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The Benefits of Yoga
All forms of yoga combine an emphasis on breathing and meditative practices, both of which calm and center the mind, resulting in reduced effects of anxiety and depression. Through regular practice, brain cells develop new connections and changes occur in the structure as well as the function of the brain, resulting in improved cognitive skills such as learning and memory. Yoga strengthens parts of the brain that play a key role in memory, attention, awareness, thought and language. It is this connection to the brain patterns that results in the belief that yoga may in fact, counteract age-related declines in memory and other cognitive skills. Likewise, yoga and meditation may improve executive functions such as reasoning, decision-making, memory, learning, reaction time, and mental acuity.
Yoga can also effect a persons mood by elevating chemicals in the brain associated with a better mood and decreased anxiety, whilst meditation reduces the activity in the limbic system - the part of the brain dedicated to emotions. As emotional reactivity diminishes, you may have a more tempered response when faced with stressful situations.
The combination of breathing and meditation helps to separate our thoughts from the stress they can make you feel, having a calming effect. Yoga practice focuses on being present, concentrating on the mind, withdrawing from your senses and observing the minds constant chatter and stories. It creates space where you can review your thoughts and then learn to observe them without judgement, having a positive impact on your overall mental health and wellbeing. Research shows the ability to do this can help with ailments such as depression, anxiety, alcohol dependence and bipolar disorder. The results depend on how often yoga is practiced and on ones own individual circumstances.
Mind Body Movement
Yoga is a mind-body practice that enhances body awareness. The attention inward and the ability to focus on the sensations within your body, heightens your awareness of comfort or pain, your emotions, and your surrounding environment. With enhanced body awareness, the body is better able to respond to stimulus, which can prevent injury and falls. The inward focus and use of the breath in yoga can down-regulate the nervous system, taking you out of fight-or-flight mode, lower cortisol, and decrease stress over a period of time. By focusing on the breath, you will see improved cardiorespiratory capacity, stimulating feel good hormones, oxygen flow and blood circulation. Yoga will achieve this while rarely leaving you feeling fatigued due to the low impact nature of the exercise. Instead, it has the resulting effect of boosting energy.
Keys to Success
Make a Commitment - Yoga is a long journey that can be adopted at any age or stage of life, pregnancy or injury.
Be Consistent - The more you practice, the better the results.
Find the Right Fit - Yoga can be a very personal experience and it is important to surround yourself with people you can trust, in an environment you feel safe, and at a time that works for you.
Go safely and at your Own Pace - Focus on alignment and movement of your joints, keeping your practice safe and pain free. Don't try to keep up with others or push too hard too fast.
Ask for Help - If a pose is causing you discomfort, don't be afraid to ask for help. There will always be a better option that is more suited to where you are in your practice at any point in time. Make use of alternative poses or postures until you feel more comfortable to move forward.
Vinyasa /Ashtanga/Hatha Yoga
The class combines postures/poses (asanas), breathing (pranayama), relaxion and meditation. Regular practice can help with rehabilitation, build muscle, and improve heart and lung health, sleep and overall well-being.
This particular class helps build a strong core from which one can transition into new positions and exercises. This flow centers around control and precision, with a diversity of exercises and modifications to suit a wide range of levels from beginner to advanced. With this class, you will learn and practice the tools needed to lead a healthy and fit lifestyle, while also remaining mindful in every act you perform.
Yin Yoga
Yin yoga is a quiet contemplative practice targeting the deep connective tissues of the body like your fascia, ligaments joints and bones. It's slow meditative nature gives you space to turn inward and tune into your mind and the physical sensations of your body. A yin yoga sequence has a similar effect on the body as an acupuncture treatment. Holding poses for longer periods of time applies gentle pressure on the deep muscles to stretch and release tension or blockages allowing for energy to flow freely through the body's major organs facilitating a holistic approach to health and well-being. Physically Yin yoga increases circulation and improves flexibility, releases fascia, improves joint mobility and brings balance to the organs through meridian stimulation. Emotionally and mentally, Yin calms and balances the mind and body, reduces stress and anxiety and encourages deeper relaxation.
Whilst Yin is the softer side of Yoga, It is just as challenging as an Ashtanga or Vinyasa, but it is challenging in a different way: It is the kind of challenge that asks you to be completely still, completely passive, at the same time stretching the boundaries of your capacity to be at ease with yourself - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.