The Inside Story: What Yoga and the Five Rites Do for Your Body

"In recent years modern science has begun to document and verify the beneficial psychological and physiological effects of yoga, meditation, and yoga-like practices such as the Five Rites.

A study published in Journal of Research in Indian Medicine found that the daily practice of yoga asanas (postures) for six months led to a decreased heart rate, a drop in blood pressure, weight loss, a lower breathing rate accompanied by an increase in lung capacity and chest expansion, and a decline in incidence of anxiety. A subsequent study found that regular yoga practice led to a decrease in physiological stress, lower cholesterol levels, balanced blood sugar levels, an increase in alpha brain waves (associated with relaxation), and a general reduction of physical problems.

Numerous other studies have produced similar results. T.J. Thorpe, Ph.D., of the University of Tennessee, found that yoga practitioners consistently reported decreases in feelings of anxiety and nervousness. Many of his subjects experienced relief from symptoms of insomnia, fatigue, headaches, body aches, spinal curvature, dizziness, joint stiffness, and skin problems. Yoga was helpful for those dealing with obesity, and some noticed a decrease in the use of alcohol and cigarettes. Benefits included an increase in feelings of composure, relaxation, and joy, improvements in interpersonal relationships, and an increased capacity for concentration.

In another experiment, Dr. V. H. Dhanaraj of the University of Alberta, in Canada, compared a group of people who engaged in six weeks of yoga practice with a group that did conventional exercises for the same period. He found that those who practiced yoga showed significantly greater improvements in cell metabolism, oxygen consumption and lung capacity, cardiac efficiency, thyroid function, hemoglobin and red blood cell count, and overall flexibility."