Find Out Why Everybody Finds Something in Yoga
Who would suspect that an hour spent exercising on a rubber mat a few times a week, could make such a difference in our lives? I have seen this happen over and over, for men and women of all ages, as they discovered yoga.
The Many Faces of Yoga
It shows up in yoga studios, yoga classes at the gym, chair yoga classes for seniors on television, and yoga exercises that people gradually build into their daily lives at home. But those smiles, those relaxed attitudes, the reports of better balance, better sleep, and stress deletion are remarkably similar.
One of the most frequent comments I have heard is, “Yoga changed my life.” Young moms needing an hour’s worth of alone time to dump a week’s worth of stress swear by it. One mom told me, “All week long, 24-7, I am there for my family, but once a week I head off to the yoga studio for an hour, and that makes me a better mom, wife, and friend the rest of the week.”
Administrators, executives, athletes, marketers, hands on craftsmen, seniors, teens, homemakers, etc., all turn up on yoga mats, ironing out the kinks in their body, dumping the stress in their minds, shaping their bodies, and trying to get back in touch with who they are. Often they succeed.
If you are new, where do you start?
The first step is to do your homework. Visit the studios or gyms, talk to friends who know, go observe a session and then try one. Talk to the instructors and see what the best fit is for you among the many places and types of yoga, and find out what you will need in clothing, mats and other aids.
Then show up with the awareness that everybody is an individual on the mat. This is personal time. There is no need to compete with the amazing veteran on the mat next to you. (It helps to start in the back of the room too!)
Check out the many mental and physical dividends.
Cardiovascular health, disease prevention, flexibility, posture, range of motion, weight loss and bone strength all turn up here.
For me, it helps improve balance, turn fat into muscle, redirect my food choices, and provide the perfect retreat for meditation and letting go. Many poses can be incorporated from the time you get up, until the time you go to bed, keeping you fit, strong, and centered. As day to day challenges keep you moving, they can also cause stress overload. Find out if yoga is the answer for you to balance everything.
When you settle onto that mat, the time is all yours, to connect with yourself, to grow a little, to relax, to be. As always, when you start a new exercise, see your doctor first to discuss how it works with your age, lifestyle and medical profile.