For many people the thought of yoga is a vision of someone contorted in uncomfortable and unrealistic pretzel-like shapes. People who study yoga diligently for years may be able to do extremely difficult postures, but even the gentlest yoga class can provide surprising health benefits. Yoga is now an accepted alternative therapy designed to help promote fitness and well-being, relieve stress and aid in prevention and treatment of many types of chronic illnesses. The practice of yoga originated in India and is about 5000 years old.
Stationary postures strengthen muscles while flowing postures are more aerobic.
The goal of yoga is not to see how much you can do or how strong you are but to tap into the process that occurs during the postures. This process involves focusing awareness on your body and how it feels in the moment. By practicing yoga you can decrease the heart rate, relax and strengthen muscles, and increase the flow of oxygen and nutrients to cells of the body. Psychologically yoga is an effective stress management technique promoting relaxation that can help relieve symptoms and decrease the risk of stress related conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, stress headaches, muscle pain, anxiety and even heart disease. It also increases alertness, concentration and an overall feeling of well-being.