Title: |
Yoga, what's it all about? | ||
Author: |
Joe L. Gaskovski | Section: |
General Wellness |
Submitted: |
February 2007 | Expertise base on: |
Experience |
Why is it that millions of people practice yoga everyday? Chances are you've tried yoga or you know someone who has. And why do these numbers keep growing, why do they do it? If you asked those who practice it, some of the most common answers would be that yoga makes them more flexible, it increases their energy levels, improves their focus, reduces the symptoms usually associated with stress, and promotes a good overall feeling of general health.
In fact, the regular practice of yoga has been shown to have a rejuvenating effect on many of the body systems including the circulatory, digestive, nervous, respiratory, reproductive, musculoskeletal and glandular.
According to the Departments on Aging for several US States, the four components to good physical health are: strength, flexibility, balance and aerobic capacity. The interesting thing to note is that yoga helps in all of those areas. And the best part is that yoga doesn't take any complex equipment or cost us vast amounts of money.
Our busy lives create a tremendous amount of stress. In order to grow, or at times to merely survive, we need to find ways to de-stress, to bring calm and quiet to our minds and to rejuvenate our bodies. Luckily the practice of yoga can help us here also.
Yoga is essentially a non-competitive personal activity. In yoga you always go at your own body's pace and it is never about doing what the other person is doing. There is nothing wrong with wanting to extend our capabilities, to reach a little further, but in yoga that does not involve comparisons to others. The challenge of being the best we can be is challenging enough not to worry about comparing ourselves to others.
While physical practice of yoga is something that can be done alone at home or with others in health club, there is also a deeper philosophical side to it that often finds its way out. So the choice is up to you. If you wish to practice the physical aspects alone they are free to do so, and if they wish to learn more about the philosophical areas, things like: quieting the mind, opening the body towards inner peace, balance and health, or in exploring something a little more divine, then they are free to do that as well.
What style is best for you?
The great thing about yoga is that there are many styles to practice. Some are slower paced that challenge your strength, while others are faster paced and add a vigorous aerobic element. Either way yoga is not boring. There are styles to match most personalities, including yoga for seniors, pre-natal and postnatal yoga classes, power yoga, steam yoga, etc. And according to the yogic scriptures, there are over 80,000 postures and/or variations. The practice of yoga is always growing, because there is always something new to learn, especially about oneself.
