A fellow 40 dayer that asked... What is the objective of yoga? I see that it gives one's body great stretches and class time is peaceful and centering. Is that the objective?
My answer is below
Joan
This is a big question not a little one (and an age old one) but here is some info:
Dating back thousands of years, yoga is a sacred Eastern tradition that unites the body with the mind. Gracefully weaving together the disciplines of exercise and meditation, yoga uses a series of postures and movements to reduce stress, increase stamina, foster a feeling of well being and enhance the flexibility of mind, body and spirit. Yoga is much more than a discipline of physical exercise. It is a powerful, transformational practice that integrates all parts of who you are.
Yoga is a science that has been practiced for thousands of years. It consists of ancient theories, observations and principles about the mind and body connection, which is now being proven by modern medicine. Substantial research has been conducted on the health benefits of Yoga - from the Yoga postures (Asanas), to Yogic breathing (Pranayama) and meditation.
Yoga, therefore, is considered therapeutic. It helps you become more aware of your body's posture, alignment and patterns of movement. It makes the body more flexible and helps you relax even in the midst of a stress stricken environment. This is one of the foremost reasons why people want to start practicing Yoga - to feel fit, be more energetic, happier and peaceful.
Top 10 Reasons to Try Yoga (from YogaDayUSA)
1-STRESS RELIEF
Yoga reduces the physical effects of stress on the body. By encouraging relaxation, yoga helps to lower the levels of the stress hormone corisol. Related benefits include lowering blood pressure and heart rate, improving digestion, and boosting the immunic system as well as easing symptoms of conditions such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, asthma, and insomnia.
2- PAIN RELIEF
Yoga can ease pain. Studies have demonstrated that practicing yoga asanas (postures), meditation or a combination of the two, reduced pain for people with conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, auto-immunie diseases and hypertension as well as arthritis, back and neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, eczema, irritable bowel syndrome and other chronic conditions. Some practitioners report that even emotional pain can be eased through the practice of yoga.
3 - BETTER BREATHING
Yoga teaches people to take slower, deeper breaths. This helps to improve lung function, trigger the body's relaxation response and increase the amount of oxygen available to the body.
4 - FLEXIBILITY
Yoga helps to improve flexibility and mobility, increasing range of movement and reducing aches and pains. Many people can't touch their toes during their first yoga class. Practitioners begin to use the correct muscles to make the movement and, over time, the ligaments, tendons and muscles gradually lengthen and elasticity is increased. These gradual changes can mean that more and more poses are possible.
5 - INCREASED STRENGTH
Yoga asanas (postures) use every muscle in the body, helping to increase strength literally from head to toe. And, while the postures practicied in yoga strengthen the body, they also provide an additional benefit of helping to relieve muscular tension.
6 - WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
Yoga even less vigorous styles) can aid weight control efforts by reducing the cortisol levels as well as by burning excess calories and reducing stress. Yoga also encourages healthy eating habits and provides a heightened sense of well being and self esteem.
7 - IMPROVED CIRCULATION
Yoga helps to improve circulation and, as a result of various poses, more efficiently moves oxygenated blood to the body's cells.
8 - CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONING
Even gentle yoga practice can provide cardiovascular benefits by lowering resting heart rate, increasing endurance and improving oxygen uptake during exercise.
9 - BETTER BODY ALIGNMENT
Yoga helps to improve boty alignment, resulting in better posture and helping to relieve back, neck, joint and muscle problems.
10 - FOCUS ON THE PRESENT
Yoga helps us to focus on the present, to become more aware and to help create mind body health. It opens the way to improved coordination, reaction time and memory.
This is a big question not a little one (and an age old one) but here is some info:
Dating back thousands of years, yoga is a sacred Eastern tradition that unites the body with the mind. Gracefully weaving together the disciplines of exercise and meditation, yoga uses a series of postures and movements to reduce stress, increase stamina, foster a feeling of well being and enhance the flexibility of mind, body and spirit. Yoga is much more than a discipline of physical exercise. It is a powerful, transformational practice that integrates all parts of who you are.
Yoga is a science that has been practiced for thousands of years. It consists of ancient theories, observations and principles about the mind and body connection, which is now being proven by modern medicine. Substantial research has been conducted on the health benefits of Yoga - from the Yoga postures (Asanas), to Yogic breathing (Pranayama) and meditation.
Yoga, therefore, is considered therapeutic. It helps you become more aware of your body's posture, alignment and patterns of movement. It makes the body more flexible and helps you relax even in the midst of a stress stricken environment. This is one of the foremost reasons why people want to start practicing Yoga - to feel fit, be more energetic, happier and peaceful.
Top 10 Reasons to Try Yoga (from YogaDayUSA)
1-STRESS RELIEF
Yoga reduces the physical effects of stress on the body. By encouraging relaxation, yoga helps to lower the levels of the stress hormone corisol. Related benefits include lowering blood pressure and heart rate, improving digestion, and boosting the immunic system as well as easing symptoms of conditions such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, asthma, and insomnia.
2- PAIN RELIEF
Yoga can ease pain. Studies have demonstrated that practicing yoga asanas (postures), meditation or a combination of the two, reduced pain for people with conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, auto-immunie diseases and hypertension as well as arthritis, back and neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, eczema, irritable bowel syndrome and other chronic conditions. Some practitioners report that even emotional pain can be eased through the practice of yoga.
3 - BETTER BREATHING
Yoga teaches people to take slower, deeper breaths. This helps to improve lung function, trigger the body's relaxation response and increase the amount of oxygen available to the body.
4 - FLEXIBILITY
Yoga helps to improve flexibility and mobility, increasing range of movement and reducing aches and pains. Many people can't touch their toes during their first yoga class. Practitioners begin to use the correct muscles to make the movement and, over time, the ligaments, tendons and muscles gradually lengthen and elasticity is increased. These gradual changes can mean that more and more poses are possible.
5 - INCREASED STRENGTH
Yoga asanas (postures) use every muscle in the body, helping to increase strength literally from head to toe. And, while the postures practicied in yoga strengthen the body, they also provide an additional benefit of helping to relieve muscular tension.
6 - WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
Yoga even less vigorous styles) can aid weight control efforts by reducing the cortisol levels as well as by burning excess calories and reducing stress. Yoga also encourages healthy eating habits and provides a heightened sense of well being and self esteem.
7 - IMPROVED CIRCULATION
Yoga helps to improve circulation and, as a result of various poses, more efficiently moves oxygenated blood to the body's cells.
8 - CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONING
Even gentle yoga practice can provide cardiovascular benefits by lowering resting heart rate, increasing endurance and improving oxygen uptake during exercise.
9 - BETTER BODY ALIGNMENT
Yoga helps to improve boty alignment, resulting in better posture and helping to relieve back, neck, joint and muscle problems.
10 - FOCUS ON THE PRESENT
Yoga helps us to focus on the present, to become more aware and to help create mind body health. It opens the way to improved coordination, reaction time and memory.
Sign me up! Thanks for this overview, Joan. Can't wait to get started.
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