Unit 5-Yoga in America英语课件
帝京大学-德能勤绩廉个人总结
高等学校研究生英语综合教程（上）-- Unit 5
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The term yoga comes from a Sanskrit
word which means yoke or union. Traditionally,
yoga is a method joining the individual self
with the Divine, Universal Spirit, or Cosmic
Consciousness. Physical and mental exercises
are designed to help achieve this goal, also
called self-transcendence or enlightenment. On
the physical level yoga postures, called
asanas, are designed to tone, strengthen, ana
align me body. These postures are performed to
make the spine supple and healthy and to
promote blood flow to all the organs, glands, and
tissues, keeping all the bodily systems
healthy. On the mental level, yoga uses breathing
techniques (pranayama) and meditation (dydna)
to quiet, clarify, and discipline the mind.
However, experts are quick to point out that
yoga is not a religion, but away of living with
health and peace of mind as its aims.
YOGA IN AMERICA
Douglas Dupler
1 Yoga originated in
ancient India and is one of the longest surviving
philosophical
systems in the world. Some
scholars have estimated that yoga is as old as
5,000 years;
artifacts detailing yoga postures
have been found in India from over 3,000 B.C.
Yogis
claim that it is a highly developed
science of healthy living that has been tested and
perfected for all these years. Yoga was first
brought to America in the late 1800s
when
Swami Vivekananda. an Indian teacher and yogi,
presented a lecture
on .meditation in Chicago.
Yoga slowly began gaining followers, and
flourished
during the 1960s when there was a
surge of interest in Eastern philosophy. There has
since been a vast exchange of yoga knowledge
in America, with many students going
to India
to study and many Indian experts coming here to
teach, resulting in the
establishment of a
wide variety of schools. Today, yoga is thriving,
and it has become
easy to find teachers and
practitioners throughout America. A recent Roper
poll,
commissioned by Yoga Journal, found that
11 million Americans do yoga at least
occasionally
therapists and professional
sports teams, and the benefits of yoga are being
touted by
movie stars and Fortune 500
executives. Many prestigious schools of medicine
have
高等学校研究生英语综合教程（上）-- Unit 5
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studied and introduced yoga techniques
as proven therapies for illness and stress.
Some medical schools, like UCLA, even offer
yoga classes as part of their physician
training program.
2 There are several
different schools of hatha yoga in America; the
two most
prevalent ones are Iyengar and
Ashtanga yoga8. Iyengar yoga was founded by B.K.S.
Iyengar, who is widely considered as one of
the great living innovators of yoga.
Iyengar
yoga puts strict emphasis on form and alignment,
and uses traditional hatha
yoga techniques in
new manners and sequences. Iyengar yoga can be
good for
physical therapy because it allows
the use of props like straps and blocks to make it
easier for some people to get into the yoga
postures. Ashtanga yoga can be a more
vigorous
routine, using a flowing and dance-like sequence
of hatha postures to
generate body heat, which
purifies the body through sweating and deep
breathing.
3 Yoga routines can take
anywhere from 20 minutes to two or more hours,
with one
hour being a good time investment to
perform a sequence of postures and a meditation.
Some yoga routines, depending on the teacher
and school, can be as strenuous as the
most
difficult workout, and some routines merely
stretch and align the body while the
breath
and heart rate are kept slow and steady. Yoga
achieves its best results when it
is practiced
as a daily discipline, and yoga can be a life-long
exercise routine, offering
deeper and more
challenging positions as a practitioner becomes
more adept. The
basic positions can increase a
person's strength, flexibility and sense of well
being
almost immediately. but it can take
years to perfect and deepen them, which is an
appealing and stimulating aspect of yoga for
many.
4 Yoga is usually best learned from
a yoga teacher or physical therapist, but yoga is
simple enough that one can learn the basics
from good books on the subject, which
are
plentiful. Yoga classes are generally inexpensive,
averaging around 10 dollars per
class, and
students can learn basic postures in just a few
classes. Many YMCAs,
colleges, and community
health organizations offer beginning yoga classes
as well,
高等学校研究生英语综合教程（上）-- Unit 5
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often for nominal fees. If yoga is part
of a physical therapy program,' it can
be
.reimbursed by insurance.
5 Yoga can also
provide the same benefits as any well-designed
exercise program,
increasing general health
and stamina reducing stress. and improving those
conditions
brought about by sedentary
lifestyles. Yoga has the added advantage of being
a low-
impact activity that uses only gravity
as resistance, which makes it an excellent
physical therapy routine: certain yoga
postures can be safely used to strengthen and
balance all parts of the body.
