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| Plank pose source; www.yogajournal.com |
One of the exercises that I am currently into is yoga. I had some back pains before and even had an incident when I carried a box of stuff that led to having lower back pain that I had to endure for a couple of weeks and had to consult with a medical specialist. The doctor advised me to do regular stretching exercises and handed me a printed informational material with stretching exercises before. When I checked the poses I noticed that some are the same as yoga poses. To be able to strengthen my core and get good stretching exercises with proper guidance I enrolled at a yoga studio and got back into yoga a couple of months ago.
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| Warrior II pose photo source: www.yogajournal.com |
Taking
a yoga class is fun. Having an instructor who varies the poses taught in a class
just keeps everyone on their toes. Plus, there are also yoga instructors who play
different kinds of cool music that are apt for the poses done during the
session and enhances the mood and atmosphere during class. It is also good for
the mind since some instructors also impart messages that help the attendees
become more relaxed and mindful.
I
like taking Vinyasa and Yin Yoga. Vinyasa class includes specific sequence of
poses where students coordinate movement with breath to flow from one pose to
the next. Most common practice throughout a Vinyasa session includes a sequence
of poses from Chaturanga to Upward-Facing Dog to Downward-Facing Dog. Vinyasa is
more of a cardio workout.
To
have a more balanced workout every week I also attend Yin Yoga, which is more
of a restorative type of yoga. It involves variations of seated and supine
poses which are typically held for 3 to 5 minutes. It helps stretch the
connective tissues around the joints like the knees, pelvis, sacrum and spine.
Props like bolsters and blocks are usually used to help one relax and get into
a deeper pose and stretch.
Yoga
is being practiced by various people around the world. Below are some of the
good benefits that one can get from it.
Good for the heart
Yoga
helps in getting one’s blood flowing and boosts level of hemoglobin and red
blood cells. It also helps boost one’s heart rate, lowers bad cholesterol,
lowers blood pressure and reduces stress. During a yoga session one often hears
a teacher remind the students to “open their heart” as she/he instructs to do chest
opening poses such as upward facing dog, cobra, cow, fish, sphinx camel and
Lord of the Dance pose.
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| Upward facing dog pose source: www.yogajournal.com |
Improves one’s flexibility, posture and
bone health
The
stretches and poses that are done during yoga helps one to have greater
flexibility and helps improve one’s posture too. Since yoga is also a weight-bearing
exercise it also strengthens the muscles as one lifts using own body weight for
poses like the plank pose. It also helps strengthen the bones and prevent
osteoporosis.
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photo source: www.yogajournal.com |
Boosts the Immune System
Yoga can help
improve the immune system and raises antibody levels. Practicing yoga also
helps in providing the flow of oxygen to the brain and increases lung capacity.
Good for Detoxification
Yoga
helps in detoxification and some poses also help increase metabolism and
enhances digestion. Some yoga poses get the internal glands and organs like the
liver and kidney massaged. Yoga also helps in blood circulation and gets more
oxygen into the cells of the body. Doing poses such as the seated twist, bow, supine
twist and side-to-side chair twists can help in detoxification and improves
digestion.
A
good type of yoga that has restorative effect is Yin Yoga. By doing the poses
during a Yin yoga class, the subtle poses during the class makes the tissues
more pliable since tissues get stretched, squeezed, twisted and compressed. A
yin session can even make one feel like he or she had a massage.
Increases Mindfulness and inner strength
Yoga
reminds one to focus on the present and the practice and following instructions
from a teacher certainly increases mindfulness as well as inner strength. It is
a practice where one listens to his or her own body and continues to improve by
doing the poses at one’s own pace.
As one practices the various poses and listens to a teacher talking about focusing on the present, choosing an intention, being grateful for the body that one has and working with it, one gets to also build inner strength and resilience in dealing with stress.
Calming and improves sleep
Yoga
helps one to feel calm and the practice includes breathing slowly, relaxing
certain body parts and muscles and letting go of thoughts that can cause
stress. It is a practice where one gets
to quiet his or her mind and improves one’s sleep since the exercise has a good
effect on the nervous system. The
instructor even reminds students to relax their faces while doing certain
poses.
One
of the most relaxing poses is the child’s pose which can be calming and is also
an alternative pose for one who is not yet ready to try challenging poses.
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| Child's pose source: www.yogauonline.com |
Yoga is an expression of
gratitude and respect
At
the end of the yoga session, the instructor normally asks the attendees to sit,
put their hands in prayer pose near the heart as the eyes are closed, includes
a message of gratitude and says “Namaste”. Namaste is a Hindu word that means “I bow to
the divine in you”. It is a deep form of respect for each other.
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photo source: www.yogajournal.com |
For
a teacher and student, “Namaste” allows two people to come together
energetically to a place of connection that is free from the bonds of
egoistic-connection. It is also a reminder that by having gratitude and respect and
the recognition that we are all one we all can peacefully live with a kind heart.
Yoga
is truly a good practice and the benefits that one can derive from practicing
yoga are great. I certainly noticed
after doing yoga regularly that I have become more flexible, do not
experience back pains anymore and I am also able to do more difficult poses
like holding plank pose, bridge and chair pose for a longer period of time now. It is certainly worth
it to get on the mat, take some time to listen, do the poses and take care of
one’s body, mind and soul.
