Flex Your Mind and Your Body With Yoga

By Sandy Schroeder

We have all learned to be more flexible, but now we may welcome more flexibility as we anticipate moving ahead. Keeping your body limber and your mind agile could be as easy as putting a weekly yoga session to work. 

Path to Flexibility 

When I first discovered yoga some years ago, my brain was stressed out and my body had become pained after years of sitting. I was unhappy at work and frustrated by life in general. 

On a whim I observed a yoga class and was instantly hooked. The next week I bought a yoga mat and signed up. Yoga has been my weekly companion ever since. 

It was hard to say which effect was greater on the mind or the body. My spirit began to lift, I calmed down, leveled out and found a new job. Then as my body became more limber I began to move more with biking, walking and dancing. Everything in my world became stronger and more flexible. 

If that sounds like something you could use, you might try yoga. If you are all new to yoga, talk with a yoga instructor about your goals and find the best yoga class for you. If you are already into yoga, this may be the time to add another class or do a morning and an evening session. 

Putting individual poses to work could start with the tree pose for balance, the child's pose, cat and cow poses, downward dog, fish and bird dog. If you are new to yoga, spend the time observing a class and see what appeals to you. 

As you realize just how useful yoga can be, you may start carrying your yoga mat with you wherever you go. 

A few minutes after lunch, evening sessions when you have had a really long day, and a few minutes in the afternoon could make every day better. 

As I got into my yoga routine, I found I was looking for more ways to stay active, and planning all sorts of other things. Yoga was a wakeup call for my mind and my body. Soon I started an early morning walk and found a dance class that I liked. 

As I moved into a new job, I continued to look for more ways to relieve stress and live better. Yoga really was the opening wedge for all of these improvements. If you could really use a healthy boost, yoga may be just right for you now. 

To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Windermere, Fla.