Childhood trauma is stored in the hip (according to somatic therapy).

I noted from this article http://kachinaautumn.hubpages.com/hub/Hip-Emotions-Is-there-sadness-in-your-hips that it is hypothesized that unexpressed emotions are lodged lower in the body such as the hips. It is interesting to know that qigong facilitates self-healing as well as yoga, and the author also wrote the following in the comment section:

"there is a spiritual dimension to this topic which the medical community has yet to acknowledge. In Qi Gong as well they call this area the Dan'tien, the centre of life force energy and potent self-healing. Doing some work on my hip openers / chakras, the feelings I observe do have a cleansing element to it." 

Yoga as a combination of art and science

"Yoga, an ancient but perfect science, deals with the evolution of humanity. This evolution includes all aspects of one's being, from bodily health to self realization. Yoga means union - the union of body with consciousness and consciousness with the soul. Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day to day life and endows skill in the performance of one's actions." - B.K.S. Iyengar

It is interesting to see yoga as an all encompassing term for holistic living that unites our body, soul and spirit (consciousness). I have come to see yoga as a combination of art and science - the art of being yoked with our true self in oneness of breath and action, and the science of health and spirituality.  It is no wonder yoga has a part to play in the evolution of humanity. I agree with the quote that yoga is useful for living each day with poise and awareness, peace and calm. Conscious living and breathing keeps us centered and balanced physically, emotionally and spiritually in the face of ups and downs in life, as we are anchored to our true identity of divine unconditional love. Through self-realisation, perfect love casts out fear, and perfect peace guards our heart and mind in Christ consciousness.

93 Year-Old Yoga Instructor Can Still Pose Perfectly

I think yoga has long-term health benefits indeed, as the stretching exercises and poses not only help people find relaxation, but also keep their bodies supple and flexible. The 93-year-old yoga instructor looks younger than her age, and she could pose better than me too. That is amazing and admirable.

Meditation and neuroplasticity

Someone wrote in Zen Buddhism group in Facebook:

"One thing that's been very useful for me is to start working my neuroplasticity toward the most natural state the brain can be in by spending more time being fully present. This is sort of a master key for overcoming ALL psychiatric issues."

 I googled about neuroplasticity, and learnt that it is about the brain's ability to form new neural connections, which can be beneficial if stimulated correctly, according to the following website.

"The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. Neuroplasticity allows the neurons (nerve cells) in the brain to compensate for injury and disease and to adjust their activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment."
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=40362

I think, like what the person shared, practising mindfulness and being in the present moment can help our brain to overcome any distressing symptom. Studies have shown this to be evident: http://chipur.com/2011/04/12/the-hope-of-neuroplasticity/

"Well, the discovery story goes like this. Dr. Schwartz revisited an interest in the Buddhist concept of mindfulness; a clear-minded, in-the-present-moment, self-observational technique that emphasizes viewing oneself without criticism or judgment.

Schwartz discovered that when OCD patients practiced mindfulness meditation (as a CBT technique), upon experiencing distressing symptoms, a significant number of them reported measurable improvement and relief.

Schwartz wanted to understand why. So he and his team examined PET scans administered before and after a course of CBT. Guess what? They found activity in one of the brain’s OCD-significant areas, the orbitofrontal cortex, decreased significantly. Furthermore, the observed decrease was about the same as what would be noted after antidepressant therapy."

 http://blogs.psychcentral.com/mindfulness/2010/03/neuroplasticity-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/


I also learnt that besides zen buddhism, yoga also recognises the benefits of practising mindfulness or sustained meditation in helping the brain's ability to change to combat stress.
http://www.yogastudies.org/2011/11/sustained-meditation-leads-to-neuroplasticity-or-the-brains-ability-to-change/

Being human, I tend to forget about practising mindfulness or living in the present moment, since living in the modern society requires us to multi-task in life, so I think having reminders, such as reading about meditation and inspirational quotes about our oneness with God/the universe, is useful for me to remember to take a deep breath, smile inwardly and be fully present once again.