I’m sure by now you’ve heard of yoga……..
If you’ve never tried it you may have some reasons why you think it may not be for you. The #1 reason I hear for not practicing yoga is, “I’m not flexible.” Let me clear this up right now. If your hamstrings are so tight that you can’t touch your toes then you need yoga! Yoga can help you gain flexibility so you can move easier, feel better playing your favorite sport, and prevent injury. You do not have to bend yourself into a pretzel to practice yoga. Please ignore all the Instagram pictures of yogis showing off their favorite pretzel yoga pose, as this is not what you will see in most yoga classes. The #2 reason I hear for not practicing yoga is, “If I only have an hour to workout I want to feel like I’ve done something.” I want to let you in on a few of the benefits of regular yoga practice so you will know you’ve done something after a yoga class. Yoga can lower your stress, anxiety, and blood pressure. Yoga is the fountain of youth because it keeps our spines flexible and strong. It can help your body get healthier by stimulating every organ, muscle, gland, nerve, and cell in the body. In yoga class you will build muscle strength and tone, improve balance and coordination, and as we’ve already discussed improve flexibility. It can even help you sleep better and make you happier.
Yoga is different from other exercises because the focus is on the mind body connection. A yoga class consists of yoga exercises, deep breathing and relaxation. When you are in a challenging pose you learn to breathe deep and relax with the challenge. With regular practice you will find yourself relaxing and breathing deep in challenging situations outside of the yoga studio.
I hope I have convinced you try a yoga class. There are many different styles of yoga so keep trying until you find a style that you enjoy. You can get started by watching the video for a few moves to practice at home or on the road or even in the office if you have a space to do so.
