagall

Yoga and Ayurveda are sister sciences, with Ayurveda being the healing side of Yoga, and Yoga serving as the spiritual side of Ayurveda. Through the practices of Ayurveda and Yoga an individual is able to connect to his/her true nature through direct experience, and live a meaningful and purposeful life. This would mean following stable routines, having a balanced and nourishing timely diet (see You Are When You Eat) and adapting the eight fold yogic path (ashtanga yoga). However, there are a number of obstacles that arise on the journey to a meaningful life that can prove to be a challenge. In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, verses 1.30-1.32 describe several distractions that serve as obstacles on the journey toward perfect health and enlightenment. 

vyadhi styana samshaya pramada alasya

avirati bhranti-darshana alabdha-bhumikatva
anavasthitatva chitta vikshepa te antarayah

“Nine kinds of distractions that are obstacles naturally encountered on the path are physical illness, tendency of the mind to not work efficiently, doubt or indecision, lack of attention to pursuing the means of samadhi, laziness in mind and body, failure to regulate the desire for worldly objects, incorrect assumptions or thinking, failing to attain stages of the practice, and instability in maintaining a level of practice once attained.”—translation by Swami Jnaneshvara

Sitting for more than three hours, sleeping for extended periods of time, watching long hours of TV or simply idling away the time would qualify as “styana” (inefficiency, idleness, procrastination, dullness) and “alasya” (laziness, sloth), which are now thought to be responsible for decreasing life expectancy in the United States. While technology may have increased our productivity, it has certainly made us lazier. Sitting for long periods, sleeping for more than the required hours and watching TV are the most common activities performed by indolent individuals. That puts these activities up there with smoking as a possible barrier to increasing life expectancy.

Findings from a recent study showed that individuals who sat for more than 11 hours daily were 40 percent more likely to die within the next three years than those who sat for four hours or less daily—even when people’s physical activity at other times of the day was accounted for. Studies have also indicated that sitting daily for less than 3 hours and watching TV for less than 2 hours extends life expectancy by an estimated 1 to 2 years. Studies reported in the prestigious journals Lancet and the British Medical Journal suggest that a sedentary lifestyle is the cause of one in 10 deaths worldwide. It’s now known that Americans are working less (26 minutes a day less compared to Y2007) and idling off more. Adults in the U.S. spend an average of 55 percent of their day engaged in some kind of sedentary behavior (see Sedentary behaviour and life expectancy in the USA: a cause-deleted life table analysis).

Data gathered from 33 countries indicate that sedentary lifestyle accounts for six percent of all cases of coronary heart disease, about 7 percent of type 2 diabetes and 10 percent of breast and colon cancers. The findings also suggested that if only 10 percent of those who are currently inactive started to exercise, 533,000 lives would be saved; if 25 percent began moving, 1.3 million deaths could be averted. Studies have also shown that even children are spending more time sitting at home than playing outdoors. Health experts are unanimous in their opinion that an adult requires at least 30 minutes/day of physical activity to stay fit while children require at least 60 minutes of playtime.

The Dance by Marc Chagall

Thus, there is no doubt that excessive time spent in sedentary behavior is not only having an impact on public health but also has effects on the life span of the individual. Those who maintain a reasonable amount of activity, particularly across the middle and later years, are twice as likely to avoid early death and serious illness. So take my advice, get off the couch and go to the nearest yoga studio for a yoga asana session or seek some enjoyable activity that involves a lot of movement. However, let me also remind our readers that physical activity need not be yoga asanas alone and neither does it have to be strenuous to achieve health benefits. The US Centers for Disease for Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the following that constitutes physical activity: walking stairs (instead of taking the elevator), gardening, raking leaves, dancing, walking to different stores in the mall while shopping, carrying a grocery basket rather than pushing a cart (when applicable), parking in the farthest parking spot and walking to the office or store.

People of all ages benefit from doing any one or some or all of the above mentioned daily physical activities. Sedentary people need to start with short sessions (about 10 minutes) and gradually build up to the desired level of physical activity. It appears that it is never too late to make some changes and experience these positive outcomes. The antidote for these obstacles and their consequences are awareness, focus and determination (see Thoughts On Dhyana). Cultivating these qualities can prevent us from getting entangled and lost in the mire of delusion that can come from the above-mentioned obstacles (see Achieving Stillness in Turbulent Situations).

