Postures are gentle stretching movements designed to help balance the mind and body. The yoga postures are designed to rejuvenate the brain, spine, glands and internal organs. They work by increasing the blood and prana supply to these areas and by stimulating them with a gentle squeezing action.

The asanas were designed with economy of time and effort in mind. Most of them work on more than one aspect of the body at the same time. For example, the twist asana benefits the spine, adrenal glands, liver, pancreas and kidneys.

The yoga asanas produce their beneficial effect on the organs and glands in three ways:

• The position of the asana causes an increase in blood circulation to the specific target organ or gland.

• The position of the asana often produces a slight squeezing of the organ or gland. This has the effect of massaging the organ or gland and stimulating it.

• Deep breathing and visualizing the target area sends an extra supply of prana to the area.

• Yoga's effect on the spine is to increase its flexibility. This ensures a good nerve supply to all parts of the body, since the nerves from the spine go to all the organs and glands.

Pranayamas are specially developed breathing techniques. Yoga breathing produces a huge storage of energy in the solar plexus area. This will cause the body to radiate vitality and, if any sickness is developing, the body can call upon some of this energy reserve to combat the disease.

Yoga breathing also improves brain function (intelligence and memory), as well as increasing the elimination of toxins from the system.

The total effect of yoga asanas and breathing is to produce a state of high vitality and rejuvenation.