Yoga has been an integral part of my life for over 30 years. Daily practice has helped me through some challenges in my life.
Yoga is not a religion. Yoga has been practiced in India for over 5,000 years. It is a Hindu spiritual and astetic discipline. There are 6 major traditional schools of yoga, but today there are numerous branches from each of these schools. Most yoga practice includes breathe control, asanas (body postures) mantras (chanting) and simple meditation.
There are numerous mental and physical benefits in doing yoga practice. For example:
1). Improves flexibility
2). Increases balance
3). Helps weight reduction
4). Increases memory and focus
5). Relieves stress
6). Reduces depression
7). Heart protection
8). Promotes sleep
9). Alleviates back pain
10). Slows aging process
Today 1 in 9 American adults practice yoga. 39% of yoga participants are aged 50 plus. 65% of people do yoga at home.
Wonderful thing about yoga is that you can do it anywhere. It would be helpful to have a yoga mat and yoga blocks but even these are not absolute must.
Remember even 10 minutes of simple yoga poses with breathing can do wonders for your mind-body health. Enjoy!
Sources include AARP April/May 2017 magazine, Yoga Journal and my own teaching manual of Kundalini Yoga. For online reading, go to:
Aloha -- Cathi