Note from Nina: Ram recommends getting off the couch and going to a yoga studio for an asana session, but there is no reason you can’t simply get off the couch and do a little bit of yoga, right next to the couch (or anywhere else in your house). We’ve got lots of mini practices on our blog (look on our index for the three “mini” entries) that you can do, try a practice you find in a yoga book or DVD, or just start out with a Reclined Leg Stretch or a Downward-Facing Dog pose and see what happens next. If you skip just one TV program, you can do a half an hour of yoga without even leaving the house. I started my home yoga practice when I was working full time at a software startup company and co-parenting two young children, so I know you can do this! And, of course, if you’ve been following our office yoga series, you’ll know that we’ve got yoga poses you can do at work, at the airport, or anywhere else you can’t roll out a yoga mat (look on our index for the “office yoga” tag).

Ahimsa (Non-Violence) and Healthy Aging

by Ram 

Peaceful Valley by Brad Gibson

Himsa in Sanskrit means violence, which is defined as the intentional use of force or power on self or against a person or a group that results in a physical/psychological harm, mental disturbance, injury or death. Going by this definition, there is no difference between a person who is harboring severe judgment and negativity towards self or others and a person who walks with a gun into a classroom and randomly shoots at the students. Both have committed himsa or violence albeit to different degrees. We have also have heard or witnessed acts of himsa perpetrated in yoga studios as well.

Violence of any kind has profound effects on the health of an individual. Studies have shown the following:

• The stress of being in an abusive relationship has the obvious physical and psychological impact: it often increases one’s vulnerability to illness and may cause the victim to be more susceptible to disease.
• Battered victims experience depression, feelings of low self-esteem and helplessness coupled with somatic complaints.
• Chronic abuse causes serious psychological harm. Victims experience panic disorders, phobias, anxieties and depression that may last for several years. Their ability to trust and form emotional attachments are severely impacted.
• Victims often complain of enduring the effects of violence over many years and some even develop extreme symptoms years later in response to major life stressors.

Moreover violence severely impacts healthy aging and life expectancy is reduced in traumatic individuals. Recent studies have shown that the United States suffers far more violent deaths than any other wealthy nation. The United States has about six violent deaths per 100,000 residents. Homicide and suicide together account for about a quarter of the years of life lost for U.S. men compared to those in those peer countries. Children who are exposed to different types of violent childhood events suffer from all kinds of stressors that negatively affect their overall development. A ten-year study finds that a traumatic childhood reduces life expectancy by 20 years among adults who experienced six or more particular types of abuse or household dysfunction as kids. Thus, violence in all forms is taking its toll on the life expectancy of the U.S. population. The solution to this grave problem is shunning violence and cultivating ahimsa (non violence), the opposite of himsa. Ahimsa— which also refers to non-harming or non-injury—is the first of the five yamas in the yoga sutras of Patanjali. The five yamas serve as moral, ethical and societal guidelines for a harmonious living. Patanjali considered the yamas as universal vows, and preached that they be practiced on all levels: by way of thoughts, actions, and words. Verse 2.3 in the Yoga Sutras describes ahimsa as:

ahimsa pratishthayam tat vaira-tyagah

As a Yogi becomes firmly grounded in non-injury (ahimsa), other people who come near will naturally lose any feelings of hostility — trans. by Swami Jnaneshvara.

Going by the above translation, ahimsa would mean physical, mental, and emotional non-violence towards self and others. For those who are always in contact with individuals who experience natural inner peace and a non-harming attitude, there is a tendency for them to give up their hostilities, ill will or aggression in return. It is a natural process that everyone experiences in the presence of a truly non-violent person.

How does one cultivate ahimsa? Empathy and compassion are two excellent tools to foster ahimsa as they allow us to accept events as they are and act with an open and loving heart. Empathy and compassion replace violent tendencies with kindness, acceptance and love. Practicing it on oneself helps to cultivate the same feelings towards others. So how about cultivating some ahimsa in our lives starting now!

