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CNN Sunday Morning
Weekend House Call: Yoga and Your Health
Aired July 06, 2003 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Today on WEEKEND HOUSE CALL it's "Yoga and Your Health." Yoga studios are popping up all over the country, doctors have been even prescribing yoga to treat some medical problems and, of course, it's a great stress reducer. But, is yoga right for you? Our medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen joins us in our yoga room to answer some of your questions.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, this is the CNN yoga studio. We're going to be doing a class after the show and during the show, actually.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, I look forward to that.
COHEN: Yoga has been popular. Madonna does it, so does Christy Turlington, and Sting. Yoga's an ancient exercise and it's become quite the trend, in fact, it's become a full-blown fitness craze.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Continue with each breath to release unnecessary weight and tension.
COHEN (voice-over): You can do it in a class or at home, you can even do it on an airplane.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now we're going to do stretch and together.
COHEN: Babies are doing it and so are older people. 20 million Americans practice yoga and over 75% of health clubs across the U.S. offer yoga classes. Why is it so popular?
AMY ZONE, IYENGAR YOGA INSTRUCTOR: Yoga can -- can help on all sorts of levels if we can control the mind through the body through the body, then a lot of this -- a lot pain and suffering can be eliminated.
COHEN: Most Americans practice the Hatha yoga which consists of the series of gentle poses, breathing, and medication. Each pose is supposed to stimulate circulation in a certain part of the body and improve the muscles and internal organs. Some studies show yoga can help patients who have diabetes, arthritis, and of course, yoga can help reduce stress.
LARRY PAYNE, YOGA INSTRUCTOR: The first benefit you'll notice from any form of good yoga is that there will be a stress reduction. The second thing you'll notice is your concentration will improve. COHEN: Some doctors are now prescribing yoga to help combat medical problems and a number of yoga instructors believe doing yoga can even help you lose weight.
JONNY WEST, YOGA INSTRUCTOR: When you start practicing yoga you become more sensitive and through that greater sensitivity in your body you often make better choices of what you eat. You just -- you lose the cravings.
COHEN: With a few precautions and a the right instruction many are finding this ancient discipline to be a great way to balance the body and calm the mind.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN: There are many types of yoga, in fact, so many that it can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially for the beginner. Today on WEEKEND HOUSE CALL we'll show you the different varieties of yoga and we'll find out if the claims about yoga's health benefits are really true. Call us in with your questions at 1-800-807-2620, international charges do apply for our overseas callers. Or you can e-mail us at housecall@CNN.com.
Now, yoga is the blend of physical, mental, and spiritual traditions that began in India 5,000 years ago, so as we said before, this is no new trend. It's only been practiced widely in the U.S. though, for about 100 years.
Let's run through some of the different practices of yoga. As we mentioned earlier, Hatha yoga is the classical kind of yoga and the most popular type in the United States. It consists of a series of gentle poses, breathing, and medication. It's more of an inward experience not as athletic or aerobic as some other types.
Hot yoga or Bikram yoga is practiced in a room heated to over 100 degrees. It's sauna-style designed to make you sweat. It appeals to men especially, but women like it too.
Ashtanga yoga is for those people who want a serious workout. It's physically demanding and has several different levels. This is the kind of yoga Madonna and Sting do, it's not an easy style to practice. Power yoga is based on Ashtanga yoga.
There -- these are just a few of the most popular kinds of yoga. Now, to help us understand more, Atlanta yoga instructor Jaya Devi Bhagavati joins us.
Thanks for being here with us and I want to jump in with an e- mail question. Gail from California asks, "There are so many different types of yoga to pick from. What is the best type of yoga for a complete beginner? I'm a runner and do not consider myself "the limber type," but I'd like to utilize the benefits of yoga in my life. What do you recommend?
JAYA DEVI BHAGAVATI, YOGA INSTRUCTOR: Well, I would recommend that she start with a classical yoga pose -- class. Something that's very well-rounded, she probably doesn't want to jump right into the power yoga, but Hatha yoga or classical yoga. Classes really would be the place to start, and you can ask for a beginner's class. Right? Ask for a glass that's either gentle yoga or a beginner's class.
WHITFIELD: It is important when you go to these beginner classes to let everyone know that you've only done this, you know, zero times before.
BHAGAVATI: Absolutely. Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: It's important to make sure that your instructor is really, kind of, guiding you through it, isn't it? Because, you can get injured pretty easily otherwise.
BHAGAVATI: Sure. Sure, and if you have any injuries -- if you have any existing injuries you should definitely tell your teacher before the class, and sure, like any form of movement injury is a possibility, but it really does make you feel good. It really opens up your body and increases your flexibility and your strength.
COHEN: Now, we have one of your students, Gnesh Geri (ph), and I was wondering if maybe you could show us with Gnesh (ph), what's a good beginner's pose, if you've never done yoga before, what's a good pose start with?
BHAGAVATI: Sure. Well, we're going to do a tree pose, it's a balancing pose, all right, it's a standing pose. So, he's going to start standing with his feet together and bring his foot -- bring one foot up, yeah. So this would -- hands together in the prayer pose, this would be a beginner's balancing pose -- right? So, what you're doing here is you're strengthening -- right, the ankle, the whole leg, the lower back. Right, opening up in your hip a little bit. Now, if you bring your foot up -- all right, a little higher into an intermediate pose -- right, a little more challenging. Opens up the hip and strengthens the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a little bit more. And then, into an advanced pose -- right, come up into a half lotus in this pose and the balancing gets a little more challenging and you extend your arms straight up overhead. Right, very powerful pose in the hips and lower back and pelvis. All right.
COHEN: Now, I can hear some people who are use to doing step aerobics and all sorts of things, that that doesn't look like much.
