10 Reasons to Try Yoga
Flexibility & relaxation are overlooked components of a healthy lifestyle. Yoga, a popular form of exercise is a great way to incorporate both. I have been practicing yoga off and on since 2005 but after I stopped teaching 2 years ago, my own practice began to slip. Today I attend my first class in over a year. I felt amazing as I walked out of the studio & I was reminded WHY yoga is so important.
“Learning to let go should be learned before learning to get. Life should be touched, not strangled. You’ve got to relax, let it happen at times, and at others move forward with it.” Ray Bradbury.
Yoga has been around for more than 5000 years and consists of many types. Here in the west, we focus mostly on Hatha yoga, the physical practice. The word “yoga” means to unite, and in Hatha yoga the focus is on joining the movements of the body with the breath. This combination makes yoga a great form of exercise and an excellent way to relieve stress. Here are some benefits you can expect from a regular yoga practice.
10 Reasons to try Yoga:
- Improved balance & coordination
- Improved flexibility
- Improved posture
- Improved breathing
- Increased awareness of the mind and body
- Improved digestion & sense of relaxation (stimulates parasympathetic nervous system telling the body to “rest & digest”)
- Improved circulation
- Decreased stress & tension in the muscles
- Improved emotional balance and less anxiety
- Improved immune system
I definitely recommend attending a yoga class with an instructor if it is an option for you, but there are also many excellent videos available on YouTube. Everyone deserves to have the benefits of yoga. Below are a few videos you can use at home.
Here are my a few of my favorite Yoga videos on Youtube:
- Here is a Vinyasa flow practice for beginners– the video is about 20 minutes long
- Here is a video by Jillian Michaels, it’s “fitness” style yoga and about 35 minutes long
- Here is an intermediate practice, about 45 minutes long
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