Kindly and non-violently,

Ram

Satya: The Truth About Lies and Healthy Aging

by Ram

Sun Through the Clouds by Brad Gibson

In the Sadhana Pada of the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali we are introduced to the yamas that serve as moral, ethical and societal guidelines for a harmonious living. The five positive guidelines help us to behave and relate to our surroundings and environment and to achieve oneness with it. Patanjali considered the yamas as universal vows and preached that they be practiced on all levels: by way of thoughts, actions, and words. Thus, the yamas serve as prized guides to lead a conscious, honest and ethical life. Satya, meaning truth, is one of the five yamas in the yoga sutras. Verse 2.36 defines satya as:

satya pratisthayam kriya phala ashrayatvam

Being well grounded/established (pratisthayam) in truthfulness (satya), the fruits (phala) of actions (kriya) naturally result (ashrayatvam) according to the will of the Yogi. —translation by Swami Jnaneshvara

Satya is also defined in Sanskrit as “sate hitam satyam,” which translates to “The path to truth is ultimate truth itself.” Thus, one who is always truthful in actions, speech, and thoughts, his or her will is naturally fulfilled since such behavior allows a natural flow of goodness or positive feelings. Truth is considered divine and should be spoken to maintain righteousness (dharma in Sanskrit). Truth connotes purity and is superior to silence. If we start living in truth, we may not have to tell lies at all at any point of time. Truth keeps us free from all kinds of emotional turmoil.

Telling the truth significantly improves a person’s mental and physical health, and has a positive impact on health and longevity, according to a “Science of Honesty” study presented at the American Psychological Association’s 120th Annual Convention. Anita Kelly and LiJuan Wang of Notre Dame recruited a group of 110 people from 18 to 71 years old, and told them that once a week for ten weeks they’d have to come in and, in a lie detector machine, report how many times in the previous week they had lied. Approximately half the participants were instructed to stop telling both major and minor lies for the duration of the 10-week study. The other half served as a control group that received no special instructions about lying. Both groups came to the laboratory weekly to complete health and relationship measures and to take a polygraph test assessing the number of major and white lies they had told during that week.

The results were astounding. Participants across both groups who lied less in a given week reported their physical health and mental health to be significantly better that week. Participants in the no-lie group reported improvements in their relationships, less trouble sleeping, less tension, fewer headaches, and fewer sore throats. Telling three fewer minor lies a week translated to four fewer mental health complaints, and three fewer physical complaints. According to the authors of the study when you are honest, you feel good about it and life gets better. Associated with this, there is less stress and fewer physical and mental problems.

Research on how lying affects health is scant, but lying is thought to trigger the release of stress hormones, increasing heart rate and blood pressure. Stress reduces the number of your body’s infection-fighting white blood cells, and over the years, could contribute to lower-back pain, tension headaches, a rapid heartbeat, menstrual problems, and even infertility. Moreover, research has linked telling lies to an increased risk of cancer, increased risk of obesity, anxiety, depression, addiction, gambling, poor work satisfaction, and poor relationships (see The Prevalence of Lying in America: Three Studies of Self-Reported Lies. According to these studies, lying and its negative effects are a two-sided problem: liars create physical and emotional problems for themselves and people with these underlying problems are more likely to lie. Lies not only imprison an individual, but the more we lie, the harder we have to work to protect those lies from being discovered. As a result, all the physical, mental and emotional energies are diverted into protecting those lies, and we live in constant fear that can lead to chronic stress, health problems and unhealthy aging

One method that has been suggested for cutting back on lies and telling the truth is to surround yourself with like-minded, honest folks who will encourage you to be a truthful person. There’s an adage “Truth hurts for a little while, but lies hurt forever.” So tell the truth and protect yourself from the insidious damage of chronic stress, as it will help you live healthier and even longer lives.

Satyameva Jayate
(Truth Alone Triumphs)

Santosha, Smiling and Longevity

by Ram

In my previous article regarding santosha, Santosha: Happiness and Longevity, I mentioned that discontentment and unhappiness arise when we get caught up in the materialistic world. If we are happy with our lifestyle and what we currently have, it will help us in the journey to absolute truth and the highest realization.

Santosha Anuttamah Sukha Labhah

From an attitude of contentment/true happiness (santosha), mental comfort, joy, and satisfaction (anuttamah sukha) are obtained. —Yoga Sutras, translated by Swami Jnaneshvara.

This observation was supported by a scientific study that showed that people who are contented are not only healthier but they may also live longer (see Santosha: Happiness and Longevity).

There are several ways of expressing santosha or happiness. One visible way of showing that you are happy and contented is through a SMILE. Smiles can be warm, beautiful, welcoming, cute, innocent, charming or heart melting. A smile of any kind has the same positive effect: it brightens up the people surrounding the smiling person. Smile and notice that the people around smile with you. The world changes based on a person's perception and outlook, and having a smile on the face not only reveals the radiance of the person smiling but it also makes the individual a pleasurable person to be around.