BHAGAVATI: Right.
COHEN: But, it's doing more than it looks.
BHAGAVATI: Sure. Sure, and there are also, even in the Hatha yoga, in the classical yoga, there's a flow series where you go from posture to posture and you heat up, it does benefit you cardiovascularly. So, we can go through a "Sun Salutation."
Of course, you want to go up to the front of your mat.
Gnesh (ph) is going to do a very simple flow series. You're starting with your hand in the prayer pose and most with the breath, always in yoga you move with the breath. So, you inhale, extend your arms up and back. Right. "sun mudra" (ph). There are different hand postures with yoga. And then exhale, Swan Dive, forward. All right now, you're really opening. There you open the front of the body, now you bow forward and open the back of the body. OK. Inhaling, step your right foot back -- all right, coming into a lunge, now getting into the legs and the hips. All right, exhale, left -- other foot back. OK now, a real strengthening pose is "chutarunga" (ph). You're going to lower down towards the floor -- all right, and slide up into Cobra. All right, this is a whole series designed to open the whole body. Now, lower your chest, turn your toes under press up into "dog." All right, "down-facing dog," one of the classical poses, right.
COHEN: You know, speaking of "downward dog," we have a question from a viewer about "downward dog." So, while Gnesh (ph) is in it, let's...
BHAGAVATI: Great.
COHEN: ...ask the question. This is from in Ann in Dallas and she asks, "Are there any types of yoga that do not require a lot of pressure on the hands. Yoga that does not include poses such as 'downward dog'?"
You can see he's -- he's using his hands, there. A lot of pressure.
BHAGAVATI: Right, and one of the things you can do here, is in yoga you also really want to lengthen. You want to use intention. You don't really want the wrist at a right angle there, which is harder for a beginner because people don't have that much flexibility in their back. So, you really lengthen all the way up, right and that helps take the pressure off the wrist.
But sure, there are -- there are practices that you don't do the "downward dog" so much. Probably want to stay away from -- Ashtanga is really based around the "downward dog," right, the whole "Sun Salutation" series. But you -- again, I would say you could do a Kundalini class, a Kali yoga class or a classical and just let your teacher know that you wrist problems, carpal tunnel or something like that. There are other poses that you can do to strengthen your wrists so that this pose gets easier.
WHITFIELD: In addition to our e-mail questions we have people calling in.
BHAGAVATI: Oh, great.
WHITFIELD: And, Julie of North Carolina has a question for you.
BHAGAVATI: OK.
WHITFIELD: Hi, Julie.
CALLER: Hi, good morning to you. I'm calling in regards I have fibromyalgia and there's not a whole lot known about it. It's pain all over the body, stiffness. I'm currently in -- doing exercises in a gym which gives me extra strength to those areas, but I don't the flexibility that I need and I was just wondering if it would be better for me to stay in the gym or try to find a yoga class?
BHAGAVATI: Yoga would be tremendously beneficial to you. One of the -- one of the reasons that people get attracted to yoga is that you feel better when you do it. All right, it really does work the whole body and it works in a very holistic way, right? It's designed to work your mind, your body, and your spirit, so that when you do the rest, that pain and tension in the body starts to ease, right, that the postures, if you get into a nice gentle class with a really excellent instructor, you would want to talk to the instructor and make sure they know what you're dealing with. But, yoga would be tremendously beneficial. It also does increase your bone strength and your muscle strength so you get the strengthening benefits from a workout.
WHITFIELD: All right, we're going take a short break for now. When we come back we're going to talk about some of the other styles of yoga. Hot yoga versus power yoga. Are they safe for everyone and are they a real cardio workout?
Call us with your yoga questions at 1-800-807-2620 or e-mail us at CNN. -- or sorry, at housecall@CNN.com. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Well, this is WEEKEND HOUSE CALL and today's topic is "Yoga and Your Health," if you don't know enough about yoga but want to learn more, today is the day to watch us. Call us with your questions, the number is 800-807-2620 or e-mail your questions to housecall@CNN.com.
COHEN: And, while we get those phone calls lined up let's check our "Daily Dose Health Quiz" for today. Today's question: In what part of the country do people practice yoga most?
We'll have that answer in 30 seconds. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Well, in our "Daily Dose Health Quiz" we asked: In what part of the country do people practice yoga most?
The answer: the Northeast and Central U.S. tie with 30 percent each for the most yoga practitioners. You think yoga would be most popular perhaps on the West Coast where the movie stars seem to be living and doing yoga, but only 20 percent of Americans on the West Coast actually practice yoga. A recent survey by a "Yoga Journal" magazine reveals that more than half of the general population has at least had a casual interest in yoga.
COHEN: We're talking about yoga's growing popularity and if it's the right workout for you. We got an e-mail question from Connie in California. She asks, "Is power yoga a really cardio workout?"
We have Jaya Devi Bhagavati here to help us answer that question.
BHAGAVATI: It's definitely a very -- it's an excellent cardio workout, yes. You will sweat, you will strengthen, and increase your flexibility. It is a full-body workout.
WHITFIELD: Ronnie in Texas has a question for you, she's on the phone with us.
Hi Ronnie.
CALLER: Hi. I'm 76 years old, I have a pacemaker, and I weigh 280 pounds, and I was wondering if yoga is right for me?
BHAGAVATI: You could -- I would recommend that you start with a gentle yoga class. There are also some yoga classes specifically geared to cardiac patients, or people that deal with high blood pressure or heart problems. You definitely want to let your instructor know before you start your first class -- you know, call the studio and let your instructor know. You can check with your doctor if you feel like that would make you more comfortable, but sure, it could definitely help you.
