Just as you might turn to running, cycling or swimming for various reasons, you might also try yoga, but with different goals in mind. The Mayo Clinic recognizes yoga's ability to improve you physically, mentally and emotionally -- through its breathing techniques, poses or asanas, and meditation. It is common to seek yoga classes with a particular goal in mind, then find that it benefits you in numerous other ways, as well.
Flexibility
Although yoga includes poses that target strength, endurance and balance, flexibility is a common by-product of a regular yoga practice. Most classes include flexibility-building poses such as standing forward bend, downward-facing dog, pigeon and wheel. Beware of presupposing that you are too inflexible -- as tight or stiff muscles are a common issue for many people who are drawn to yoga. It is not unusual for students to feel an improvement in flexibility after their first class.
Weight Loss
Weight loss may occur from yoga directly, with a weekly practice, through styles such as Bikram, power yoga or vinyasa -- or indirectly, by reducing stress during restorative and gentle classes, making you less prone to stress-based, lifestyle choices. Depending on the kind of yoga you practice, weight loss may happen more gradually than it would with purely cardio-based exercises. To gain internal and external benefits from yoga, try a variety of yoga styles and levels, even if weight loss is your ultimate goal.
Relaxation
Aside from flexibility, relaxation is often most closely associated with yoga. Yoga teacher at Stanford University and "Yoga Journal" magazine contributor Kelly McGonigal, summarizes that even intense yoga poses such as arm balancing postures, teach people how to relax more, especially when the student learns to maintain even breathing during the pose. Gentler poses such as butterfly or bridge pose, encourage the release of physical or mental tension, helping to produce a more relaxed disposition. Breathing exercises such as alternate nostril breathing, for example, and meditation techniques, also help with relaxation.
Strength
Yoga poses such as chaturanga dandasana, crow, boat and handstand, require and build muscular strength. Typically, yogis build strength by bearing their own body weight. Students find that a regular practice also builds abdominal and back muscle strength, with poses such as locust and headstand. If you seek strength from your yoga practice try Ashtanga, Jivamukti or other general styles of power yoga.
Athletic Training
More coaches and trainers are recommending yoga as a compliment to athletic training, whether it's football, swimming, golf or dance. Yoga can balance out a body wearied by repetitive movements found in sports, or provide deep stretches for tight hips, legs and backs. Your yoga instructor may be open to sequencing classes to target an area of the body or working one-on-one with athletes.
Member Comments