A person with a smile not only mitigates the suffering around but also boosts up someone else's existence, even if it is for a fleeting moment. People tend to trust and cooperate more with individuals who sport a smile. Moreover, smiling is infectious; a smiling individual lightens up the room, change the moods of others, brings happiness along and attracts more people. Several scientific studies suggest that people who smile a lot are not only happy and contented, they are also more stable, happier in their marriages, have better cognitive skills and interpersonal skills. And now there’s an additional benefit that comes with a smile: it adds years to your life.

A study by researchers at Wayne State University concludes that a smile has an impact on aging and life expectancy. The wider you grin and the deeper you smile, the more likely you are to have a healthy aging and longer existence. For the study the researchers analyzed 230 pictures of major league baseball players who began their careers in professional baseball before 1950. The photos were enlarged and a rating of their smile intensity (big smile, partial smile, no smile) was noted. Researchers then ranked the players according to their smiles and laughter lines (length of the creases). The players smile ratings were compared with data from deaths that occurred from 2006 through 2009. The conclusions from the study:

1. Players with big smiles (n=23) lived an average 79.9 years.
2. Players with partial smiles (n=64) lived an average of 75 years. 
3. Players with no smiles (n=63) lived an average of 72 years. 

The above results did not change when the researchers also corrected for other factors associated with longevity. Furthermore, the researchers also noted that the benefits did not extend to players who put out a false smile but only those who looked truly happy had the extra life expectancy.

One may wonder how the act of opening the lips wide and bringing on a smile triggers all of the above-mentioned benefits including longer lifespan? Studies have shown that a simple smile triggers several positive changes in the body. Smiling helps to boost the immune system, which provides resistance from many diseases. Smiling relieves stress, lowers blood pressure, triggers the release of endogenous pain killers and changes the mood attitude for the better, all of which help in graceful aging.

So how about bringing santosha in the form of a wide smile in your own lives as well? Smile as much as you can, even if you are not on camera!

Santosha: Happiness and Longevity

by Ram

In the Sadhana Pada of the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali we are introduced to the eight rungs/limbs/steps of yoga whose practice helps us to develop attention as a tool to discriminate between ignorance and awareness and truth from illusion which is the means for liberation or enlightenment. The first two of these rungs or limbs are the yamas and niyamas that can be looked at as universal morality and personal observances. The practices of yamas and niyamas lay the foundation from which to develop all the other subtle practices. The second limb contains the five niyamas or observances/practices of self-training, and deals with how we relate to ourselves inwardly. One of the five niyamas is santosha, which means contentment or true happiness.

Santosha Anuttamah Sukha Labhah
From an attitude of contentment/true happiness (santosha), mental comfort, joy, and satisfaction (anuttamah sukha) are obtained. —Swami Jnaneshvara  

To be contented and happy, even while experiencing life’s difficulties, becomes a process of growth through all kinds of circumstances (see Yoga and the Pursuit of Happiness). We should accept that there is a purpose for everything and we cultivate contentment to accept what happens. It means being happy with what we have rather than being unhappy about what we don't have. Humans seem to always be seeking satisfaction in the materialistic world and our internal fantasies. However, if we are contented with our wants, wishes and needs and truly happy with our lifestyle and what we currently have, it will help us in the journey to absolute truth and the highest realization. Discontentment and unhappiness arises when we get caught up in this materialistic world. Our desires and needs for material possessions, if left unfulfilled, create frustration, anger and loss of mental peace, leading to a disharmonious life (see Anger Management: Philosophy, Science and Yoga).

Chicken on Hawaii Beach by Brad Gibson

People are looking for ways to bring that peace and santosha in their lives, and so not surprisingly santosha seems to be the most sought after "principle" in the world today. Your own test for santosha would be about whether you respond through the five senses and react to the changes in all the circumstances of life or whether you listen to your inner voice and are not swayed by the material instincts.