WHITFIELD: All right, and Valerie in Georgia has a question or comment -- Valerie.
CALLER: Hi. I have a question for you. You mentioned a type of yoga called "Kali" and it didn't sound like the other stuff that they talked about in the beginning like Hatha or basic yoga. Could you talk a little bit more about what that is?
BHAGAVATI: Sure, I would love to. It's really the cutting edge, I think. What we've seen is -- you know, the power yoga has been very popular and now people are starting to look for a little more spiritual depth, right, they want the meditation, they want the breath work, they want to feel really good about themselves -- you know, on a deeper level, they're looking for peace of mind. And, Kali yoga is -- it's originated by a woman in Florida named Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati. And, it's a beautiful flow. It's a flow series and it's a -- it really brings in the depth and the authentic essence of yoga. So, it's a -- I think it's really the cutting edge, I think it's the new thing coming that people are really drawn towards that depth.
COHEN: And it does more to combine meditation and breathing then some of the other types? Is there anything specific that Gnesh (ph) could show us that exemplifies Kali yoga?
BHAGAVATI: Sure. Sure. There are some things. There are a lot of mudras in Kali yoga, right, and there are different hand postures, right, and it's just a simple -- a lot of the postures are similar -- like the way you do a lot of the different postures, but it's the way that they're combined.
I'm going to have you just start with a "aguna mudra "(ph). All right, to "aguna mudra" it's a simple mudra. Right, and then there's a "fire breath," all right, you do a lot of breath work in yoga.
So, Gnesh (ph), you're going start a "fire breath." Right.
It's a powerful breath and it's to generate the heat inside the body really, but to generate the internal heat.
OK. Go ahead. Stop.
One of the other mudras is called the "lingam yoni mudra" it's about balancing the male and female essence. All right, so some of the mudras are one of the things that make it different, you go through and you do all the different postures -- all right you do all of different -- like the "warrior" and the -- things like that, but the mudras make it a little different.
COHEN: And a mudra is the hands?
BHAGAVATI: It's a hand gesture and. they're very ancient, right, they're considered this sort of ancient form of worship and sort of invoking the divine.
COHEN: And, what -- that kind of breathing he was doing, what does that do exactly?
BHAGAVATI: Oh, it's an incredible breath, the "fire breath," it is designed to increase the heat in your body and burn up impurities -- you know, really increase your strength in your solar plexus. Right
COHEN: Kali yoga, you heard it here first.
BHAGAVATI: Kali, yes.
COHEN: Ellen from California has an e-mail question, "Can Pilates replace a traditional cardio workout such as running on an elliptical machine and treadmill for the purpose of either weight loss of fitness?"
And, I want to know is Pilates a form of yoga? Many places that teach yoga also teach Pilates. They seem sort of related.
BHAGAVATI: Right. Right. And, we at our yoga studio do teach Pilates class, and Pilates, a lot of it is very similar to yoga. It was designed around -- Joseph Pilates designed it around yoga system, but took it into its own thing. And, one of the things that's different is that there's a tremendous emphasis on core strengthening -- on strengthening the abdomen and the lower back. But, it, again, it's very effective. A lot of mat work -- you do a lot of work on the floor, on the mat. But it's a little different than yoga. It's more focused just on the body, right, not so much on the breath.
WHITFIELD: But, then there are at least two different types of Pilates.
BHAGAVATI: Sure, whether you do use the machine, all right, there's mat work and then there are a lot of machines, and it's very strengthening, very much about strengthening the body.
COHEN: And less so about cardiac workout.
BHAGAVATI: Yes.
COHEN: You're not going to sweat as much.
BHAGAVATI: Right.
WHITFIELD: Do you like one more than the other?
BHAGAVATI: Well, I'm a yogi, I love yoga.
WHITFIELD: Prefer the mat Pilates, though I mean between the two.
BHAGAVATI: Yeah. Yeah. And I haven't done so much of the machines. The classes we have are on the mat because it's more accessible, you don't have to have -- you know, the space for all the machines, so...
WHITFIELD: OK. Well, when we come back, we'll take a look at some of the health benefits of yoga and if the claims you've heard are, indeed, true. Stay with us, this is WEEKEND HOUSE CALL.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COHEN: Talking -- welcome back to WEEKEND HOUSE CALL we're talking about yoga and your health. There are lots of claims made about yoga. Studies show that it can lessen anxiety, stress, depression, asthma, and diabetes. It can also help lower your blood pressure, fight heart disease, headaches, chronic pain, and insomnia.
Jaya Devi Bhagavati, you're a yoga instructor. Have you have seen some of these benefits among your students?
BHAGAVATI: Absolutely. We've -- I've helped so many people overcome anxiety attacks -- right, dealing with stress and panic attacks. People just feel better -- you know, we've had people that -- with chronic illnesses come in, it helps them deal with chemotherapy or AIDS or HIV. The health benefits are tremendous and really it does make you feel better.
WHITFIELD: So, it seems as though there really is a yoga for everyone.
Ingrid from Florida is on the telephone with us and she's pregnant and she has some questions about being able to do yoga while being pregnant.
BHAGAVATI: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Ingrid?
CALLER: Yes, I practiced power yoga and I was wondering if I could continue doing it until I feel like it would not be -- like dangerous for the baby? BHAGAVATI: Right. I would not recommend that you do it in a heated room, right. That your heart rate might get too elevated, you don't want do it -- you know, they recommend you don't do saunas, anything that's very heated while you're pregnant. I would also recommend that you could do yoga, probably; up to fourth or fifth month, as long as you feel like it isn't -- it isn't too intense in your body, right? And, then I would change to a gentler yoga. There are a lot of pregnancy yoga classes and that would probably feel great to you at that point.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks very much, Ingrid.
