Congratulations! You are starting off the New Year by
increasing your activity! You are walking, or jogging, or
you joined a class at the local Y. Whatever it is, you
have taken the first step to improving your fitness. Now
you are considering working on becoming more flexible. You
read somewhere that, to have a "total fitness program," you
need to include not only increased activity, but also
flexibility and strength.
Good luck. I'm almost 53 years old, and I am not sure I'll
ever get all three parts down. But I am a walker and my
goal is to walk 4-5 times a week for 45 minutes. Many
times I take several short walks, but the total is 45
minutes, so most times I meet my goal. I have also been
working on my flexibility for many years by doing yoga.
Many yoga poses involve holding this 144-pound body in a
headstand, or handstand, and that takes strength. So maybe
I won't need to buy weights to keep my bones strong!
Let me tell you a bit about doing yoga, because, as a big
fan, I wish everyone could take time to do it. Yoga helps
you feel good in your body, no matter what shape you think
you are in-and that's what I love about it. Whether I feel
too fat from overeating, or I'm feeling energetic because
it's...a good day, ten minutes of yoga makes me feel even
better. Maybe it's the idea that I have made time to take
care of myself, I don't know. Whether you have ten minutes
or an hour, you can always find some type of pose (or
series of poses) to fit the way you are feeling. You will
always feel better, physically and psychologically.
There are many styles of yoga, including Ashtanga yoga, a
fast moving, intense practice; power yoga, an Americanized
version of Ashtanga; and another form known as "hot yoga"
where you practice in a heated room (make sure to drink
LOTS of water).
The style I practice is called Iyengar yoga, based on the
teachings of B.K.S Iyengar. It has been referred to as
"props" yoga, because it involves the use of blocks, belts
and other objects to aid in learning the poses (also called
"asanas"). Once I went to another yoga-style class. I
remember speaking to the instructor afterwards about
Iyengar yoga. And I distinctly recall him saying "oh yes,
that yoga is good for people who have had injuries and need
to slowly get back into yoga." I was so angry I would have
kicked him! (Since I'd injured my back, though, I
couldn't.)
I complained to my instructor about this comment, and she
smiled. She said it's really not important what style you
do, but that you simply do it. Very Zen, don't you think?
But she's right. The important thing is for people to just
get started.
There is one essential piece of advice I'd like to offer
anyone interested in learning yoga, regardless of the style
you choose. You must make sure you have a qualified
instructor. While there are many people out there who may
be considered qualified, not all of them should be teaching
classes.
Here is one way to tell: at the beginning of your class,
if the instructor does not ask "Is there anyone here with a
particular health issue I should know about?"-get up and
leave. A misconception about yoga is that you simply sit,
breathe deeply, and learn small stretches. Learning how to
breathe correctly is essential, it aids in concentration
and movement through the asanas. However, many yoga poses
involve deep stretching and lots of strength (to stay in
those poses). If you come to class with a small injury
(you pulled your neck in the car, you hurt your back while
shoveling snow) and your instructor doesn't know about
this, you may find yourself in more pain at the end of
class.
By all means, pick a yoga class you like-that's the most
important part in getting started. Just remember to make
sure your instructor knows what going on in your body (and
your mind) before you start the class.
----------------------------------------------------
For free tips to becoming At Peace With Food, articles, and
links to nutritional resource websites, visit=>
http://www.AtPeaceWithFood.com/freetips.html
No comments:
Post a Comment