While on the way to spot a buddy of mine at the local YMCA, he asked why I didn't just join the gymnasium and I explained to him that I an a
Yoga noob and occasional calisthenics at home for my exercises and actually failed to feel the need for a gymnasium membership. His reply was predictable Yoga isn't that just stretching?'
I smirked at the familiarity of the question and proceeded to clarify to him the theme of this article. As i told him and for those who may not know otherwise : No, Yoga is way more than stretching or getting into presumably ungainly looking poses and positions.
It is a mix of stretching, breathing exercises, meditation and perhaps the most ignored limb, conformity to a proper diet.
The word yoga, from the Sanskrit word yuj means to yoke or bind and is sometimes understood as a'union' or a technique of discipline. Its final goal is the union of man with Almighty God or the universe in one breath.
Yoga is indeed the oldest existing physical-culture system in the world. Besides being a systematic and rigorously proven trail to accomplishing physical fitness, it delays aging, rejuvenates and improves one's appearance, maintains suppleness and increases vitality and the creative part of life.
With its core warm-up exercises called the Sun Salutations ( which are somewhat similar to the calisthenics exercise known as 'burpees' ), the inversion poses, forward and backward bending poses, balancing exercises for the arms and building focus, the average
yoga beginner will testify to the incontrovertible fact that for reaching fitness, Yoga can stand its own.
Heck, I challenge the most adept body-builder to hold the easy yet strong peacock-pose for ninety seconds straight. Bet you they'd crash half-way in its execution-if they make it that far.
Yoga also offers unique breathing exercises which are amazing for patients with breathing defects and even singers and public speakers, moreover with its unique relaxation pose, oft times practiced during and after its execution, Yoga offers a systematic way of very relaxing the entire body maybe the way no other exercise can. ( remember of course that several of the poses give a deep body massage not not like the ones received in salonsjust thought I should throw that in.
With numerous books, DVD's, videos and classes being offered for all ages, levels of fitness and experience ( some of them being essentially free for the first couple of lessons to try Yoga out ), i suggest you give it a trial and see for yourself what it can do.
One thing I promise you is this ; you may walk out of your
yoga beginner class and nod in agreement that indeed yoga is way more than simply stretching.' it's the exercise.
