The practice of yoga has gained lots of popularity in recent years. With all this talk about it, you would think that it was a new exercise craze or the latest gimmick to lose weight and tone up.
Actually yoga is a system dating back hundreds of years; its origins being traced back to ancient texts and sacred practices. And while it is not a new phenomenon by any stretch (pun intended) it holds serious benefits for our very modern lives.
When thinking about the benefits of yoga, the physical seem to be the most obvious and widely portrayed. We have all seen these photos of people in pretzel like shapes that look uncomfortable and unnatural and to most people if that is what yoga can do for you, they want nothing to do with it. However there are tremendous physical benefits to a consistent yoga practice that have nothing to do with putting yourself in a knot.
Yoga can improve circulation and respiration, relieve joint and chronic back pain and help regulate imbalances in body functions such as metabolism and digestion. Then there are the other physical benefits like strengthening and toning muscle, weight loss and improved posture. All of this can be achieved through a low impact, low stress regimen that can be practiced by the very young to the very old, those in poor health to the marathoner, each finding the appropriate amount of challenge throughout the practice.
One of the things that drew me to yoga personally was the idea of a workout, which we yogis like to call a “practice” that could actually help calm my mind. Now don’t get me wrong I had worked out for years and usually would feel more calm or at least less stressed after a good run or a sixty minute session of kicking and punching. But this yoga thing was different.
My former boss recommended or insisted (whichever) that I come along to her regular yoga class after I had injured my low back. I had always been curious so it wasn’t a hard sell. The first class was slow and pleasant but also very challenging. It was only a couple weeks before there was noticeable change in my body and not just the appearance but also the way I felt. I had increased my flexibility and felt taller and more agile. What I was totally not prepared for was the sense of peace and relaxation that the practice was giving me. I was actually a better person to be around with it than without. This leads me to the other huge benefits of a consistent yoga practice.
So, I am going to yoga with my boss regularly now, I am developing more upper body strength than I’d ever had, I am flexible and limber in ways that I had not thought possible and you could bounce a quarter off of my rumpus oh and the back injury was all healed up. All of this was really, really good but that was just the beginning.
This regular practice was introducing me to the basic philosophy of yoga and the tenants that are entailed. I had never encountered a system of exercise or a system of anything for that matter that was healing to my mind, body and soul all at the same time. The nature of yoga, which is designed to assist the practitioner in finding deeper meditation, offers many benefits to the psyche and the spirit. Increased concentration, a decrease in anxiety, better sleep and a better prayer life were some of the first fruits of my practice. The good news is that they keep on coming and six years later I am still practicing, teaching and recruiting yogis.
So don’t allow the images of the pretzel people to deter you from trying something that could make all the difference, if you are practicing now good for you and take a friend next time.
~dia johnson
Founder of a life AWARE
BIO
In the journey towards your true self, awareness is often the best compass. Being aware of your body, spirit, and each moment as it happens will help us give and receive what we need from each experience. A Life AWARE provides tools and information for those on the journey. Through yoga classes, wellness and nutrition information, meditation and detoxification programs our goal is to help you develop A Life AWARE….
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