Annette's Insight Into Yoga

March 20th, 2006


There has been a lot written lately about the benefits of yoga. Not only is it a great way to distress after a difficult day, it is also an incredible way to increase your strength, flexibility and reap cardiovascular benefits all at the same time. In my opinion, everyone and I do mean everyone can benefit from one form of yoga or another.

There are many different varieties of yoga, from Bikrim, or hot yoga, to Hatha yoga, the "gentle" type you will find in most commercial gyms. Iyengar Yoga is more focused on achieving proper body alignment while holding the poses for a longer period of time, whereas Ashtanga yoga becomes a little more intense and fast-paced. There is also Power Yoga or Vinyasa Yoga. These types of yoga are a little more flowing and focus on building strength and flexibility while keeping the heart rate elevated. The key is to find a style of yoga that fits your needs, whether it be health related or in accordance with your fitness goals.

The stereotype exists that to “do” yoga, you must walk in the door and be able to twist and bend and stretch like a seasoned yogi or yogini in your first class. Not true! We are all born with a certain level of flexibility and can, with practice and patience, increase our given flexibility into something that would make any yoga instructor proud.

If you ask the average person walking down the street to touch their toes, chances are they are incapable of doing so or can just barely do it. Why is this happening? We are spending too much time as a culture sitting down. We sit at our computers, checking our email, doing work at the office or commuting to work. We spend a good majority of our time hunched over at poorly adjusted desks, chairs and computers. We can all seriously benefit from the lengthening and strengthening poses that Yoga offers.

When starting a yoga practice, seek out the help of a qualified and certified yoga instructor. Wear comfortable clothing and be patient! Rome was not built in a day and neither was a perfect downward facing dog!

Most of all, take your time and breathe!



(c) Annette Nack, Bee Balanced Health & Wellness

This article was first published March 20th 2006