I hear so many times of people who didn’t think they would enjoy yoga but end up really liking it. There are many reasons why I think yoga is a great physical activity and worth giving it a try.
Types of Yoga
There are several types of yoga including some more commonly known styles such as hatha, vinyasa, iyengar and birkham.
Hatha yoga is a great starting place for a new beginner. In this style of yoga, basic poses are introduced at a slower pace. I suggest this for beginners or individuals with physical limitations.
Vinyasa yoga is a more fast paced for of yoga. This style of yoga generally encompasses sun salutations, a sequence of poses.
Iyengar style of yoga is mostly concerned with your body alignment. In this type of yoga you generally hold your poses for longer than in the other types. With this style of yoga props such as towels, straps, blocks, etc, are used to achieve the poses.
Birkham yoga is also known as “hot yoga”. This type of yoga is usually done in a yoga studio because it requires the room temperature to be 90-100 degrees. The heat helps relax muscles and increase sweating.
Reasons to Try
Yoga is great for all sorts of reasons. To name a few, for your physical health yoga helps build endurance and increased flexibility. For you mental health, yoga can offer relaxation techniques and help reduce stress. All in all, yoga is benefits various parts of your body.
One thing I really like about yoga is that you just do what you can and only push yourself when your body feels comfortable doing so. Instructors will often show a harder version of a pose that you can try if you feel comfortable. If you aren’t ready for the harder move, you can just stay in the pose that is more comfortable.
Where to Try
There are several places you can try yoga depending on your own needs. For example, if you want to take a more intense class with several class offerings a week, a yoga studio might be the right fit for you. Studio tip to keep down the costs: keep an eye out for online discounts through the studios website you are interested in or coupon deal sites such as groupon.
Other places to try yoga include community centers, medical facilities sometimes offer class to their patients and the community, or a college class. Most of these places will offer beginning yoga classes at reasonable prices.
If you are busy and only have a few minutes to spare to do yoga, try getting an inexpensive DVD online or borrow from the library or a friend.
I enjoy taking a yoga class when I have time because I like the group setting. However, when I don’t have time I do yoga at home through a DVD such as the Jillian Michaels Meltdown.
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photo by James Stewart in stockvault