Now, Lani also in Florida is a quadriplegic -- quadriplegic and also has some questions about whether she can, indeed, do yoga.
BHAGAVATI: OK. Right.
CALLER: Hi. Good morning, thank you so much for taking my question.
BHAGAVATI: Sure.
CALLER: I've been a quadriplegic for 45 years. I use a wheelchair. I'm 63 years old. Can I do yoga? I'm very interested in it. I would like very much to do it.
BHAGAVATI: Yes. You could do yoga. There's actually a practice in yoga -- and I've taught people in hospitals, in hospital beds, and wheelchairs. There's practice in yoga called "mental yoga" where you want to use your mind -- all right, it's all about the body-mind connection and using your mind to go through the different postures. The breath work, right, the pranayama is going to help you tremendously deal with just the stress of living and calming your mind so sure, you want to find a good instructor, that probably the best --- the biggest thing, it's somebody that understands a lot about yoga and its depth and is willing to work with you on that level.
COHEN: For example, if I were in a wheelchair, right now, what would you have me do?
BHAGAVATI: Well, I actually have one of my regular students who's in a wheelchair, so she'll be thrilled at these questions. And, she can move pretty well -- right, we do a lot of upper body work -- right, so that you can stretch backward -- right, you can get a really beautiful backward bending stretch -- right, without having to get the lower body engaged. You can do spinal twists -- right, you can do a lot to move your body even if your lower body is confined.
WHITFIELD: All right, yoga is for everyone, we've established that. But, somehow all of our calls are coming from women and right now we've got someone from Richmond, Virginia. Leah is on the telephone with us -- Leah.
CALLER: Hi. I did yoga for two years and really loved it, but then I found out that I had osteoporosis and when I told my instructors they got really scared of me and it made me scare to try it anymore and I was wondering what you think about yoga and osteoporosis.
BHAGAVATI: Well, yoga is bone strengthening, it will help with your osteoporosis, although you will want to find out from your doctor where the bone -- which bones are weakening, what bones are being affected, so that you can share that with your instructor and modify -- right, you do modifications for anything that feels like it puts too much stress. OK, but sure, it's definitely, it's muscle strengthening and bone strengthening.
COHEN: And, I think one of the things we should emphasize is when people think of yoga they think of it as being sort of -- tie yourself up in a pretzel kind of thing, but it can be as simple as even just sitting and meditating and doing a very simple pose.
BHAGAVATI: Absolutely.
COHEN: So, there's a huge verity. We're going to have final thoughts about yoga when we come back on WEEKEND HOUSE CALL.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COHEN: Welcome back to WEEKEND HOUSE CALL where we have been talking about yoga and we have with us Jaya Devi Bhagavati and one of her students, Gnesh Geri (ph).
Gnesh (ph), you were just doing a lovely pose. Could you do that same pose again?
It was just wonderful and you can tell us the name of the pose, Jaya Devi.
BHAGAVATI: Sure, it's a posture called -- the English name is a "dancer's pose," the Sanskrit name is "Natarajasana" and it's named after the God Shiva, -- the Hindu God Shiva -- right, who dances all of life into creation. So, it's a powerful pose, there's a lot of balance -- takes a lot of a balance. Strengthening in the legs, the hip, the back, lower back, and the shoulder, it really opens in the shoulders, so, beautiful. Thank you.
COHEN: And requires balance
BHAGAVATI: And, requires a lot of balance.
COHEN: And, even sometimes the best yogis lose their balance a little bit.
BHAGAVATI: That's right. That's right.
COHEN: Now, you can do yoga at home with a video or you can do it in a class.
BHAGAVATI: Right.
COHEN: What's the benefit of each of those?
BHAGAVATI: Well, one of the neat things about all the videos is that you can pick sort of pick and choose your instructors -- you know, you can sort of pop in a different instructor and have that kind of class depending on how you feel. But, the benefit of working with a live instructor is tremendous -- right, because everybody's body is different -- right, and being able to really go into the depth of yoga is -- it's a different experience in a glass class -- in a group setting -- right, you do tend to get a deeper meditation, you'll do deposes that you might skip -- you know, you sort of cheat over the ones you don't like and stuff like that, so you tend to get a better overall workout.
COHEN: And, also in the class we've -- I know when I take them the instructor will come and will physically show you what you're doing wrong, because it's very easy to be out of alignment...
BHAGAVATI: Right.
COHEN: ...and not do it quite right and that's important. And speaking of which, is there is another pose that Gnesh can show us, perhaps a beginners pose for someone who hasn't done -- who hasn't done yoga.
BHAGAVATI: Yes.
Leg extensions.
We'll do just a very simple one leg forward bend.
So, bring your left -- yeah, foot in. All right, inhale, extend your arms up over your head. All right, and exhale, just come forward about 15 degrees. OK, so turn your palms to face in towards each other.
One of the things this does -- right, very deep opener for the back of the legs, it helps deal with sciatica -- right, and strengthens the lower back. You don't want to round forward too much when you first start yoga -- right, that you'll start to strengthen and open the lower back, we tend towards chronic tightness in the back of the leg from all the desk sitting and, yeah...
COHEN: That's great, well, thank you. That looks like it would, indeed, help people who have lower back problems. And, thank you, Jaya Devi Bhagavati, and than you Gnesh Geri (ph), for being our model. We appreciate it.
And, that's all we have time for on today's WEEKEND HOUSE CALL. Make sure you join us Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 in the morning Eastern time. Sanjay Gupta will be your host next weekend, remember this is the place for the answers to your medical questions.
Thanks for watching. I'm Elizabeth Cohen. "CNN SUNDAY MORNING" continues now.
