The popular perception of yoga is that it’s a good
stretch. Or that yogis sit around
twisted like pretzels. Oh, and the magazine ads with the young women in midriff
baring tops and tight shorts? You have
to go to a Level 3 class in NYC or LA to find a room full of them! Yoga is a good stretch, and yogis do twist around a lot, and if my top is
too loose it will fall over my head in adho mukha and reveal way more than
anyone bargained for. But the best thing
about yoga is that it improves more than your muscle tone.
 |
| This is yoga . . . |
What yoga has over other forms of exercise is this: Yoga connects your body to your mind. When’s
the last time you thought about your shoulder blades? Or the way your weight settles into the soles
of your feet? If you listen, your body reveals all sorts of secrets. What
hurts, where, how and why? Side angle pose is better at telling me I’ve gained
a few pounds than any scale, because when I lean sideways over my thigh, I can
feel anything “extra”. No judgment,
though, because a couple of pounds up or down, I can still rock the parsva!
I also like that you can’t try too hard with yoga. If you push a pose, your face will start to
scrunch and an attentive teacher will remind you to breathe. Slow, even breathing insists on safe,
appropriate movements. Surprisingly, you
will go further by following your breath than by pushing your body.
 |
| . . . and this is yoga. |
In essence, yoga is the union of breath and movement. Once you get this concept, almost anything
can be yoga (except maybe the step machine at the gym. That’s just craziness). Hiking a trail becomes step, breath, step,
breath. Swimming forces you to breathe with your movement because you have to
time your breaths with your strokes. Running warm-ups and cool-downs share many
postures with yoga, and doing them with intent rather than by rote will add an
unexpected note of serenity to your running session.
Go ahead, try yoga.
You’ll get a good stretch. You’ll make a few pretzel shapes. You’ll breathe. You’ll love it.
That top photo is impossible, not yoga. :-) Loved this post. Especially the part about not trying hard, also breathing. Breathing is good. I often write the following prescription: Rx: breathe in, breathe out. Repeat. If you're uninsured, no worries. It doesn't cost to breathe. In fact, it costs Not to breathe. OK, I'll go now. Thanks for another great read! Keep em comin.
ReplyDelete