6
Meditation has been much studied and approved for
its benefits in reducing stresses-
related
conditions. The landmark book, The Relaxation
Response, by Harvard
cardiologist Herbert
Benson, showed that meditation and breathing
techniques for
relaxation could have the
opposite effect of stress, reducing blood pressure
and other
indicators, Since then, much
research has reiterated the benefits of meditation
for
stress reduction and general health.
Currently, the American Medical Association
recommends meditation techniques as a first
step before medication for borderline
hypertension cases.
7 Modern
psychological Studies have shown that even slight
facial expressions can
cause changes in the
involuntary nervous system; yoga utilizes the
mindbody
connection, that is, yoga practice
contains the central ideas that physical posture
and
alignment can influence a person's mood
and self-esteem, and also that the mind can
be
used to shape and heal the body. Yoga
practitioners claim that the strengthening of
mindbody awareness can bring eventual
improvements in all facets of a person's life.
8 Yoga can be performed by those of any
age and condition, although not all poses
should be attempted by everyone. Yoga is also
a very accessible form of exercise; all
that
is needed is a flat floor surface large enough to
stretch out on, a mat or towel, and
enough
overhead space to full raise the arms. It is a
good activity for those who can't
高等学校研究生英语综合教程（上）-- Unit 5
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go to gyms, who don' t like other forms
of exercise, or have, very busy schedules.
Yoga should be done on an empty stomach, and
teachers recommend waiting three or
more hours
after meals. Loose and comfortable clothing should
he worn.
9 Beginners should exercise care
and concentration when performing yoga postures,
and not try to stretch too much too quickly,
as injury could result. Some advanced
yoga
postures, like the headstand and full lotus
position, can be difficult and require
strength, flexibility, and gradual
preparation, so beginners should get the help of a
teacher before attempting them.
10
Yoga is not a competitive sport; it does not
matter how a person does in
comparison with
others, but how aware and disciplined one becomes
with one's own
body and limitations. Proper
form and alignment should always be maintained
during
a stretch or posture, and the stretch
or posture should be stopped when there is pain,
dizziness, or fatigue. The mental component of
yoga is just as important as the
physical
postures. Concentration and awareness breath
should not be neglected. Yoga
should be done
with an open, gentle, and non-critical mind: when
one stretches into a
position, it can be
thought of as accepting and working on one's
limits. Impatience,
self-criticism and
comparing oneself to others will not help in this
process of
self-knowledge. While performing
the yoga of breathing (pranayama) and meditation
(dyana), it is best to have an experienced
teacher, as these powerful techniques can
cause dizziness and discomfort when done
improperly.
11 Although yoga originated
in a culture very different from modern America,
it has
been accepted and its practice has
spread relatively quickly. Many yogis are amazed
at how rapidly yoga's popularity has spread in
America, considering the legend that it
was
passed down secretly by handfuls or adherents for
many centuries.
12 There can still be
found some resistance to yoga, for active and busy
Americans
sometimes find it hard to believe
that an exercise program that requires them to
slow
高等学校研究生英语综合教程（上）-- Unit 5
主编：熊海虹
down, concentrate, and breathe deeply
can be more effective than lifting weights or
running, However, ongoing research in top
medical schools is showing yoga's
effectiveness for overall health and for
specific problems, making it an increasingly
acceptable health practice.
Discuss in groups the following questions.
1. In the text, the author declares that “yoga
practice contains the central ideas that
physical posture and alignment can influence a
person’s mood and self-esteem, and
also that
the mind can be used to shape and heal the body.”
Do you think the mind can
shape and heal the
body? If you agree, supply examples to illustrate
your point. If you
don’t, also give reasons to
support your view.
2. According to the author,
“The mental component of yoga is just as important
as the
physical postures.” What is the mental
component of yoga and why is it as important
as the physical postures?
3. The author
says in the tenth paragraph that “Yoga
should
be done with an open, gentle, and non-critical
mind; when one stretches into
a yoga position,
it can be thought of accepting and working on
one’s limits.” Why
do you think an open,
gentle and non-critical mind is necessary for yoga
practice?
When else can you have an open,
gentle and non-critical mind?
4. Do you agree
that yoga can be more effective than lifting
weights or running? Why
or why not?
5. Are there any factor or factors in your
life that cause stress to you or people around
you? Talk with your partners and try to
identify any symptoms of stress in your life.
Determine the sources of your stress and
discuss their severity.
高等学校研究生英语综合教程（上）-- Unit 5
主编：熊海虹
6. Imagine yourself to be a new
graduate student at a new university and list the
factors that may cause you stress. How will
you cope with the stress and have a
pleasant
and meaningful life at university?
7.
Counseling services now have been provided in many
Chinese universities. Do you
think they are
necessary or a waste of resources?
8. Is
stress good for people? Discuss situations in
which being under stress may bring
out the
best in people.