5 Reasons to Try Yoga

If you are one of those people who hasn't tried yoga but has thought about trying it for a while, go ahead! Give it a try. Ask yourself, "What is holding me back?". I will tackle the reasons people hold back in another entry, but here I want to encourage you to give it a go and get into a class as soon as possible!

1) Yoga reduces stress. How often do you stop, deepen the breath and take note of how your body feels - particularly the tension that builds up in your neck and shoulders? Ever notice your blood boiling after a rough day at work? Practicing yoga temporarily moves your thoughts of the day into your body and the moment at hand, greatly reducing anxiety and stress from the day. You may experience stress on a daily basis, but with a regular yoga practice, you can find the balance that allows you to enjoy your week instead of only looking forward to the weekend.

2) Yoga teaches you self-control. A friend of mine recently had a water leak under her house and had to endure what I would call "House Surgery" to repair the leak. As you can imagine, her house was torn apart and all kinds of issues have to be resolved now - including placing new tile and repairing walls, etc. She reminded me that her practice of yoga - especially the breathing - helped her tremendously. Through the practice of calming down with the breath and placing events in proper perspective, we are able to swim through the current of life a bit more easily.

3) Yoga is really fun! When was the last time you did a headstand? How about a handstand? Balancing poses are challenging and rewarding because they remind you that at the core of your being exists a powerful source of energy - playful energy! When you are doing a handstand, you are thinking of nothing else except concentrating on keeping your arms strong and your body upside down. What makes this practice so thoroughly enjoyable is that a person can do these things at any age. I did my first handstand after 25 years at the age of 43! Now at 51, I am able to hold it for a full minute!

4) Yoga makes you stronger AND more flexible. Many people think that yoga is mainly stretching and provides only flexibility. I'm here to tell you that you have to use muscular energy in yoga and that tones the arms, legs and core of your body. In yoga, we contract muscles while stretching them so instead of having bulky muscles, they are toned, but long. Elongating the muscles while hugging them in provides the balance of strength and flexibility which offers the most effective blood flow and balance of body weight.

5) Yoga makes you think. Because yoga includes a study of the self, you are asked to inquire about how you think. You are encouraged to get clear on reality by becoming aware of your own thoughts. One truth posed by the great sage Patanjali is that we are often in error in our thinking. We make assumptions and neglect to clarify information so that we have a complete picture of reality. Hatha yoga gives us a good start by getting us to notice what we think about during class. We are taught that we can change our limiting thoughts about ourselves and become more of the person we are capable of becoming.

The practice of yoga clearly has health benefits that relate to mind, body and spirit. If you are looking for a change in workout and want to delve deeper into a relationship with yourself, I highly recommend you give it a try.

You may or may not notice that I am following one of my favorite yoginis - Brenda Bryan. Check out her blog at http://poserepose.blogspot.com/