Benefits Of Yoga For Women

Introduction

From time immemorial woman has been worshipped as the female energy in various cultures.

In the Mahanirvana Tantra Shiva addresses Shakti : You are the supreme manifestation of brahman , the supreme consciousness, and from you has come the entire universe. You are its mother. You are origin of all manifestations. you are in the form of everything. Your root is in brahman who is actionless, it Is you who moved by his desire , who creates, protects and withdraws this world with all that moves and is motionless. Thus by worshipping you, your devotees will reach the supreme.

She is called Shakti or Devi in Hinduism, Isis in Egypt, Nana in Sumeria, Ishtar in Babylon, Ashtoreth or Astarte in Assyria, Aphrodite in Greece, Venus in Rome. In China she is the ‘Teh’ and she is MUT in the ancient cultures of primordial man.

The purpose of human life is to move the Shakti which is in Mooladhara to reach to Shiva which is at Sahashrara.

MAN WOMAN

Life Span In general, men have a higher mortality rate and shorter life span than women.

In general, women have a lower death rate and a longer life span than men, and on average, live five years longer.

Defined as A man is a male human A woman is a female human

Identified throughMen never give birth to babies, the reproductive organs are different & the hair growth on parts apart form the head & genitals.

Women give birth to babies, different reproductive organs & lesser amount of hair on places apart from head & genitals.

Physical attributesMen are taller than women on an average, more sturdily built with higher stamina & weight lifting capabilities and hair on face, chest, belly, arms & legs.

Men are taller than women on average, but an individual woman may be taller than an individual man. They are also more delicately built. They have far less amount of hair growth on face, chest, belly, arms & legs compared to man.

NatureMales are generally more aggressive than females. ( citation needed as there are many types of aggressive behavior ).

Females are generally less aggressive than males. ( citation needed as there are many types of aggressive behavior ).

Health Implications Men suffer from many of the same illnesses as women.

Women suffer from many of the same illnesses as men.

Occupations

In the early ages men were responsible for food & security. Prime duties included hunting, agriculture, taking care of canteen, protecting women & children from wild animals & enemies. In the recent ages, the occupation borders have blurred.

In the early ages women were responsible for reproduction and rearing the offspring. Their duties included cooking, and feeding the young ones. In the recent ages, the occupation borders have blurred

Yoga for young girls

Typical day in the life of a young girls

• 6-12 yrs – Kids • 13-17 yrs - teenagers

•Live in a ‘hurry-up world’• Busy parents•School/college pressures•Highly competitive environment•Sedentary lifestyle, diet mostly comprising of unhealthy fast food

Influences and activities

• Developing Muscles & Bones

• Most receptive in the ages between 6 & 10

• Pre teens & teens undergoing rapid physical and physiological changes

• Under immense peer pressure

• Poor body image

How could yoga help ?

Physical Benefits• Better growth & physical • development • Stronger, flexible bones &

muscles = Better posture & functioning of the body

• Help prevent stress injuries from other sports, helps loosen tight muscles & joints

• Create body awareness & healthy eating habits

• Physical Strength = Increased emotional strength

…. continues

Physiological & Psychological Benefits

• Boost self confidence, acceptance of rapid changes during puberty

• Helps build self-esteem, concentration, better body-mind connection, healthy mind set

• Stress relieving• Overall feeling of well-being

Yoga for working woman

Typical day in the life of a Working Woman

05 :30 am 6:00 to 7:00 am 7:00 to 8:00 am 8:00 to 9:00 am

Day 2,3,………

9:00 am to 6:00 pm 6:00 to 10:00 pm

Common Challenges of modern working women

Severe headaches, blurred vision, fatigue or confusion, chest pain, difficulty in breathing, palpitation or irregular

heart rate and pounding in the chest, neck and earsHypertension

Insomnia

Back Ache

Obesity

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Difficulty falling asleep, wake-up frequently during nights, Wakeup too early in the morning, Lie awake at nights,

tossing and turning, Regularly tired on waking, Day time sleepiness

Upper, Lower or Middle Back pain, Night Time Back Pain, Mild to Severe

Breathlessness, increased sweating, snoring, difficulty sleeping, inability to cope with sudden physical activity,

feeling very tired every day, back and joint pains.

Menstrual disturbances and elevated levels of male hormones (androgens)

Common Ailments Symptoms

Calming and Restorative Yoga Techniques to Lower Hyper Tension

2. Paschimottanasana

1. Badhakonasana

3. Nadishodhana

4. VeerasanaYoga postures tend to switch on the

parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for rest and repair, and turn off the sympathetic nervous system, used for the fight-or-flight

stress response. Increased parasympathetic activity has a

beneficial effect on many systems in the body, and allows the nervous

system to become more balanced, freeing up the body’s inherent

healing responses

Yoga Asanas For Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

Yoga has several poses that aids in weight loss, relieves stress and improves blood

circulation to the ovary thus naturally curing PCOS.

1. Suptavirasana

2. Upavishtakonasana3. Prasarita

padottanasana

4.Savasana

Yoga: Pregnancy

Pregnancy: Common complaints

• Morning sickness• Backaches• Heartburn• Breathlessness• Hormonal changes and imbalances• Weight gain and Oedema• Prenatal and postnatal problems • Etc.

Problems Associated during Pregnancy and Symptoms

A growing baby will exert increasing pressure on your diaphragm. This makes it harder to take deep breaths as

your pregnancy progresses.Breathlessness

Backaches

Weight Gain

Constipation and Incontinence

PTSD

Your body undergoes significant changes to endure pregnancy and the extra weight that needs to be

compensated for. This is a common complaint aggravated by poor posture.

