THE BENEFIT OF
YOGA
‘Yoga is not about touching your toes,
it is what learn on the way you down’
by Ashley Dodson
17
Most yoga studios and local
gyms offer yoga classes that
are open to all generations and
fitness levels. It’s exciting to
enter a room full of young
teens, athletes, middle-aged
moms, older gentlemen, and
even fitness buffs and body
builders. Everyone can feel
accepted and included and,
unlike other sports or classes
that focus on niche clients,
yoga tends to offer open arms.
Whether you like to say “Om”
or you can’t stand the word
“yogi”; whether you are 92, 53,
or even 12, yoga can help you.
Yoga encourages overall
health and wellness. Yoga is
not just about working out,
it’s about a healthy lifestyle.
The practice of yoga allows
students to find stillness in a
world consumed with chaos.
Peace and tranquility achieved
through focused training
appeals to everyone.Yoga’s
deep breathing and meditation
practices help foster an inner
shift from to-do lists, kids
and spouse’s needs, financial
concerns, and relationship
struggles to something a little
bit bigger than the issues you
face. Yoga helps relieve stress
and declutters the mind,
helping you to become
more focused. Yoga has many
face. One of the benefits of
yoga is that you can choose
a yoga style that’s tailored
to your lifestyle, such as
hot yoga, power yoga,
relaxation yoga, prenatal
yoga, etc. Whether you
prefer to practice at home,
in a private session, while
watching a DVD or at a
studio or gym, there are a huge
variety of options available
to suit your goals and needs.
If you’re a yoga beginner, hatha
yoga, which focuses on basic
postures at a comfortable
pace, would be great for
you. If you want to increase
strength through using more
of your own body’s resistance,
power yoga may be right for
you. If you’re ready for a
deeper practice, Bikram, also
called “hot yoga,” may be
just what you’re looking for.
In Bikram yoga, the room