In my previous post  I emphasized the principle of karmayoga or selfless service (see Selfless Service for Harmonious Longevity). Karmayogis are known to constantly live in a world of true happiness. What could you possibly achieve by experiencing true happiness? Among several other benefits, true happiness is now known to extend longevity. Happy people have an advantage over unhappy ones—they are not only healthier but they may also live longer. This is the conclusion drawn from a review published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being thus confirming the need to be happy for a healthy living as advocated in the yoga sutras. The research study compared 160 studies that examined several types of emotions defined as subjective well being (SWB). These included life satisfaction, optimism, hopefulness, sense of humor and other positive emotions. The summary of the findings include:

1. Happy people exhibited a high SWB as compared to less happy individuals.
2. Happy people with a high SWB had better health and longevity.
3. A high SWB (exhibited by happy people) was related to lower mortality rate in both healthy and diseased populations.
4. Unhappy and stressed people (having a low SWB) had higher blood pressure levels and low immune response as compared to happy people with high SWB.

The above together with other findings suggest that happiness measured as subjective well being causally influences health and longevity. So how about bringing that santosha in your own lives as well? It’s no wonder that Bobby McFerrin gyrated and swooned to the tunes of “Don't Worry, Be Happy.”

Selfless Service for Harmonious Longevity

by Ram

Krishna and Arjuna (from San Francisco Asian Art Museum)

Karma Yoga can be loosely translated as a selfless service that is rendered without any personal expectation. A karma yogi  (an individual rendering selfless service) gets rid of all egoistic tendencies while offering such a service. This individual puts the well-being of others as a top priority ahead of his/her personal gain or achievement. In Chapter 3 verse 19 of the Bhagavad Gita, Karma Yoga is defined as:

Tasmad asaktah satatam karyan karma Samacara
Asalto hy acaran karma param apnoti purusah

This verse is translated as “Therefore without any attachment, without interruption, perfectly perform prescribed actions since by performing prescribed actions a person achieves the highest good.”

In “The Essence of Spiritual Life,” Swami Rama explains that to do selfless service one needs to cultivate two qualities: non-attachment and a loving attitude to do selfless service. Selfless service requires that an individual perform any service without any attachment or expectation and remain unaffected by the results of such service. At the same time, such an individual needs to cultivate a loving attitude toward such a selfless task, without developing any stress from it, no matter the outcome. However, if you do not love doing some task and yet you do it, it creates a conflict in mind leading to an emotional upheaval. So learn to create love toward your selfless duties. Furthermore, notice if you are happier and satisfied at the end of the day because this is what true karma yogis have experienced; seek them out and you will commonly hear them saying that the more they serve selflessly, the more true happiness they receive. Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa come to mind if I am asked to name some karma yogis.

The essence of the Bhagavad Gita, which is repeated throughout the text, emphasizes the benefits of selfless service. Here is how Krishna puts it, regarding selfless service in Chapter 2:

“Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward, Work not for a reward; but never cease to do thy work. Do thy work in the peace of Yoga and free from selfish desires, be not moved in success or failure”—translated by Juan Mascaro.

And this approach—performing a task without any expectation, letting go of all results, whether good or bad, and focusing on the selfless action alone—is the essence of karma yoga. In the light of non-attachment, the selfless doer attains freedom from emotional disturbances, including but not limited to desires, ambitions, fear, worry, anxiety, judgment, rage, etc. This leads to true happiness.

A recent research study on volunteerism and its effects on longevity, "Motives for Volunteering Are Associated With Mortality Risk in Older Adults,” by Konrath, et al,  confirms the importance of selfless service as advocated by the Bhagavad Gita. According to this study, people who volunteer may live longer than those who don’t, as long as their reasons for volunteering are to help others rather than themselves. Researchers analyzed data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study that followed a random sample of 10,317 Wisconsin high school students from their graduation in 1957 until the present. In 2004, respondents reported whether they had volunteered within the past ten years and how regularly. Respondents also mentioned their reasons for volunteering by answering ten questions. In that list were some questions regarding motives that were more oriented toward others and some that were more self oriented. The researchers then determined how many of the respondents were still alive in 2008. Following were the observations drawn from this interesting study:

1. Nearly 2.3 % of the volunteers had died, compared to 4.3% of non-volunteers. The frequency of volunteer time mattered as well; less than 2% of the regular volunteers had died as opposed to 2.5% of occasional volunteers.
2. The participants who volunteered only for compassionate reasons achieved the most health benefits. However, the ones who volunteered purely for personal gain or self growth were as likely to die as those who didn't volunteer at all.
3. Respondents who listed social connection or altruistic values as their predominant motive were more likely to be alive compared with non-volunteers.

