About Yoga:
What is Yoga? And, why do it?
According to a study by Yoga Journal, nearly 20 million Americans practice yoga. If you are among these 20 million, you know that yoga makes you feel better—its effects are almost immediate—but you may not know why. When practiced regularly, yoga reliably increases our sense of physical health, emotional well-being, mental clarity, and spiritual connection.
The term yoga comes from a Sanskrit word (yuj) which means yoke or union. Traditionally, yoga is described as a method that joins the individual self with the Divine. Yoga can also be thought of as a way to unite body and mind. Physical and mental exercises are designed to help achieve this goal. On the physical level, yoga postures, called asanas, are designed to tone, strengthen, and align the body. On the mental level, yoga uses breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation (dyana) to quiet, clarify, and discipline the mind.
There are many different styles of yoga, but a typical yoga routine consists of a sequence of physical poses, or asanas, which is designed to work all parts of the body, with particular emphasis on making the spine supple and healthy, increasing circulation and stimulating the internal organs. Yoga utilizes three basic movements: forward bends, backward bends, and twisting motions. A pose is usually held for a specified amount of time, depending on its level of difficulty and one's strength and stamina. Breathing is coordinated with movements, usually breathing in during expansive movements and breathing out during contractive movements. Deep breathing and focused mental concentration helps to create better awareness, poise and posture.
Meditation is also a part of most yoga routines, bringing the student into a balanced alignment within themselves. The effects of yoga can be felt immediately. After participating in a yoga class, students report diminished lower back and joint pain, being able to sleep better, handle stress better, and a simple overall feeling of well-being.
Benefits of yoga:
- Better flexibility
- Stronger muscles
- Better body awareness
- Fewer aches and pains
- Slower, deeper breathing
- Weight loss over time
- Fewer symptoms of depression and/or anxiety
- Gentle healing from injuries or surgery
- More energy
- More confidence
- Mindfulness of your mind's fullness
- A sense of wellness and peace of mind
- The satisfaction of knowing that you are OK the way you are right now in this moment.
Anyone Can Do It
The most wonderful thing about yoga is that virtually anyone can practice it—people who are young and healthy and people in their 80s as well as those confined to wheelchairs. Don’t be intimidated by the exotic bends and twists you see on the covers of yoga magazines. In its purest form, yoga is a non-competitive activity. A good yoga class is student-centered, not teacher-centered, and is a place where each person is honored for his or her specific abilities and limitations. Yoga is for every-body!
Ready to try a yoga class?
Call the Healing Arts Center at 707-218-5409.
References:
http://www.kripalu.org/article/512/
http://www.answers.com/topic/yoga?cat=health
