Dr. Advaita Manohar on Yoga in Hollywood

Yoga is an ancient practice that guides the practitioner to a state of physical health and mental discipline. Its application for modern practitioners starts as a modality to reduce physical and mental stress. However the main focus for some is its possibility of self-transformation. It originated in India a long time ago and, nowadays, millions of people from around the world are firm believers in its powers. Most recently, this practice has found its way to the prominent neighborhoods of Hollywood, California. This is proven by many celebrities like Russell Simmons who owns his personal yoga studio. It is no longer uncommon to see dozens of busy professionals take weekly yoga classes to escape the stress from work and life. So, what are some of the underlying reasons that brought yoga to the elites in Hollywood, and mainstream folks in New York and other major cities globally? The answer is self evident – it brings calm and balance to the practitioner from the hectic demands of life and work.

Dr. Advaita Manohar, a busy professional as a medical doctor, practices yoga so much that he obtained a 400-hour teaching certification. This certification was not meant to teach yoga to others but to learn yoga from an “insider” view. He finds that it has been a transformative process for inner growth and wellness. According to him, the fact that this industry has grown over the past decade comes as no surprise. After all, there are not too many disciplines that can be based on such a simple concept while echoing an extraordinary level of beauty. Regardless of someone's experience, yoga offers a versatile assortment of poses that help ease the mind and calm the body. This enables individuals who may have no prior knowledge to feel great and to look amazing as they practice yoga. Moreover, yoga can be done without a single piece of equipment. All one needs is a mat, their body and most importantly their mind to be “present.” Thanks to its simplicity, individuals can enjoy sessions outdoors with nothing but nature to witness their endeavor.

It is a well-known fact that the majority of individuals who resort to yoga are looking for some type of mental wellness. Nevertheless, a common byproduct is improved flexibility and reduction in chronic pains. As a person who enjoys a fruitful career in the field of medicine, Dr. Advaita Manohar can attest to the reports that yoga heals back pain. This is accomplished by regular stretching of the muscles, proper body alignment, and core strengthening through appropriate postures. In case one is skeptical about any of the aforementioned, all it takes is to join a class and be guided through a few postures followed by relaxation. Therefore, by personal experience no additional evidence is needed. There are indeed many physical benefits such as better skin tone, less facial lines, greater flexibility, and reduction in muscle and joint discomfort. The mental benefits are noticed quite early with a calmer mind, less irritability, reduction in mood swings, greater coping potential, more attention and awareness resulting in improvement of memory. Those who live a busy and stressful life welcome these benefits, and thus, it has received great acceptance by Hollywood stars.

Considering the fact that the area in question is Hollywood, one must denote this city's status as the epicenter of the entertainment industry. Therefore, when popular actors like Matthew McConaughey, singers like Justin Timberlake, or supermodels like Gisele Bundchen share their yoga achievements with millions of fans, it is normal to see a spike in the overall reputation of this ancient discipline. Since Hollywood is where one goes to witness the latest movie premiers, music album galas, and countless award ceremonies, its acceptance and in some cases the promotion of yoga have been instrumental to popularize this practice as a viable modality for wellness. Dr. Advaita Manohar celebrates the recommendation of this trend by Hollywood as it will allow others seeking wellness to turn to this ancient practice as it is simple to adopt yet have far reaching health outcomes.

Although yoga is known to be a mindfulness practice with body movements that is coordinated to improve flexibility and generate strengthening of the various muscle groups, there are yoga routines that can be tailored to enhance cardiac output. For example, routines like “sun salutations” result in blood flow to become more rapid. Thus cardio vascular fitness is attained. This is essential for people at risk for cardiovascular disease especially those with metabolic disorders, who may have high cholesterol, diabetes and/or hypertension.