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10 Reasons to
Practice Yoga Tips for Your Yoga
Practice
Tips
for Coming to Class
10 Reasons to Practice
Yoga
There are many
reasons for practicing Yoga. As well as toning your body, it can
help you sleep and refresh every cell in your body! Here are 10 good
ones:
1. A nice, toned body
A fit, toned body
is not the ultimate goal of yoga, but it sure is a nice side effect.
2. Refresh your kidneys
Your organs are fed by
blood carrying oxygen and nutrients. The stretching positions of
yoga internally massage the organs. For example, twists work on the
kidney area. When you twist at the waist, just like a dish sponge
full of soapy water, the 'old' blood is squeezed out of the kidneys,
leaving room for them to fill with a fresh supply of oxygenated
blood.
3. A good night's sleep
One of the first
comments new yoga students have is how well they sleep after a
class. Many people say they wake up happier. A steady yoga practice
can lessen the amount of sleep you'll need and at the same time,
give you more energy.
4. Heal the forest within you
Imagine your body as a lush forest. Parts of it may be less
healthy than you'd like and you can spend a lot of time dealing with
the sick trees--the parts of your body that don't function well. As
well as nourishing the trees that are diseased, yoga is therapeutic
and keeps the healthy trees happy.
5. Stand taller
Did you know we are taller after a night's sleep than at
bedtime? During the day, gravity compresses the joints, making us
shorter. Yoga poses apply a type of traction to the back, which
creates "breathing" space in the body joints and cavities. While
yoga doesn't really make you grow, the good alignment practiced in
yoga can improve your posture and make you stand taller. On a
subjective level, students commonly say they feel taller the day
after a class.
6. Access your own, inner peace
A
full life can be a stressful life. Life experiences build up like
layers and are stored in the cellular memory of your body. Yoga
allows you to strip your superfluous emotional overlays and access
the peace that lies within you. By practising yoga, you can discover
your true self - a pure essence full of vibrant and positive energy.
You will also be better able to access your intuition, which can
guide you in making decisions. Once you learn how to reach this
state of mind, you have the capability to access your inner peace
anytime you choose.
7. Awaken every cell in your body
If you practice yoga long enough, you can almost feel your cells
vibrating at a higher level. Through yoga, your whole body can
resonate with positive health.
8. Accept yourself
unconditionally
Do you ever feel like the world is demanding
too much of you? In trying to keep up with the daily rat race, you
may be putting undue stress and pressure on yourself and feel
bombarded by expectations coming from others. In yoga, there is no
competition. You are accepted for what you are, at the level that is
comfortable for you. Yoga encourages you to dissolve the ego and
accept yourself unconditionally. Self-acceptance is a key step
towards loving yourself. And once you succeed in loving yourself,
you can love others even more.
9. Understand the complex
machine that is your body
Like a car, your body is a complex
working machine. Unfortunately, while we take great care ensuring
that our car is in order, we rarely spend the same amount of time,
money and energy on our bodies. Yoga teaches us to become aware of
every area in our body, what each organ does and how to maintain its
health so that it can work optimally. Understanding your body is a
bit like an insurance policy, and unlike your car it's hard to buy a
new body.
10. Concentrate on the now
Through
yoga, you develop your concentration by becoming absorbed in the
subtler sensations of your body. This kind of concentration provides
a point of focus in the 'now' and it is an excellent skill to have
when dealing with stress. When you fully focus on the present, you
let go of the past and any concerns for the future. Release
yesterday and live in the now.
Source:
Unknown.
Tips for Your Yoga
Practice
When to practice:
·
As often as you
can. A daily practice of even 10 minutes is a great start. But just
coming to class once a week can bring positive change.
Self-discipline—tapas in
yoga—is good. But don’t force yourself. A yoga session should bring
peace and joy...and not be "one more thing" to add to your busy
schedule.
·
On an empty
stomach. Allow at least one hour before class or home practice after
eating a light snack; at least two hours after eating a larger meal.