Weight gain is normal during a healthy pregnancy though some undue hormonal fluctuations can increase your

weight disproportionately. This can also be a post natal problem.

During pregnancy, hormonal changes result in a relaxing of the gut wall which can make it more difficult for you to

move your bowel. The weight of the baby can also weaken the pelvic floor muscles

onstipation.

Increasingly common amongst new mothers that find the challenges of having a child mentally hard to cope with.

Common Ailments Symptoms

Prenatal Yoga

• Encourages gentle stretching• Focus on breath to relax the mind.• Emphasizes good posture• Strengthens and conditions the vital

muscle groups to ease pregnancy, labor and recovery.

• Certain series like the modified Cat-Cow can position the baby for delivery

• Twists encourage blood flow to reproductive organs to correct hormonal imbalances

Benefits of Yoga during Pregnancy

• Quicker muscle recovery after childbirth

• Strengthens muscles for easier labor• Keeps you calm and reduces anxiety

and stress• Decrease lower back pain, nausea,

carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches and shortness of breath

• Decrease the risk of preterm labor, pregnancy-induced hypertension and intrauterine growth restriction — a condition that slows a baby's growth

Yoga: PregnancySeated Twists

Utkatasana Warrior Series

Bridge Pose Cat-Cow

Modifications

Props are your friends

Wide leg forward bend Twist in an open position

Pregnancy No-Nos• Inversions• Ab-Workouts• Deep twists• Deep forward bends• Hot Yoga and Power Yoga• Extreme backbends• Over-exertion

Yoga for menopause

Typical menopause symptoms

Hot flushes

Vaginal atrophy

Depression/Mood swings

Common Challenges of women going through menopause

Are sudden surges of heat in the chest, upper back, throat and head, sometimes accompanied by patchy redness in

he skin. When caught in one the these heat waves one perspire profusely and afterwards may feel chilly and weak.

Occurrs in night

Hot flushes

Vaginal atrophy

Weight gain

Menopausal syndrome

Mental attitude

Is the medical terms for dryness and loss of elasticity in the vagina, resulting from greatly reduced secretions of vaginal

walls. It occurs in the later part of menopause

Is not necessary outcome of the menopause, but at this time the appetite is disrupted and may increase.

It covers a range of other symptoms that include symptoms that include headaches, digestive upset, dizzy spells, palpitations, blood pressure irregularities, insomnia,

lethargy irritability and depression.

Negative attidude towards the distressing life changes

Common Ailments Symptoms

Yoga for hot flushes

2. sarvangasana

1. Viparita Karini

3. Chakrasana

4. Kandharasana

Yoga postures like inversion process helps us to accept the changes more

openly, back bends works on the heart chakra makes a woman feel

confident. Overall yoga helps in balancing the hormones and thus

improving the health.

Yoga Asanas For menopausal syndrome and calming mind

Pranaymana, bandhas and mudras and several asana

poses that aids in managing the menopausal symptoms and also calms mind. Yoga

nidra is used a very relaxative technique

1. Pranayama

2. Bandhas 3. Mudras

4.Savasana and Yoga Nidra

Yoga for old age

Life style of the old age women

• Age group of the old age varies from 60 and above.• As people get older, physiological changes occur in

their body as a natural part of aging.• Physical changes due to aging can occur in almost

every organ and can affect seniors' health and lifestyle.

• Some diseases and conditions become more prominent in the elderly.

• Psychosocial issues can also play a role in physical and mental health.

• A balanced diet and regular exercise help influence the well being of an individual.

Common Challenges of women during old age

Inflammation Of Joints Due To Wear And Tear.Arthritis

Diabetes and Hyper Tension

Alzheimer or Parkinson’s

Osteoporosis

Impaired Control Of Blood GlucoseObesity , Improper Diet.

Strokes, Poor Vision, Hearing Impairment, Balance Problem.

Common Ailments Symptoms

Calcium deficiency resulting in bone density de-generation, leading to fragile bone

susceptible to injury

Common Challenges of women during old age

Relaxation of the joints and gentle, regular stretching and loosening to improve use of all joints. Sukshma Vyayama practices

Arthritis

Diabetes

Alzheimer or Parkinson’s

Osteoporosis

Sukshma Vyayama practices to relax the body. Dhanurasana, Balasana Pranayama

Sukshma Vyayama. Asanas to be practiced gently without strain. Vakrasana, Bhunamasana, Bharadwajasana, Marichasana

Common Ailments Yoga Practices

Hyper Tension Sukshma Vyayama, Nadishodhana Pranayama, Paschimottanasana, Baddhakonasana, Ushtrasana, Janusirsasana Gomukhasana

Sukshma Vyayama, Bhujangasana, Simhasana, Ushtrasana. Kapal bhati

SUMMARY

• Yogic practices of Shatkarma, Asana, Pranayama and Dhyana support and nurture the overall health of women from childhood to old age.

• Many lifestyle issues that lead to lifestyle chronic diseases are also resolved through regular yoga practice. The primary of these being stress.

• Stress at any age affects the mind body complex negatively and is the root of all health disorders in one way or another.

• Yoga provides a way for us to relieve ourselves of stress. A positive lifestyle with regular practice of Yoga can ensure that people can live healthier and happier lives without the onset of disease and degenerative ailments.

Thank you