The healing power of Yoga can be best understood by understanding the relationships between stress, Yoga and disease. This is because a large number of our illnesses and diseases are stress related. These include cardio-vascular diseases, arthritis, reproductive problems, diseases related to depression and anxiety and some autoimmune diseases.

This is where Yoga proves very useful. Yogic exercises improve breathing and blood circulation and make the muscles relax. They make the body stronger, and fitter to deal with stress related problems.

Without Yoga, the body's parasympathetic nervous system is hard pressed to deal with the damage that stress causes. This includes problems created by a sudden increase in heart rate, increase in blood pressure, excessive sweating, shallow breathing, or a tensing of muscles. Normally, the body switches on the stress fighting system on its own. However, if the stress is permanent then outside assistance is needed - either in the form of medicines or in the form of an alternative therapy such as Yoga.

Otherwise, continuous stress increases level of cortisol, which suppresses the immune system and causes sleep disturbances, loss of sex drive and loss of appetite, apart from increasing heart rate, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Stress can also cause wear and tear of important organs; these are problems whose effects get noticed only in the long run.

Regular Yoga lowers blood pressure, heart rate and respiration, simulates digestion and regulates blood flow to the digestive, reproductive, glandular, and immune systems. This is a great boon for the body's natural systems. They find in Yoga a friend that can help the body beat stress and recover faster from illness and disease.

Yoga also improves the body's inherent healing abilities through its unique exercise postures known as 'asanas'. These postures enhance the circulation of blood and body fluids. They also activate the lymphatic system, which helps maintain the normal functioning of the immune system. Yoga postures make the muscles stronger and flexible while the breathing exercises strengthen the functioning of the lungs. They also reduce the dependence on medicines, some of which may have harmful side-effects.

Yoga also decreases the level of cortisol in the blood and reduces the stress levels in the body. Most important, Yoga teaches self-realization, which makes one move away from all worldly things - the major cause of stress. However, Yoga should be viewed as an alternative or complementary therapy, and not the main therapy.