1. The Power of Yoga Far Outstrips Modern Medicine
Yoga, the ancient bodymind and
spirit practice, has been known
mainly for the benefits of this
system's exercises. But for
thousands of years, since the
Ancients themselves explored
and developed Yoga, it has
been used as a deeply healing
process. A systematic process
which not only helps us to stay
strong and vital, keeps stress at
bay but which can also prevent
disease and promote rapid
healing.
And all this, where modern medicine can often cause more side effects rather than actually
healing illness and disease.
Yoga is powerful because it “works” on the whole person, on the mind, the body and the spirit.
There is something in Yoga for the body's energy, for all the body's systems – circulation,
digestion, hormones, metabolism, the brain as well as all the vital organs, and very importantly,
the psyche. And along with its “sister” Ayurveda, the nutritional healing system of the
knowledge and wisdom of food and balance in life, the Ancients indeed gave us a great gift of
health and life energy.
We understand today that most
disease is caused by three
things: nutrition or malnutrition,
elimination (or lack of) and
toxicity, and of course, stress.
And Yoga has teaching,
education or guidance to
alleviate and counter all of these
negatives of modern life. Teach
a person self-control, give them
positive guidance, and let them
feel the amazing benefits of

2. wellbeing and you give a person
health and vitality for life – to
enjoy life as we're supposed to,
to our full potential.
Personally, as a teacher, I have
worked privately with people
living with Athsma, Attention
Deficit disorders (children
included), stress-related mental
health conditions, emotional
difficulties, in recovery from
Cancer and heart disease,
hormone imbalances, Chronic
Fatigue . . . the list is almost
endless. And many of these
people had given up on modern
medicine and the modern
system of diagnosing disease
and disorder in the bodymind
and emotional system of a
human being.
Just as an example, I'm often asked which postures are best for weight loss. I always
answer: “That's not how I teach. I only teach the whole of Yoga.” We never do anything in
isolation in Yoga – and everything we do is about discovering more, more about our bodies,
more about our minds and spirits, more about ourselves. You, as a whole person, are a process
to be continually rediscovered!
Being in a regular Yoga Practice
usually has the benefit of
naturally maintaining a healthy
body-weight.
For the obvious reasons of
physical benefits of the postures
of Yogasana: not only the toning
and strengthening of muscles,
or the “fat draining” properties of
the twist postures, but also the
metabolism regulating of
inversions (shoulderstands
especially) and the internal
organ toning and nourishing of
the Surya Namaskara
sequences (Sun Salutations). A
regular practice of Hatha Yoga brings the balance we need, between the dynamic and passive
nature of our energy; and in the more passive states that we attain during practice, then the
mind and emotions are given the chance for clearing and detoxifying on a regular basis. And

3. this is so, so important in maintaining balance to your whole system as a human being. I
always think we get rid of more “rubbish” from our systems during the practice of passive
poses, deep breathwork in Pranayama, stillness in Meditation and the deep rest of Savasana,
or deep relaxation.
Yoga is so relevant today with
its system of physical exercises,
Yogasana, its breathing
practices, Pranayama, as well
as meditation and philosophy for
living life. It's a way of grabbing
some power back for your own
life and health. It gives us
control where otherwise we
would have to give it over to
drug companies and private or
public health services – not that
there aren't some wonderfully
dedicated family doctors and
gifted surgeons, of course.
So, physical and mental therapy
is one of Yoga's most important
achievements, and of course
that power comes from the fact
that it is working on a holistic
(whole person) principle of
harmony and unification. We
harmonise the body and the
mind with the breath, the
emotions, and the spirit. And of
course our unification with the
whole, the whole of humanity,
the cosmos, our universe and
life force is so important for our
wellbeing as a human being.
Just an example of how
harmonising benefits us is, the balance created in a human being's nervous and endocrine
(hormonal) systems directly influences all the other systems and vital organs of the body.

4. You might think you are just “
stretching” but there is so much
going on as a result – you're
unblocking, your raising energy
levels, your digestion gets better
and that positively affects your
mental health, you start enjoying
life more and so your
relationships improve, you're a
lot calmer and in control, so you
don't get as stressed! And of
course, relaxation and meditation
replace all the vitality that has
been “drained” out of you due to
the increasing pace of life and
less and less free time off!
But for me as a teacher, one of the main benefits that modern medicine could never provide in a
bottle of tablets or an injection is that yoga provides a way of helping people connect with their
true self. And the feel-good feelings that result simply from this connection are impossible to
compete with!
Just to quote Swami Satyananda “. . . yoga is far from simply being physical exercises, rather,
it is an aid to establishing a new way of life which embraces both inner and outer realities.
However, this way of life is an experience which cannot be understood intellectually and will
only become living knowledge through practice and experience.” In other words, in Yoga, we
practice. We do it. Nobody does it to us, like modern medicine. And that is the greatest healing
power of Yoga.

5. As founder of suzenyoga,
Susan says: suZenYoga has
five precepts: Spirituality,
Understanding, Zen, Energy
and Nutrition and these are the
basis for the Yoga programs I
am currently developing – and
all designed to make our minds
and bodies a more comfortable
place for our spirits to dwell
while we’re on the path to the
potentials of our Souls.