·
In the morning
before breakfast. When your mind is clear and your energy is high.
·
In the evening,
before bed. Relieves tension. You’ll sleep better!
·
Any time you’re
mentally tired and need to restore energy or peace of
mind.
To
keep from hurting yourself:
·
Talk
to the teacher before class.
Let her know if you have any injuries or medical conditions, or any
concerns about class.
·
Always warm your muscles up
slowly. Walk. Stretch. Massage your limbs. Take a hot
shower.
·
Remember: The
"no pain, no gain" adage doesn’t apply to yoga. You can feel good
while improving your health!
·
Move slowly and
listen to your body. Never force
your body into any posture until it hurts. Forceful movements
produce a build up of lactic acid, causing fatigue and injury.
·
Don’t try to compete with the next
guy…or even yourself! You might not be able to do today what you did
yesterday.
·
Find your own
edge in each yoga pose—the point just before discomfort occurs. Then
allow yourself to slowly
grow into it at a comfortable pace.
·
Don’t tense
when encountering discomfort. This furthers the tensing of the
muscles. Breathe into, and be open to releasing, the blocked area.
·
Do not stay in
postures for a long time at first. It is better to repeat the
postures. Stay longer as you get stronger.
·
Take
care of your own needs in class—whether that’s by taking a break,
observing instead of doing, or modifying a pose to make it more
comfortable. You can use child’s pose, or another resting pose,
focus on your breath and rest the body.
·
Use your breath
as a guide.
If you cannot breathe smoothly and deeply, you may be working too
hard or be at risk for injuring yourself. If you become
out-of-breath or fatigued, stop. Yoga is not circuit training. Rest
is encouraged within a session, so you can be aware of the affects
of a posture and recover.
·
If you have
slight muscle strain, ice it down. Give it a few days to heal.
·
If you have any
lingering pain, consult a doctor immediately. Don’t wait for it to
become chronic.
Other
practice tips:
·
Breathe deeply
and evenly through your nose throughout the session. Do not hold
your breath. Doing so tightens the body and restricts the flow of
cleansing oxygen.
·
Stay
mindful.
Every action in yoga is intentional. Take the time to understand and
approach a pose or movement at your own pace. By paying close
attention to alignment and action, even challenging poses will
eventually become possible and comfortable.
·
Turn your
attention inward. Observe your body, breath and mind as you work. Be
aware of where you feel stretches and how your body is responding.
Nurture feelings of lightness, elongation, openness, steadiness and
strength.
·
When postures
are repeated on one side and then the other, do each side for the
same amount of time.
·
Generally,
exhale on forward-bending/closing of your body. Inhale when
back-bending/ opening your body.
·
Take
the best, and leave the rest.
In any given class, some poses will feel good and others will not.
Some movements will feel exhilarating, and others won’t. Notice what
feels right for your body. You can begin to include these practices
in your everyday life, when you can’t make it to
class.
·
Try to keep a
yoga journal…to see your growth. Log expectations or intentions,
thoughts, changes.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
 Tips for Coming to
Class. It’s recommended that you
arrive ten minutes before
your class to ensure you have time to settle in before class starts.
It takes
at least seven minutes for the mind and body to begin to relax and
be more ready for yoga.
What to
Wear. Please wear modest comfortable clothing that
is appropriate for exercise. The
less loose and
baggy your clothes, the easier it will be for you to move and for
the Instructor to see your poses. Also, try to avoid eating at
least an hour before class. There’s private space at all class
locations for changing your
clothes.
What to Bring. All yoga
props needed for use in classes at Dream Yoga! Studio--yoga
mat, belt, blanket, blocks, eye bags, etc.--are
provided. You are welcome to use your own props, if you
wish.
Cell
Phones. The Studio is
a beeper-free zone. Please remember to turn off your cell phone or
beeper prior to entering the classroom.
Ó2007
Luann
Fulbright , DREAM YOGA STUDIO
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