■HEALTH & FITNESS
YOGA
by Ken Rowlett
For Health, Fitness
and Relaxation
Several thousand years ago,
Hatha Yoga originated from ob
serving breathing and movement
patterns of animals and ascetics
who long remained strong and
healthy. They used deep breath
ing and stretching upon awaken
ing to revitalize and limber their
bodies. The techniques and pat
terns of their movements de
veloped into yoga postures that
were designed to enhance health,
vitality, and relaxation.
Hatha Yoga is a form of art us
ing the body as an instrument. Si
milar in form to dance or gym
nastics, the effects of yoga pos
tures combined with deep breath
ing permeate deep layers of the
body. Yoga stimulates the internal
organs and glands, and develops
the anatomical structure through
stretching and strengthening mus
cles and joints.
Yoga means union, and de
notes union of the body, mind,
and spirit. The literal translation
of Ha/tha is sun/moon, symbol
izing balance. Yoga postures, or
asanas, are the physical aspect of
Hatha Yoga. Traditionally speak
ing, asana implies posture that is
firm, steady, and comfortable,
one in which the mind is free of in
ternal or external distractions.
One of the sources of disturbance
to the mind is the physical body,
and that is why Hatha Yoga em
phasizes stretching and strength
ening the body to still the mind.
The exercises (asanas) are iso
metric in principle and provide an
ideal balance between exertion
and stillness (relaxation). One
uses only the muscles necessary to
create movement, while other
muscles relax and lengthen. Hatha
Yoga is a way of developing body
awareness, reaching profound re
laxation and promoting health
and fitness.
Yoga postures massage, stretch,
contract, and expand internal
organs. They stimulate the diges
tive organs, soothe and strengthen
the nervous system, as well as
strengthen and improve the effi
ciency of the respiratory, circu
latory, and endocrine systems.
Yoga also stimulates acupuncture
meridians to balance the energy of
organs and glands. Thus, there is
balance and harmony between the
outer body and the physiological
functioning of the inner body. A
balanced body that is in harmony
with itself functions more effi
ciently and enjoys greater freedom
of movement.
Yoga is gentle enough to accom
modate those with injuries or
health problems, and can be vig
orous enough to give anyone a
good work-out. It is an excellent
complement to running, swim
ming, skiing, or most any form of
exercise and sports. Many athletes
are turning to yoga and flexibility
training for strength as well as
correction and prevention of in
juries, or to enhance their training
program. Others use it to improve
the quality of their life.
Stretching with alignment de
velops strength, flexibility, bal
ance, coordination, endurance,
and concentration. Asanas func
tion to balance the body's struc
ture by strengthening weak areas
and stretching areas that are tight.
In this manner, yoga helps correct
misalignments that often precede
injuries, lower back and other
spinal problems. Correct align
ment brings energy to and stimu
lates areas that are weak, mal
functioning, or lacking aliveness.
Yoga is an effective means of
relieving tension and reducing
stress by stimulating the endocrine
system and soothing nerves and
muscles. Practicing yoga is a
metaphor that can be applied in
all aspects of our life. The chal
lenge in practicing is to synchro
nize breath with movement, re
main relaxed, present, mindful
and aware of the body, posture,
and feelings. From this perspec
tive, it is a lifetime endeavor.
Asanas practiced with this kind of
internal and external awareness
in movement.
are meditation
When you become the pose, you
are the doer and the observer, and
then the pose unfolds from the in
side out. You are the pose, not
separate from it, so the messages,
thoughts, and feelings are coming
from your body, not the brain.
Breathing is an integral part of
yoga and is central to all physiol
ogical functions of the body.
Breathing directly influences
movement within the body and
movement influences breath.
Conscious breathing synchronized
with movement is an efficient way
of influencing the shape of the
spine —the single most important
structure in the practice of Hatha
Yoga. The breath is a bridge be
tween the mind and body and is a
vital link with emotions. With en
hanced sensitivity to the breath
comes a sense of well-being and
inner freedom.
Yoga practice alone does not
automatically bring good health,
and it is worth considering diet,
nutrition, mental attitude, and
emotions. Eating habits and the
quantity and quality of food we
consume is important for health.