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Aired July 6, 2003 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Today on WEEKEND HOUSE CALL it's "Yoga and Your Health." Yoga studios are popping up all over the country, doctors have been even prescribing yoga to treat some medical problems and, of course, it's a great stress reducer. But, is yoga right for you? Our medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen joins us in our yoga room to answer some of your questions.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, this is the CNN yoga studio. We're going to be doing a class after the show and during the show, actually.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, I look forward to that.
COHEN: Yoga has been popular. Madonna does it, so does Christy Turlington, and Sting. Yoga's an ancient exercise and it's become quite the trend, in fact, it's become a full-blown fitness craze.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Continue with each breath to release unnecessary weight and tension.
COHEN (voice-over): You can do it in a class or at home, you can even do it on an airplane.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now we're going to do stretch and together.
COHEN: Babies are doing it and so are older people. 20 million Americans practice yoga and over 75% of health clubs across the U.S. offer yoga classes. Why is it so popular?
AMY ZONE, IYENGAR YOGA INSTRUCTOR: Yoga can -- can help on all sorts of levels if we can control the mind through the body through the body, then a lot of this -- a lot pain and suffering can be eliminated.
COHEN: Most Americans practice the Hatha yoga which consists of the series of gentle poses, breathing, and medication. Each pose is supposed to stimulate circulation in a certain part of the body and improve the muscles and internal organs. Some studies show yoga can help patients who have diabetes, arthritis, and of course, yoga can help reduce stress.
LARRY PAYNE, YOGA INSTRUCTOR: The first benefit you'll notice from any form of good yoga is that there will be a stress reduction. The second thing you'll notice is your concentration will improve. COHEN: Some doctors are now prescribing yoga to help combat medical problems and a number of yoga instructors believe doing yoga can even help you lose weight.
JONNY WEST, YOGA INSTRUCTOR: When you start practicing yoga you become more sensitive and through that greater sensitivity in your body you often make better choices of what you eat. You just -- you lose the cravings.
COHEN: With a few precautions and a the right instruction many are finding this ancient discipline to be a great way to balance the body and calm the mind.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN: There are many types of yoga, in fact, so many that it can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially for the beginner. Today on WEEKEND HOUSE CALL we'll show you the different varieties of yoga and we'll find out if the claims about yoga's health benefits are really true. Call us in with your questions at 1-800-807-2620, international charges do apply for our overseas callers. Or you can e-mail us at housecall@CNN.com.
Now, yoga is the blend of physical, mental, and spiritual traditions that began in India 5,000 years ago, so as we said before, this is no new trend. It's only been practiced widely in the U.S. though, for about 100 years.
Let's run through some of the different practices of yoga. As we mentioned earlier, Hatha yoga is the classical kind of yoga and the most popular type in the United States. It consists of a series of gentle poses, breathing, and medication. It's more of an inward experience not as athletic or aerobic as some other types.
Hot yoga or Bikram yoga is practiced in a room heated to over 100 degrees. It's sauna-style designed to make you sweat. It appeals to men especially, but women like it too.
Ashtanga yoga is for those people who want a serious workout. It's physically demanding and has several different levels. This is the kind of yoga Madonna and Sting do, it's not an easy style to practice. Power yoga is based on Ashtanga yoga.
There -- these are just a few of the most popular kinds of yoga. Now, to help us understand more, Atlanta yoga instructor Jaya Devi Bhagavati joins us.
Thanks for being here with us and I want to jump in with an e- mail question. Gail from California asks, "There are so many different types of yoga to pick from. What is the best type of yoga for a complete beginner? I'm a runner and do not consider myself "the limber type," but I'd like to utilize the benefits of yoga in my life. What do you recommend?
JAYA DEVI BHAGAVATI, YOGA INSTRUCTOR: Well, I would recommend that she start with a classical yoga pose -- class. Something that's very well-rounded, she probably doesn't want to jump right into the power yoga, but Hatha yoga or classical yoga. Classes really would be the place to start, and you can ask for a beginner's class. Right? Ask for a glass that's either gentle yoga or a beginner's class.
WHITFIELD: It is important when you go to these beginner classes to let everyone know that you've only done this, you know, zero times before.
BHAGAVATI: Absolutely. Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: It's important to make sure that your instructor is really, kind of, guiding you through it, isn't it? Because, you can get injured pretty easily otherwise.
BHAGAVATI: Sure. Sure, and if you have any injuries -- if you have any existing injuries you should definitely tell your teacher before the class, and sure, like any form of movement injury is a possibility, but it really does make you feel good. It really opens up your body and increases your flexibility and your strength.
COHEN: Now, we have one of your students, Gnesh Geri (ph), and I was wondering if maybe you could show us with Gnesh (ph), what's a good beginner's pose, if you've never done yoga before, what's a good pose start with?
BHAGAVATI: Sure. Well, we're going to do a tree pose, it's a balancing pose, all right, it's a standing pose. So, he's going to start standing with his feet together and bring his foot -- bring one foot up, yeah. So this would -- hands together in the prayer pose, this would be a beginner's balancing pose -- right? So, what you're doing here is you're strengthening -- right, the ankle, the whole leg, the lower back. Right, opening up in your hip a little bit. Now, if you bring your foot up -- all right, a little higher into an intermediate pose -- right, a little more challenging. Opens up the hip and strengthens the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a little bit more. And then, into an advanced pose -- right, come up into a half lotus in this pose and the balancing gets a little more challenging and you extend your arms straight up overhead. Right, very powerful pose in the hips and lower back and pelvis. All right.
COHEN: Now, I can hear some people who are use to doing step aerobics and all sorts of things, that that doesn't look like much.
