WHY YOGA?
During my yoga classes I talk to my students frequently about balance, and finding a place of centeredness. At one time or another, we have all experienced the discomfort of saying one thing, but thinking something else; feeling one way, but acting in a different way. Feelings of tension and being conflicted can be so common they begin to seem normal. Through the coordination of your movements, your breath, and your concentration during yoga practice, you can experience true personal balance. When your thoughts, actions, words and feelings are aligned, you experience the feeling of being exactly where you belong. Your body and your mind feel lighter. Many of my students have talked about experiencing physical and emotional reactions that are sometimes surprising and frequently profound. Read what they say about attending these yoga classes and what their experiences have been.
These types of experiences are hard to measure and even harder to explain to someone who hasn’t tried yoga. Fortunately, recent medical studies are offering measurable explanations for how yoga improves our health and makes us feel better. Here are just a few of the benefits of a yoga practice that Western science has recognized:
1. Improves flexibility, which in turn alleviates aches and pains in the back and the joints. Several studies have indicated that a regular yoga practice reduces pain from arthritis fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome and other chronic conditions. New research from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has found that yoga significantly alleviates chronic back pain.
2. Builds muscle, and strengthens bone. Yoga is a weight bearing exercise. Medical science has long accepted that weight bearing exercise strengthens bones and helps prevent osteoporosis. In yoga postures, the weight you use is your own body weight with an equal emphasis on upper and lower body strength. While a weight lifting regimen builds muscle, it is often at the expense of flexibility. Yoga builds muscle while improving flexibility and also strengthens many connective muscles that are often overlooked in other exercise programs. Take a look at this article in which yoga master Rodney Yee discusses the muscle building benefits of a yoga practice.
3. Aids weight loss. A regular yoga practice burns calories and improves the functioning of your metabolism and hormone balance, which encourages better eating habits and your body processes calories more efficiently. Students find their stomach flatten, their glutes, thighs and arms tighten and, as their posture improves, their waist narrows. "How to Lose Weight With Yoga." by Lori Hall Steele
4. Helps prevent joint and spinal disk problems such as degenerative arthritis, herniated disks and pinched nerves. Joint cartilage and spinal disks all receive nutrients through yoga postures’ full range of motion keeping them healthy and supple.
5. Reduces high blood pressure. Two studies published in the British medical journal indicated that both systolic and diastolic blood pressure was reduced after only three months.
6. Encourages relaxation and calms the nervous system. When you are under stress your adrenal glands secrete cortisol. If cortisol levels stay high over an extended period you can have difficulty sleeping, your immune system is weakened, you can become forgetful, feel depressed, develop osteoporosis and/or experience insulin resistance. For most of us, it’s not possible to lead a life that is completely free of stress and tension. However, a regular yoga practice will lower the level of cortisol in your system, and has a meditative effect which will help you to handle the stress in your life with fewer detrimental effects to your mental and physical well-being.
"Is Yoga Enough To Keep You Fit?" Three yogis are sent to the lab to test the theory that yoga is all you need for optimal fitness.
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