In 2010 the University of Maryland Medical Center examined over 80 studies about the health benefits of yoga and found that yoga equaled or surpassed other forms of exercise in reducing stress, improving balance, diminishing fatigue, decreasing anxiety, lifting mood and improving sleep.
What’s not to like about results like that? If you’re a person who might benefit from a little stress reduction or improved sleep, it might be worth giving yoga a try…and you don’t need fancy yoga pants to do it.
There are several different dimensions, branches and styles of yoga, which can be a bit confusing. The yoga that you’ve probably heard about most often is Hatha yoga, which emphasizes physical postures called asanas that are done with the goal of balancing the opposites in your life. A Hatha yoga class will also usually include breathing practices and meditation or relaxation (more on these in future posts).
Here’s a brief summary of what you could expect from a typical yoga class.
For your body:
• stretch, tone and strengthen muscles
• release chronic muscular tension
• de-stress, refresh and enjoy your body
For your mind:
• calm restless thoughts
• cultivate presence
• support concentration, mental clarity and confidence
For your spirit:
• encourage self-acceptance
• build choice and self-empowerment
• honour inner wisdom and invite inner peace
If you’d like to know more about any aspect of yoga, you’re welcome to get in touch with me at Lynda@LyndaPedley.com.
Namaste.
(which literally means “bowing to you” and is a customary greeting when people meet or depart that is used widely throughout India & Asia)
6 MONTHS