Peer Reviewed
Complementary medicine update

Yoga and meditation – what is the active ingredient?

Stephen Penman
Abstract
Yoga and meditation have become part of the medical mainstream in Australia.Yoga has proven benefits for patients experiencing many conditions, not only musculoskeletal problems but also anxiety, depression, premenstrual symptoms and cardiovascular disease.
Key Points

    Yoga has proven benefits for patients experiencing many conditions, not only musculoskeletal problems but also anxiety, depression, premenstrual symptoms and cardiovascular disease.

    Yoga is an ancient Eastern philosophy of living that includes physical postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), meditation, relaxation and moral codes, which together are said to provide a path to self-realisation. In Western society, yoga postures can be practised in isolation from the other aspects of yoga.

Get full access
Subscribe for full access to all articles
Buy this article

Single article purchases are temporarily unavailable due to site maintenance.

If you would like to purchase an article during this time, please email us at [email protected] with the article details and we'll assist you directly. We'll also let you know when online purchasing is available again.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Already a subscriber?