If I were to condense the benefits of a yoga practice, the word that comes to mind is “AWARENESS”.  Often people say “I can’t DO YOGA”.   “My Body doesn’t move like that”.  “I had an injury and can’t exercise”.  Yoga is for everybody and EVERY BODY.   Is there anyone that would not benefit from increased pain free range of motion? 

Unlike any other form of physical activity, Yoga brings awareness to every muscle and joint of the body.  As we turn our attention inward, we reverse the tendency to identify with “brain chatter”.  The brain may tell us we “can’t do yoga”, but as we tune into our sensations (the language of the body) the body is pleading for it.  How does the body ask for movement?  Here are two not so silent requests:

    STRESS & ANXIETY: 

     RIGHT NOW....while reading this....close your eyes and bring attention and awareness to the breath. Do you bring  air to the bottom of the lungs, or is the breath restricted to the throat and upper chest?   Consciously with eyes closed, bring air deep to the bottom of the lungs on the inhale, and then slowly exhale....empty the lungs.  Allow yourself to breath deeply and see what happens.  It is almost impossible to remain tense when bringing attention to the breath and breathing deeply.  Shallow chest breathing is not only a symptom but a cause of stress.  When we quit moving our muscles, they  shrink and lose elasticity.  As the muscles in the front of the chest shorten, the space occupied by the heart and lungs is constricted.  It becomes more difficult to accommodate deep bottom of the lung breaths.

    LOW BACK PAIN - “PAIN IN THE NECK”:

    When we stand in perfect alignment, gravity does not place strain on the lower back (lumbar spine).  If we quit moving, the muscles no longer support us easily in a perfect posture.  Shortened hamstrings and hip flexors pull the pelvis out of alignment, shrunken chest and shoulder muscles allow the chest to collapse....and the resulting poor posture leaves less room for internal organs (including the heart and lungs) to function efficiently. 

Our human form was not made to sit at a desk or in front of a television.  We were meant to move.  Our culture puts emphasis on the activities of the brain at the expense of our “body-mind”.  A Yoga practice increases our awareness of the body’s sensations.  We recognize our internal response to the pressures the external world throws our way and, instead of allowing them to throw us off balance, we come back to our center and re evaluate.  We use our brain as the tool it was meant to be.  Yoga is a gift we give ourselves as well as those around us.  Yoga is for anyone at any age, and in any physical condition.

For more information on the benefits of Yoga, check out Yoga Alliance’s site:

Top 10 Reasons to Try Yoga

Yoga and Weight Management

Yoga and Stress Reduction

www.yogaalliance.com/teacher_search.cfm

     

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