More is not always better

Some modern ‘Yoga’ teachers advise their students to perform Yoga postures at a faster pace and do it for a longer duration – more is always better! In fact one of the research papers on Yoga benefits even compares Yoga with some African tribal dance that is supposed to be very strenuous!

I am afraid this is a wrong approach to Yoga. Yoga by definition is a process to calm down the mind. Faster physical activity with associated faster breathing can only agitate the mind and not calm it down. Calming down is necessary for reaping in the health benefits of Yoga. Most research studies indicate that one of the main reasons why Yoga helps is that it has a soothing effect on stress markers.

Instead of trying to do, say 100 Sun salutations (or any other posture), in a given duration, it is always beneficial to do much less number for the same duration and focus more on slow breathing and graceful body maneuvers. That has a higher likelihood of calming down the mind.

But if you are obese or habitually lazy, ‘more’ may help in burning calories or in keeping you alert. But probably, it is also a fact that overuse of body beyond a limit, can result in wear and tear and cause health problems. So, next time when your Yoga Guru tells you that ‘more is better’, ask him/her to explain why. That is the only way.