Utilities of Selected Yogic Practices In Health-Related Fitness

The ultimate aim of all cultural practices of Āsanās is to produce psycho-physiological balance in various systems working in an individual. Proper organic function depends upon three important factors i.e.: a) Uninterrupted supply of nutrients to the tissues of the body through blood supply with healthy functioning of endocrine glands, b) Proper elimination of waste products and c) Better functioning of nervous system. Āsanās like Bhujagāsana, Shalabhāsana and Dhanurāsana etc. help a lot in this regard. Here the backward (Paschima) muscles are contracted and frontal muscles are stretched, while in Paschimotāna, the posterior muscles are wonderfully stretched. Uddiyāna, Nauli help the diaphragm to be raised thereby giving good massage from downward to the heart. Practices like Bhujagāsana, Salbhāsana, Dhanurāsana, alternatively exert pressure on heart. b) Healthy respiratory muscles with elasticity wherein no air cell should remain idle. c) Cleansed respiratory passage. In this context, Uddiyāna, Nauli and Kapālbhāti help a lot to build-up respiratory muscles powerful. Deep inspiration in Shalabhāsana and Dhanurāsana and deep expiration in Uddiyāna and Nauli help to build up elastic respiratory muscles while Kapālbhāti cleanses the respiratory passage forcefully. As far as the adrenals are concerned, this is made active through Bhujagāsana, Shalabhāsana, Dhanurāsana, Uddiyana and Nauli practices. The practices especially like Shirshāsana, Vipritakarani, and Sarvāngāsana work wonderfully for better venous return. These Yogic practices are not available in Physical education programmes or even in sports [1].

Keywords: Cultural practices; Health and fitness; Physical education; Yoga