A session usually begins with gentle postures to relax tension in the muscles and joints, then moves to more difficult postures. Every movement should be made gently and slowly, and practitioners are urged not to stretch beyond what is comfortable for them. Emphasis is placed on breathing slowly from deep in the abdomen. Specific pranayama breathing exercises also are an important part of the practice. Since it began in the 1920s, scientific research on yoga has been enormous.
Research needs and opportunities.
Although many possibilities to further research can be considered, two areas are of primary importance - surgery and cancer. Yoga should be studied as a form of pain relief for surgical patients. Use of yoga both before and after surgery should be studied and evaluated in terms of the number of days of recuperation and the level of pain experienced. All rights reserved.