BHAGAVATI: Right.
COHEN: But, it's doing more than it looks.
BHAGAVATI: Sure. Sure, and there are also, even in the Hatha yoga, in the classical yoga, there's a flow series where you go from posture to posture and you heat up, it does benefit you cardiovascularly. So, we can go through a "Sun Salutation."
Of course, you want to go up to the front of your mat.
Gnesh (ph) is going to do a very simple flow series. You're starting with your hand in the prayer pose and most with the breath, always in yoga you move with the breath. So, you inhale, extend your arms up and back. Right. "sun mudra" (ph). There are different hand postures with yoga. And then exhale, Swan Dive, forward. All right now, you're really opening. There you open the front of the body, now you bow forward and open the back of the body. OK. Inhaling, step your right foot back -- all right, coming into a lunge, now getting into the legs and the hips. All right, exhale, left -- other foot back. OK now, a real strengthening pose is "chutarunga" (ph). You're going to lower down towards the floor -- all right, and slide up into Cobra. All right, this is a whole series designed to open the whole body. Now, lower your chest, turn your toes under press up into "dog." All right, "down-facing dog," one of the classical poses, right.
COHEN: You know, speaking of "downward dog," we have a question from a viewer about "downward dog." So, while Gnesh (ph) is in it, let's...
BHAGAVATI: Great.
COHEN: ...ask the question. This is from in Ann in Dallas and she asks, "Are there any types of yoga that do not require a lot of pressure on the hands. Yoga that does not include poses such as 'downward dog'?"
You can see he's -- he's using his hands, there. A lot of pressure.
BHAGAVATI: Right, and one of the things you can do here, is in yoga you also really want to lengthen. You want to use intention. You don't really want the wrist at a right angle there, which is harder for a beginner because people don't have that much flexibility in their back. So, you really lengthen all the way up, right and that helps take the pressure off the wrist.
But sure, there are -- there are practices that you don't do the "downward dog" so much. Probably want to stay away from -- Ashtanga is really based around the "downward dog," right, the whole "Sun Salutation" series. But you -- again, I would say you could do a Kundalini class, a Kali yoga class or a classical and just let your teacher know that you wrist problems, carpal tunnel or something like that. There are other poses that you can do to strengthen your wrists so that this pose gets easier.
WHITFIELD: In addition to our e-mail questions we have people calling in.
BHAGAVATI: Oh, great.
WHITFIELD: And, Julie of North Carolina has a question for you.
BHAGAVATI: OK.
WHITFIELD: Hi, Julie.
CALLER: Hi, good morning to you. I'm calling in regards I have fibromyalgia and there's not a whole lot known about it. It's pain all over the body, stiffness. I'm currently in -- doing exercises in a gym which gives me extra strength to those areas, but I don't the flexibility that I need and I was just wondering if it would be better for me to stay in the gym or try to find a yoga class?
BHAGAVATI: Yoga would be tremendously beneficial to you. One of the -- one of the reasons that people get attracted to yoga is that you feel better when you do it. All right, it really does work the whole body and it works in a very holistic way, right? It's designed to work your mind, your body, and your spirit, so that when you do the rest, that pain and tension in the body starts to ease, right, that the postures, if you get into a nice gentle class with a really excellent instructor, you would want to talk to the instructor and make sure they know what you're dealing with. But, yoga would be tremendously beneficial. It also does increase your bone strength and your muscle strength so you get the strengthening benefits from a workout.
WHITFIELD: All right, we're going take a short break for now. When we come back we're going to talk about some of the other styles of yoga. Hot yoga versus power yoga. Are they safe for everyone and are they a real cardio workout?
Call us with your yoga questions at 1-800-807-2620 or e-mail us at CNN. -- or sorry, at housecall@CNN.com. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Well, this is WEEKEND HOUSE CALL and today's topic is "Yoga and Your Health," if you don't know enough about yoga but want to learn more, today is the day to watch us. Call us with your questions, the number is 800-807-2620 or e-mail your questions to housecall@CNN.com.
COHEN: And, while we get those phone calls lined up let's check our "Daily Dose Health Quiz" for today. Today's question: In what part of the country do people practice yoga most?
We'll have that answer in 30 seconds. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Well, in our "Daily Dose Health Quiz" we asked: In what part of the country do people practice yoga most?
The answer: the Northeast and Central U.S. tie with 30 percent each for the most yoga practitioners. You think yoga would be most popular perhaps on the West Coast where the movie stars seem to be living and doing yoga, but only 20 percent of Americans on the West Coast actually practice yoga. A recent survey by a "Yoga Journal" magazine reveals that more than half of the general population has at least had a casual interest in yoga.
COHEN: We're talking about yoga's growing popularity and if it's the right workout for you. We got an e-mail question from Connie in California. She asks, "Is power yoga a really cardio workout?"
We have Jaya Devi Bhagavati here to help us answer that question.
BHAGAVATI: It's definitely a very -- it's an excellent cardio workout, yes. You will sweat, you will strengthen, and increase your flexibility. It is a full-body workout.
WHITFIELD: Ronnie in Texas has a question for you, she's on the phone with us.
Hi Ronnie.
CALLER: Hi. I'm 76 years old, I have a pacemaker, and I weigh 280 pounds, and I was wondering if yoga is right for me?
BHAGAVATI: You could -- I would recommend that you start with a gentle yoga class. There are also some yoga classes specifically geared to cardiac patients, or people that deal with high blood pressure or heart problems. You definitely want to let your instructor know before you start your first class -- you know, call the studio and let your instructor know. You can check with your doctor if you feel like that would make you more comfortable, but sure, it could definitely help you.
