yoga {january 19, 2023}

I'm getting back to a regular yoga practice and I didn't realize how much I missed it until returning to it. 

Why do I like yoga so much? The list is very long but here it is in a nutshell:

    

✦ Yoga improves strength, balance, and flexibility. Yoga isn’t just about stretching and bending, it also requires a surprising amount of strength to hold poses.

✦ Yoga helps with back pain relief. I have a hereditary low back pain. My grandpa had, my mom had it, and now I'm dealing with it. The slow gentle stretches ease pain, improve mobility, and strengthen those lower back muscles. 

✦ Yoga helps you to breathe better. The emphasis on breathing in yoga is something people often struggle with, but over time moving with the breath becomes second nature. The ability to breathe more fully and deeply has a very profound impact on overall health. Which leads to...

✦ Yoga helps you to focus. In class the instructor guides you to be present in the moment. This hour of practice belongs to you. Your mind will be quieter and clutter-free; you direct the energy to where you want it to go. Which then leads to...

✦ Yoga helps you to be more mindful. Mindfulness is a buzz word at the moment and – with all the apps, downloads, classes and CDs – has become a billion dollar business. However, mindfulness doesn’t necessarily mean meditating for long periods of time, and it doesn’t have to be something profound that’s difficult to keep up. Being mindful allows you to be more present, aware and alive in each moment. It's better to be mindful than mind-full…

✦ Yoga helps you to stand up taller. Much of the population, spends some part of the day hunched over a desk, screen phone or steering wheel. This slouched posture emphasizes the curve of the thoracic spine, which in turn collapses the chest, puts pressure on the lungs, heart and lower back, and is a sure way to bring on a bad mood. The chest opening poses have positive effects on mood and overall well-being.

Finally...

✦ Yoga helps you to express gratitude. Many practices begin with Surya Namaskar, (sun salutations) as a way to greet the new day and pay homage to the sun, the giver of warmth, light and life. 

Namaste.