Mind and Body: Yoga

In the world today, many people view exercise as a method to improve our bodies. Mostly getting bigger muscles, losing fat, getting a stronger heart or becoming more flexible. However, not many people know that exercise is healthy for the mind too.

With this, a new fitness catchphrase has been invented. This catchphrase is known as mind-body exercise and yoga is a popular form of this kind of exercise. Unlike the typical weight training or cardiovascular exercises, yoga requires you to do a series of poses. People who've done yoga have said that they feel more stress free and feel that their flexibility and strength have improved greatly.

Origin of Yoga

Yoga was founded in India 5000 years ago. As mentioned earlier, yoga has a series of poses for you to do. These poses are designed to improve flexibility, strength and relieve stress. As you perform these poses, at first they might feel uncomfortable because you're new to them, but eventually they'll feel comfortable.

Yoga Styles

When people think of Yoga, they usually think of people standing and bending over one side and then to the next. However there's other styles of yoga and for each style, there are different poses. These are some of the different styles of yoga:

Astanga Yoga: Also known as power yoga, it is one of the most demanding forms of yoga. After you are done one pose, you move on to the next without a break until the whole session is done. This is a more advanced type of yoga.

Lyengar Yoga: This form of yoga requires stretching belts and foam blocks.

Kundalini Yoga: One of the most recently developed forms of yoga, this yoga contains a lot of basic flexibility movements. This type of yoga focuses on breathing and releasing energy from the body.

Sivananda Yoga: This style is one of the most widely used form of yoga in the world. This form of yoga really focuses on breathing and relaxation.

Where to take Yoga

Many health clubs and gyms offer yoga classes. Some even offer them for free; however others charge anywhere from $10-30. If you are completely new to yoga, make sure to take one of the beginner classes. As well, don't try to compete with anyone else. If you don't live near a gym or don't have access to one, you can just look up programs online and do them at home.

Benefits of Yoga

Other then improved flexibility, and strength; yoga can drastically reduce stress and improve well being. Other benefits of yoga include:

* Lower blood pressure

* Improved breathing rates

* Improved ability to concentrate

* Balances metabolism rates

* and so forth

There are also spiritual benefits. In Buddhism and Hinduism, yoga practice teaches you how to be more forgiving, patient, and how to be more kind. It also teaches you how to become a better person.

If you find that stress is really taking it's toll, take some time off and try out a yoga class or two.

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