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Learn The Basics And Benefits Of Yoga
Are you tired all the time, feeling a little low in energy and enthusiasm for life? Probably something we all hit when the big 4-0 is reached I’m guessing?) you have put on a few pounds? You’re not alone, believe me! We all reach that point in our lives; I know I did about a year or so ago. But I wanted to do something about it, so I looked into taking yoga classes.
If you don’t know much about yoga positions or its great health benefits, here are a few pointers to get you started. Yoga is basically an age old form of exercise that has existed for many thousands of years, starting in India where it was used by Buddhist and Hindu religions to help reach a higher spiritual level. Within Hindu philosophy, the word yoga is used to refer to one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy. In today’s world, yoga is more of a path to good health rather than a path to enlightenment. However it still offers the practitioner a peaceful state of mind if practiced correctly.
There are many different positions or exercises in yoga, and they are referred to as asanas. This concept was started with the introduction of Hatha yoga in the 15th century by Yogi Swatmarama, and modern yoga is based more or less on this system even today. After being brought to the Western world in the 18th century, yoga classes have risen in popularity due to the nature of the ability for so many people to benefit from it. All ages, from children to seniors, can practice most yoga exercises in relative safety and continued health.
One of the main components of yoga is breathing, which is also called Pranayama. This is a critical thing to master in yoga, as it is the way to relax the mind and reach a feeling of inner peace and even a high of sorts. This is the thing that is so convincing to newcomers in yoga, once you master the breathing it brings you such a good feeling that you want to repeat it as often as possible!
Not only is the breathing a way to feel much better both physically and mentally, the stretching of the muscles is very relaxing as well. For those who have some form of aches and pains, the stretching is shear heaven indeed. It can help with back pain, muscle spasms, joint pain, and many other common problems experienced by people both young and old. The best part is, you can go at your own pace. It’s not like running or weight lifting, where you are encouraged to push yourself beyond the pain. Yoga is a more gentle exercise that can be practiced for any length of time, and even for hours at a time if desired.
Do you desire more muscle mass as you grow older? This is one reason both men and women have physical problems as they grow older, the muscles don’t get used as much and thus weaken with atrophy. Yoga is a great way to strengthen the muscles, since you are using your weight to apply pressure in different asanas. This also brings more blood to the muscles and the organs, providing much need nutrients to both. Of course there are asanas to strengthen the legs and upper body, as well as the core or midsection.
Try learn yoga today and you may find it is the best all-around exercise for you, especially as you grow older! Don’t neglect your health, find a routine you can stick to and practice it until you are old to any longer. Yoga is just the thing you need for good health, mental and physical.