According to a study that The Yoga Alliance has done, many
people who do not practice yoga think that yoga is about wrapping legs around
the head; in other words, they think yoga is about making pretzels with their
bodies which requires a Gumby-like flexibility.
Other studies have shown that some people think that yoga is
a form of religious worship or it isn’t a workout.
While there are many styles of yoga, yoga does not require
Gumby-like flexibility, it is not a form of religious worship and it is a
workout.
The beauty of yoga is multifold. Yoga meets you were you are; it is about you
and about bringing your body, mind and
spirit together. Yoga is an ancient
centering art. Practicing yoga will
produce many subtle benefits as well as the obvious effects of increased
flexibility and reduced reaction to stress.
Yoga combines poses with breathing, posture, relaxation and
meditation with the intent of creating harmonious body, mind and spirit.
Yoga increases strength and flexibility, improves balance,
strengthens immune system, improves circulation, strengthens and tones muscles,
improves concentration and focus, and reduces stress and anxiety.
A study done by researchers from Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center and the University of Washington in Seattle showed that people
who practiced yoga learned to eat mindfully and therefore they lost weight.
Among styles of yoga, Hatha yoga is the most commonly
practiced one. The core components of
Hatha yoga are poses and breathing.
Through poses while breathing deeply, mind becomes calm and focused and
one finds the spirit lifted.
Yoga is generally considered safe for people of all
abilities, even if one uses wheelchair or if one is severely overweight. However, there are conditions such as balance
problems, uncontrolled high blood pressure, certain eye conditions such as
glaucoma, severe osteoporosis, and artificial joints that may limit one from
practicing yoga. The best is to contact
your health care provider before starting any exercise to get a clearance.
It is also important to inform your yoga instructor of any
conditions so she or he would provide you with modifications to adjust the
poses to your specific needs.