Whole foods in their natural state
are most easily digested and as
similated to produce the energy
we operate on. Thoughts and feel
ings greatly influence bodily proc
esses on all levels. Mabel Todd
states in The Thinking Body, "We
sit and walk as we think. Behavior
is rarely rational; it is habitually
emotional. We may speak wise
words as the result of reasoning,
but the entire being reacts to feel
ing. For every thought supported
by feeling, there is a muscle
change. Primary muscle patterns
being the biological heritage of
man, man's whole body records
his emotional thinking." The inner
and outer body, down to the
cellular level, are influenced by
the way we think and feel. Work
ing with body posture, as well as
attitude, yoga, diet, nutrition, and
emotions is a way to create bal
ance and harmony that lead to op
timum health.
[Ken Rowlett is a certified yoga in
structor. He teaches yoga for health,
fitness and relaxation, has been prac
ticing yoga for 10 years, and consults
with businesses and individuals in Eu
gene. He has personally applied yoga
therapeutically to overcome a severe
chronic lower back problem. He is a
distance runner and ran cross-country
at the University of Tennessee.)
HakomI is a process of
personal transformation
based on trust in every
individual’s Inner
' wisdom.
[
HAKOMI
INTRODUCTORY EVENING
with Ron Kurtz Sept. 19 Fri.
7-9 pm. Free. Reserve space.
4-DAY WORKSHOP
with Pat Ogden, Richard A. Heckler
Sept. 13-16. $300
deposit Sept. 2
BODY READING
with Ron Kurtz Sept. 20-21 $125
HAKOMI THERAPIST
TRAINING
. Year long starts Oct 9
Call Nina Cherry
485-8090
NURSERY
tit
For the freshest
herbs—_
Delicious! Market
KIVA
Mark’s Produce
Pasta Plus
L & L Produce
Fettucine & Company
Friendly St. Market
The Greengrocer (5th St.)
Red Barn
Oasis
Sundance
Served at the finest
local restaurants.
HEMITH
FOOD-POoL
colavita
extra
virgin
OLIVE
OIL
Mon-Fri 9-7
Sat 9-6
141 North 3rd
Springfield, Or
T”
1
t
0
1
7i
7
7
i
।
Cl
Clotfling, jewelry and "
folk art from 40 countries^
69 Fifth St. Public Market r 762 E. 13th
downstairs
. 683-2204
next to the Excelsior
343-8667
FOLKWAYS IMPORTS
Full Selection'
amkdiopFul Selection •
tS/Oslock.
Footprint Sandals. at
gusniie »
Sizes and preferred
colors for men, women,
children. Complete
repair service.
Birkenstock
Footprints
FfhpearbafPP
FifthPearl Bullding 207 E. 5th
X
Euel, Mell UCOr/
I - — -
4th ANNUAL WALK-AROUND WALDO
]
LABOR DAY WEEKEND — AUGUST 30 & 31, 1986
Saturday Day Hikes and Canoeing on Waldo Lake • Cookout
Sunday Benefit 15-mlle Walk
A Benefit for the Oregon Natural Resources Council • Registration Forms available at
Brother Jonathan's, McKenzie Outfitters , Olympic Outfitters and ONRC
AKZAN20
1161 Lincoln, Eugene 344-0675 • co-sponsored by
I
HEATT
TO
HERT
C
c
A mini workshop for couples who
want to learn effective ways to
communicate, connect, and grow
together. 7-II pm, Tues., Sept. 2nd.
$25 per couple
Presented by THOMAS FISHER and
TAMARA OGLESBY of CHOICES.
Call 344-3764 for details or
send $25 payable to:
(Me&se 1414 Kincaid, 97401
♦ HOMEMADE SOUP AND BREAD ♦
Y
21
YSTONE
CAFEST
♦ FIVE YEARS OF NOURISHING OUR COMMUNITY ♦
Weekend Dinner Special
Italian-Style Baked Macaroni
(with Ricotta & Italian Sausage)
Green Salad & Bread
$4.00
Breakfast and Lunch 7 am-2 pm daily
Dinner 5:30-9:30 pm Friday, Saturday & Sunday
395 West 5th ♦ 342-2075.