Most friends have heard me talk about about what yoga has done for me. I love yoga! It is an amazing practice that leads to greater flexibility and strength, better posture and self-confidence.
Yoga has been practiced for more than 5,000 years, and millions of Americans have found out the benefits for themselves. Yoga is far from a "trend". Most American classes focus on certain poses and breathing techniques. Some classes teach primarily relaxation. There are a few classes that teach you to move your body in a new way, these classes are the best for gaining flexibility, strength and longer leaner muscle mass.
The one I practice is called Flow Yoga. I found it on Veria.com. There is a class on the website you can practice in the comfort of your own home without others watching. The Yoga master guides you through each move and exactly how to breath with each change. There are several suggestions for beginners all the way to advanced.
Because of the deep mindful breathing that yoga involves, often breathing capacity improves. For me this improved my ability to swim (my second favorite physical activity). I can swim 80 lengths of an Olympic sized pool without the loss of breath. I could not do this before yoga.
Yoga also means less stress and more calm. As you practice each pose in a stance that is stressful, you learn to be calm through the pose, breath through it. This carries on into your day as you deal with the stress and hurry of regular life moments. Yoga also improves concentration and is even being studied as a method to aid in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Researchers have been studying whether yoga can slow the aging process, increase a person's sense of self-acceptance, or improve energy levels. Go to any yoga studio and listen to students after class. Some will even tell you that yoga can help relationships and sexuality.
The only way to be certain of all that yoga can do for you is to try it for yourself and see.
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