The Art of YOGA!

Yoga is all about feeling good; feel the blood surging through your veins, the energy pulsating through your nerves, the bliss coursing through your whole being. Yoga is for everyone regardless of age, gender, color, or religion; from the healthiest to the sickest; from the richest to the poorest. Yoga is for the body, mind, and spirit. You learn to use your body, breath, and mind to stretch, relax, and energize yourself. Yoga is highly therapeutic. So get up and experience the art of yoga!

According to medical scientists, yoga therapy is successful because of the balance created in the nervous and endocrine systems which directly influences all the other systems and organs of the body. Yoga acts both as a curative and preventive therapy. The very essence of yoga lies in attaining mental peace, improved concentration powers, a relaxed state of living and harmony in relationships.

Through the practice of yoga, we become aware of the interconnectedness between our emotional, mental and physical levels. The ultimate goal of yoga is to make it possible for you to be able to fuse together the gross material, physical, mental, intellectual, and spiritual levels within your being.

Physicians and scientists are discovering brand new health benefits of yoga everyday. Studies show it can relieve the symptoms of several common and potentially life-threatening illnesses such as arthritis, arteriosclerosis, chronic fatigue, diabetes, AIDS, asthma and obesity. Regular yoga practice creates mental clarity and calmness, increases body awareness, relieves chronic stress patterns, relaxes the mind, centers attention and sharpens concentration.

Stretch and Shine

Starting your day with a few stretching exercises not only increases your flexibility and blood circulation, it also prepares your body for the rest of the day. “Wired as an instinct from our hunting days, morning stretching prepares our body for our daily tasks,” says physical therapist Rosauro Peciller, Jr. After six to eight hours of rest from the night before, our bodies need a wake up call, signaling that it’s time for some work. “This simple act renews blood supply to our muscles and stimulates joint lubrication to allow ease in movement,” says Peciller. To maximize each stretch, make sure to follow these tips:

1. WARM UP. Rev up your muscles by doing light aerobic exercise for five minutes (like jogging or walking in place) before stretching to prevent you from straining your muscles.
2. DON’T GO OVERBOARD. Gently ease yourself into the stretch and relax (don’t push too hard or bounce!) You’re after a stretch in the muscles –not pain.
3. BREATHE RIGHT. Don’t hold your breath! Inhale deeply while preparing to do the stretch, exhale as you execute it.
4. HOLD IT. Keep the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. Any shorter and you won’t get any benefit from the stretch, but longer than that might cause injury.
5. GET INTO IT. Close your eyes and stay with it. Enjoy the warm feeling that comes with a good stretch (instead of rushing off to the next one).

SOURCE: Marie Claire, April 2006