Breathe, Stretch, Repeat

May 5, 2017
, 7:00 am

The practice of Yoga is physical, mental, and spiritual. It is a discipline which originated in ancient India over 5,000 years ago. Yoga was introduced to the Western world in the late 19th and early 20th century, yet it did not become popular until the 1980s.

There are many different types of yoga. A few examples are:

Hatha – this is a slower class requiring each pose to be held for a few breaths.
Vinyasa – this is a flow class that links movement and breath together.
Hot Yoga – typically Bikram style of Yoga preformed in hot and humid conditions. The benefit is detoxification. Heavy sweating is said to flush toxins from the skin.
Iyengar – named after one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world, B.K.S. Iyenger, this is a form of Hatha yoga emphasizing detail, precision, alignment, and breath control.

Yoga promotes health and well-being through a variety of different techniques such as postures, movement, breathing, relaxation, concentration, self-inquiry, and meditation. The main goal of the yoga lifestyle is life balance – training your mind, body, and breath.

There are many benefits that yoga has on the body. It lowers blood pressure naturally by inducing deep relaxation in the body. This increases the feeling of well-being and lowers stress hormones. Deep breathing pushes blood flow toward the chest and into the heart increasing circulation. Since yoga is effective in stress reduction, preforming yoga may help reduce risk factors for heart disease. Other physical benefits of yoga include increased flexibility, increased muscle strength and tone, improved respiration, energy and vitality, and maintaining a balanced metabolism just to name a few. It is hard to argue the benefits of yoga since it has been practiced all over the world for over 5,000 years. Some researchers think that yoga may be up to 10,000 years old.

According to a Yoga Journal Study, there is a rise in popularity. 20 million Americans practice yoga today which is up from 15.8 million in 2004. If you do not have a yoga practice and would like to start, here are a few tips:

Create a comfortable spot for your yoga practice.
Get your yoga accessories.
Stay safe and prevent injury by never doing a pose that just doesn’t feel right.
Choose your yoga style / routine.
Find a studio you like with good instructors. A good instructor is one who will walk around the class and adjust your pose if you are not doing it correctly.
Enjoy your practice!

Having a stressful job, I have decided to take some yoga classes. I have only done it for a few weeks, but I am addicted to it now. I now have more items to put on my Penless Wish List: sessions to a yoga studio, extra yoga mat, and yoga props such as a strap and a block. With Father’s Day next month, my wife and kids will be able to look on my Penless Wish List and not have to wonder what to get me. It is so easy to add to the wish list. I added to my wish list by browsing yoga stores online and cropping pictures. When my family pulls up my wish list, it is all there along with the store and website where they can purchase it. Doesn’t get much easier!