Yoga Helps

Written by Holly Culpepper

It does not matter your age or capabilities. Everyone can do some form or variation of yoga. There are many different styles to choose from, from hard and sweaty to mild and gentle. Yoga is also low impact.

Yoga is a Sanskrit word for union, the union of the mind and body. Yoga is called a practice because the work will never end. You continue to work on your body and your mind during yoga practice.

Yoga is thousands of years old and has a ton of benefits, and improves the following.

Strength

Flexibility

Arthritis symptoms

Heart health

Stress

Sleep

Energy

Moods

Bone density

Metal decline

Depression

Posture

Endurance

Just adding a few poses to your daily routine can help your health in many unexpected ways! When starting a yoga practice, start small with 10-15 minutes and gradually increase.

Yoga also utilizes breathing techniques. These techniques help you stay focused, reduce stress, and relax the nervous system. One of the techniques is belly breathing. To practice belly breathing, inflate the abdomen as you inhale and empty the abdomen as you exhale.

Most yoga classes end with some meditation. You can do breathing exercises in corps pose with your eyes closed. During this time, the teacher will walk you through the steps to calm your mind and relax your body. They will also help you become more in tune with your body and mind. Sometimes warm or cool compresses are applied with essential oils (like we do in the gym) to increase relaxation. Incense and sage burning are also commonplace.

Meditation is what makes some of the above-listed benefits possible. Calming the mind and relaxing the body is the most natural medicine.