WHITFIELD: All right, and Valerie in Georgia has a question or comment -- Valerie.
CALLER: Hi. I have a question for you. You mentioned a type of yoga called "Kali" and it didn't sound like the other stuff that they talked about in the beginning like Hatha or basic yoga. Could you talk a little bit more about what that is?
BHAGAVATI: Sure, I would love to. It's really the cutting edge, I think. What we've seen is -- you know, the power yoga has been very popular and now people are starting to look for a little more spiritual depth, right, they want the meditation, they want the breath work, they want to feel really good about themselves -- you know, on a deeper level, they're looking for peace of mind. And, Kali yoga is -- it's originated by a woman in Florida named Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati. And, it's a beautiful flow. It's a flow series and it's a -- it really brings in the depth and the authentic essence of yoga. So, it's a -- I think it's really the cutting edge, I think it's the new thing coming that people are really drawn towards that depth.
COHEN: And it does more to combine meditation and breathing then some of the other types? Is there anything specific that Gnesh (ph) could show us that exemplifies Kali yoga?
BHAGAVATI: Sure. Sure. There are some things. There are a lot of mudras in Kali yoga, right, and there are different hand postures, right, and it's just a simple -- a lot of the postures are similar -- like the way you do a lot of the different postures, but it's the way that they're combined.
I'm going to have you just start with a "aguna mudra "(ph). All right, to "aguna mudra" it's a simple mudra. Right, and then there's a "fire breath," all right, you do a lot of breath work in yoga.
So, Gnesh (ph), you're going start a "fire breath." Right.
It's a powerful breath and it's to generate the heat inside the body really, but to generate the internal heat.
OK. Go ahead. Stop.
One of the other mudras is called the "lingam yoni mudra" it's about balancing the male and female essence. All right, so some of the mudras are one of the things that make it different, you go through and you do all the different postures -- all right you do all of different -- like the "warrior" and the -- things like that, but the mudras make it a little different.
COHEN: And a mudra is the hands?
BHAGAVATI: It's a hand gesture and. they're very ancient, right, they're considered this sort of ancient form of worship and sort of invoking the divine.
COHEN: And, what -- that kind of breathing he was doing, what does that do exactly?
BHAGAVATI: Oh, it's an incredible breath, the "fire breath," it is designed to increase the heat in your body and burn up impurities -- you know, really increase your strength in your solar plexus. Right
COHEN: Kali yoga, you heard it here first.
BHAGAVATI: Kali, yes.
COHEN: Ellen from California has an e-mail question, "Can Pilates replace a traditional cardio workout such as running on an elliptical machine and treadmill for the purpose of either weight loss of fitness?"
And, I want to know is Pilates a form of yoga? Many places that teach yoga also teach Pilates. They seem sort of related.
BHAGAVATI: Right. Right. And, we at our yoga studio do teach Pilates class, and Pilates, a lot of it is very similar to yoga. It was designed around -- Joseph Pilates designed it around yoga system, but took it into its own thing. And, one of the things that's different is that there's a tremendous emphasis on core strengthening -- on strengthening the abdomen and the lower back. But, it, again, it's very effective. A lot of mat work -- you do a lot of work on the floor, on the mat. But it's a little different than yoga. It's more focused just on the body, right, not so much on the breath.
WHITFIELD: But, then there are at least two different types of Pilates.
BHAGAVATI: Sure, whether you do use the machine, all right, there's mat work and then there are a lot of machines, and it's very strengthening, very much about strengthening the body.
COHEN: And less so about cardiac workout.
BHAGAVATI: Yes.
COHEN: You're not going to sweat as much.
BHAGAVATI: Right.
WHITFIELD: Do you like one more than the other?
BHAGAVATI: Well, I'm a yogi, I love yoga.
WHITFIELD: Prefer the mat Pilates, though I mean between the two.
BHAGAVATI: Yeah. Yeah. And I haven't done so much of the machines. The classes we have are on the mat because it's more accessible, you don't have to have -- you know, the space for all the machines, so...
WHITFIELD: OK. Well, when we come back, we'll take a look at some of the health benefits of yoga and if the claims you've heard are, indeed, true. Stay with us, this is WEEKEND HOUSE CALL.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COHEN: Talking -- welcome back to WEEKEND HOUSE CALL we're talking about yoga and your health. There are lots of claims made about yoga. Studies show that it can lessen anxiety, stress, depression, asthma, and diabetes. It can also help lower your blood pressure, fight heart disease, headaches, chronic pain, and insomnia.
Jaya Devi Bhagavati, you're a yoga instructor. Have you have seen some of these benefits among your students?
BHAGAVATI: Absolutely. We've -- I've helped so many people overcome anxiety attacks -- right, dealing with stress and panic attacks. People just feel better -- you know, we've had people that -- with chronic illnesses come in, it helps them deal with chemotherapy or AIDS or HIV. The health benefits are tremendous and really it does make you feel better.
WHITFIELD: So, it seems as though there really is a yoga for everyone.
Ingrid from Florida is on the telephone with us and she's pregnant and she has some questions about being able to do yoga while being pregnant.
BHAGAVATI: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Ingrid?
CALLER: Yes, I practiced power yoga and I was wondering if I could continue doing it until I feel like it would not be -- like dangerous for the baby? BHAGAVATI: Right. I would not recommend that you do it in a heated room, right. That your heart rate might get too elevated, you don't want do it -- you know, they recommend you don't do saunas, anything that's very heated while you're pregnant. I would also recommend that you could do yoga, probably; up to fourth or fifth month, as long as you feel like it isn't -- it isn't too intense in your body, right? And, then I would change to a gentler yoga. There are a lot of pregnancy yoga classes and that would probably feel great to you at that point.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks very much, Ingrid.