According to one of the authors of the study, “It is reasonable for people to volunteer in part because of benefits to the self, however, our research implies that, ironically, should these benefits to the self become the main motive for volunteering they may not see those benefits.”

It is easy to understand why volunteering with an altruistic attitude helps an individual to live longer:

• Stress reduction. When helping others, the body releases an important hormone called oxytocin, which assists in buffering stressful thoughts.
• Morale. Merely thinking of a selfless service releases certain “feel-good”chemicals namely dopamine and serotonin (lack of which have both been linked with depression and other mood disorders.
• Self confidence. Self-esteem builds and confidence levels grow when you are passionate about something and helping others in need
• Health and pain reduction. Helping others has proven to help with chronic pain and cardiovascular health.

With a scientific study to back Krishna’s teachings about Karma Yoga, how about performing some selfless acts on a regular basis to achieve a longer life and using this extended life to foster sincere relationships and bring greater fulfillment to your life?

Healthy Eating: You Are When You Eat

by Ram

That our personality is determined by what we eat is based on the belief “You are what you eat” expounded by Anthelme Brillat-Savarin and  Ludwig Feuerbach who declared that food affects one’s health and state of mind. The philosophy of conscious eating is emphasized in the Ayurvedic texts, the Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads. According to these texts, if digestion is not optimal, it can trigger imbalances in other systems of the body, including the mind. Optimal digestion directly and swiftly corrects imbalances and in doing so, brings an end to suffering and prevents future disease. Most of us experience digestive disturbances at some time in our lives, some acute and some chronic that cause both discomfort and embarrassment. Correction of the digestive system is a part of the treatment of every imbalance in the body.

The above texts also stress the importance of being in tune with nature while eating consciously. Through food we connect to nature and become one with it. When we live in harmony with nature we experience optimal health and digestion and peace of mind. When we are out of harmony, we experience suffering. In realizing our connection to nature through eating, our relationship with food becomes a sacred experience. Furthermore, our close connection with nature also helps us to become aware of the role of the movement of the sun in influencing and impacting our digestion. The sun represents the fire element and in the physical body this is reflected as the process of transformation of the food by the heat of the digestive juices (jatharagni in Ayurveda). Thus, when the sun is at its peak in the sky, digestion is stronger and optimal. Similarly, digestive capacity is at its ebb during dawn or in the evening twilight when the sun is either rising or setting. Therefore, the above texts also recommend eating our largest meal during the midday hours when the sun is at its peak and smaller meals in the morning and evening. Such timed meals based on the sun’s position not only prevent weight gain and onset of other digestive-related problems but also ensures a disease-free long life. Some of these facts were clearly laid out in Nina’s post Yoga for Healthy Eating: An interview with Dayna Macy

Glad Day by William Blake

The above mentioned principles of consciously eating in tune with the sun’s position is now supported by a recent research study Timing of food intake predicts weight loss effectiveness  that suggests that you’re not only what you eat, but when you eat. According to this research study, having lunch as the main meal of the day (anytime before 3 pm) in fact could help you lose weight. The study just published in the International Journal of Obesity was carried out by a team of researchers at Spain’s University of Murcia, Boston's Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Tufts University in Medford, Mass. In this prospective study, 420 overweight men and women who lived in the Spanish seaside town of Murcia were monitored for 20 weeks while restricting their calorie intake to about 1,400 a day. The participants were divided into two groups: early-eaters who ate their lunch anytime before 3 p.m. and late-eaters that ate after 3 p.m. Among the findings reported in the journal:

• Early eaters lost an average of 22 pounds in 20 weeks; late eaters lost about 17 pounds.
• The late eaters consumed fewer calories during breakfast and were more likely to skip breakfast than early eaters.
• The late eaters had lower insulin sensitivity, which is a risk factor for diabetes.

The researches also noted that the effects of sleep and biological clocks have a close association with weight regulation in animals. If the timing of meals doesn’t match with the sleep cycle, there is a disconnect between the different body’s biological clocks leading to obesity and other physical problems. Thus, the results of the study not only demonstrate the need to avoid eating late at night but also the findings unequivocally demonstrate that timing of meals is a clear predictor of weight-loss effectiveness. While shifting to an early feast may not be too difficult for folks in Spain where the main meal of the day happens to be at mid-day, it could take quite an effort to convince folks here in the U.S., where the largest meal of the day (aka dinner) coincides with the setting sun. But give it try—remember to make hay and eat your biggest meal while the sun shines.