Have you thought about what Yoga can do for your mind and body ? Many professional athletes are addicted . Judy explains why .
ptspin
by Judy Lovelady , Yoga Instructor
Strength of body and mind
Have you thought about what Yoga can do for your mind and body ? Many professional athletes are addicted . Judy explains why .
In PTspin , Backspin is concentrating on a series format for the next several months , and yoga is the perfect option for a series of articles . There are so many questions and myths surrounding yoga – it ’ s easy , it ’ s religious , it ’ s for those who are already flexible . Not so . Yoga includes a highly developed system of poses , breathing techniques , and other practices with a long history of research that points to its potential to calm the mind , strengthen the body , and improve balance and range of motion when practiced in a supportive environment with a qualified / knowledgable instructor .
The movements are deliberate and are coordinated with the breath to allow students to move at their own pace and within their safe range of motion . The movements address all functions of the spine including neutral alignment , axial extension , forward bending , back bending , lateral bending , and twists . Forward bending , for example , lengthens the spine and helps to release tension in the lower back . While students may not be able to bend all the way , the use of props
such as blocks allows for safe progress to full potential . Yoga poses lengthen and strengthen muscles and can reverse some of the effects of gravity to take pressure off the spine and other joints . Also , deep breathing to move through and maintain poses helps build lung capacity which can benefit and improve the mood and sense of wellbeing .
Yoga promotes health throughout all of the organs and systems of the body . Poses which include movements such as rotating , extending , and flexing stimulate the circulation of blood and lymph and therefore , promote healthy function of the digestive and circulatory systems as well as strengthening muscles and bones .
Scott Higgs ’ recent series on the back could almost be continued here as yoga also helps the back . One posture which includes lifting the arms up while coming up on the toes engages and strengthens the core abdominal muscles which provides protection and support for the back .
People are often drawn to Yoga because of its promise of relaxation , but others are drawn to it because traditional exercise classes are simply not for them . Yoga offers long-term health benefits for people of all ages and abilities . Next month , the series will focus on adaptive chair yoga – a strategy for people who are either recovering from injuries or who have limited mobility or other conditions .
Email Judy at jlovelady . yoga @ gmail . com to inquire about her classes . Judy has 500 hours of teacher training from the Yoga School in Covington and is a registered yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance .
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