Now, Lani also in Florida is a quadriplegic -- quadriplegic and also has some questions about whether she can, indeed, do yoga.
BHAGAVATI: OK. Right.
CALLER: Hi. Good morning, thank you so much for taking my question.
BHAGAVATI: Sure.
CALLER: I've been a quadriplegic for 45 years. I use a wheelchair. I'm 63 years old. Can I do yoga? I'm very interested in it. I would like very much to do it.
BHAGAVATI: Yes. You could do yoga. There's actually a practice in yoga -- and I've taught people in hospitals, in hospital beds, and wheelchairs. There's practice in yoga called "mental yoga" where you want to use your mind -- all right, it's all about the body-mind connection and using your mind to go through the different postures. The breath work, right, the pranayama is going to help you tremendously deal with just the stress of living and calming your mind so sure, you want to find a good instructor, that probably the best --- the biggest thing, it's somebody that understands a lot about yoga and its depth and is willing to work with you on that level.
COHEN: For example, if I were in a wheelchair, right now, what would you have me do?
BHAGAVATI: Well, I actually have one of my regular students who's in a wheelchair, so she'll be thrilled at these questions. And, she can move pretty well -- right, we do a lot of upper body work -- right, so that you can stretch backward -- right, you can get a really beautiful backward bending stretch -- right, without having to get the lower body engaged. You can do spinal twists -- right, you can do a lot to move your body even if your lower body is confined.
WHITFIELD: All right, yoga is for everyone, we've established that. But, somehow all of our calls are coming from women and right now we've got someone from Richmond, Virginia. Leah is on the telephone with us -- Leah.
CALLER: Hi. I did yoga for two years and really loved it, but then I found out that I had osteoporosis and when I told my instructors they got really scared of me and it made me scare to try it anymore and I was wondering what you think about yoga and osteoporosis.
BHAGAVATI: Well, yoga is bone strengthening, it will help with your osteoporosis, although you will want to find out from your doctor where the bone -- which bones are weakening, what bones are being affected, so that you can share that with your instructor and modify -- right, you do modifications for anything that feels like it puts too much stress. OK, but sure, it's definitely, it's muscle strengthening and bone strengthening.
COHEN: And, I think one of the things we should emphasize is when people think of yoga they think of it as being sort of -- tie yourself up in a pretzel kind of thing, but it can be as simple as even just sitting and meditating and doing a very simple pose.
BHAGAVATI: Absolutely.
COHEN: So, there's a huge verity. We're going to have final thoughts about yoga when we come back on WEEKEND HOUSE CALL.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COHEN: Welcome back to WEEKEND HOUSE CALL where we have been talking about yoga and we have with us Jaya Devi Bhagavati and one of her students, Gnesh Geri (ph).
Gnesh (ph), you were just doing a lovely pose. Could you do that same pose again?
It was just wonderful and you can tell us the name of the pose, Jaya Devi.
BHAGAVATI: Sure, it's a posture called -- the English name is a "dancer's pose," the Sanskrit name is "Natarajasana" and it's named after the God Shiva, -- the Hindu God Shiva -- right, who dances all of life into creation. So, it's a powerful pose, there's a lot of balance -- takes a lot of a balance. Strengthening in the legs, the hip, the back, lower back, and the shoulder, it really opens in the shoulders, so, beautiful. Thank you.
COHEN: And requires balance
BHAGAVATI: And, requires a lot of balance.
COHEN: And, even sometimes the best yogis lose their balance a little bit.
BHAGAVATI: That's right. That's right.
COHEN: Now, you can do yoga at home with a video or you can do it in a class.
BHAGAVATI: Right.
COHEN: What's the benefit of each of those?
BHAGAVATI: Well, one of the neat things about all the videos is that you can pick sort of pick and choose your instructors -- you know, you can sort of pop in a different instructor and have that kind of class depending on how you feel. But, the benefit of working with a live instructor is tremendous -- right, because everybody's body is different -- right, and being able to really go into the depth of yoga is -- it's a different experience in a glass class -- in a group setting -- right, you do tend to get a deeper meditation, you'll do deposes that you might skip -- you know, you sort of cheat over the ones you don't like and stuff like that, so you tend to get a better overall workout.
COHEN: And, also in the class we've -- I know when I take them the instructor will come and will physically show you what you're doing wrong, because it's very easy to be out of alignment...
BHAGAVATI: Right.
COHEN: ...and not do it quite right and that's important. And speaking of which, is there is another pose that Gnesh can show us, perhaps a beginners pose for someone who hasn't done -- who hasn't done yoga.
BHAGAVATI: Yes.
Leg extensions.
We'll do just a very simple one leg forward bend.
So, bring your left -- yeah, foot in. All right, inhale, extend your arms up over your head. All right, and exhale, just come forward about 15 degrees. OK, so turn your palms to face in towards each other.
One of the things this does -- right, very deep opener for the back of the legs, it helps deal with sciatica -- right, and strengthens the lower back. You don't want to round forward too much when you first start yoga -- right, that you'll start to strengthen and open the lower back, we tend towards chronic tightness in the back of the leg from all the desk sitting and, yeah...
COHEN: That's great, well, thank you. That looks like it would, indeed, help people who have lower back problems. And, thank you, Jaya Devi Bhagavati, and than you Gnesh Geri (ph), for being our model. We appreciate it.
And, that's all we have time for on today's WEEKEND HOUSE CALL. Make sure you join us Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 in the morning Eastern time. Sanjay Gupta will be your host next weekend, remember this is the place for the answers to your medical questions.
Thanks for watching. I'm Elizabeth Cohen. "CNN SUNDAY MORNING" continues now.
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