What Is Yoga?
It’s in all the fitness centers and gyms, they’re offering it at corporations and even the A-list celebrities are publicly practicing yoga at the beach and busting out poses in magazine photo shoots across the globe. So what is this bizarre trend all about, anyway? And what is all the hype about?
If you are not aware of the meaning of the word yoga,, according to Wikipedia, it’s” a system of meditation or contemplation with the aim of the cessation of mental activity and the attaining of a ‘supreme state.…’”
What?
First of all, yoga has many different aspects to it. It includes, but is not limited to, the physical practice you see people doing on a yoga mat, stretching and breathing; the mental practice including meditation and other techniques to calm the mind; and the spiritual practice, which can include many different activities depending upon the school or teacher you are learning with.
How does it benefit you?
Over the last fifty or so years, there has been a great deal of research conducted by the scientific, medical, psychological, and educational institutions regarding this ancient science and system of health and well-being. The conclusions are positive across the board. Every study conducted has concluded that the benefits of yoga are numerous while the possible negative side effects are minimal, if any.
This is a short list of possible health benefits you may experience as a result of just one session of yoga practice. The beauty is, with more consistency, the benefits multiply exponentially and can be life-enhancing beyond your wildest imagination.
Yoga Health Benefits
*Stress management
*Increase muscular and joint flexibility
*Pain relief for sore muscles and joints
*Strength and tone muscles
*Balance energy levels and hormones
*Eliminate toxins from lymphatic system; similar to massage
*Improve blood and other fluid circulation
*Relief of TMJ symptoms especially when combined with massage
*Realignment of spine and skeleton
*Reduce the signs of aging
*Improve lung capacity and breathing capabilities
*Enhance mental acuity
*Balance left and right side of brain and body
*Over come depression
*Alleviate anxiety
*Weight loss
The list can go on and on. One common report is that most yoga practitioners just feel better after they practice. Especially when they find the right yoga style and the teacher who suits their goals and needs.
This is precisely the reason I wrote the ebook Intro to Yoga: Beginners Guide to Getting Started on the Right Foot. In this forty-page ebook I include all of the most popular yoga styles as well as some important information, such as the pros and cons of yoga classes versus following DVDs or private instruction at home. You can snag this ebook on my website for free by joining the email list “Love Notes from Dashama” anytime you are ready to take your learning to the next level.
In the meantime, here is a great video I created a few years ago that has helped people around the world get started with the most basic yoga practice, the Sun Salutations Sequence for Beginners.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuvfHTaftLQ
You will notice there are just a few poses in this sequence, so I recommend you start with this, pause it if you need to, and watch it over and over to learn this series by heart if you can. That way, you can always have a nice short sequence to practice no matter where you are to help you handle stress and give you a great workout.
When you are ready to take on some new poses and practices, feel free to check out the other 100+ videos I have on my YouTube channel, or join the global yoga challenge at 30dyc.com. The 30 Day Yoga Challenge is designed specifically to help you break old negative habits of poor health and laziness and to instill new habits that will improve the quality of your life on many levels.
As the ancient proverb states: When the student is ready, the teacher appears.
When you make a commitment to improve your health, the solutions will always present themselves to you. It is then your task to select what feels most right for you and to take action as soon as possible before the inspiration fades and you go back to your old ways and habits.
Best wishes to your great health, success, and happiness.
Blessings, Love, and Namasté,
Dashama
Dashama, do you have any tips for beginners who are having trouble keeping up with going to yoga class? Which is more important: home practice or going to class?