This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

3 Reasons to Start or Restart Your Yoga Practice

Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years and today it is one of the most popular forms of exercise in the U.S. The benefits of practicing this ancient discipline are immeasurable.  It is an exercise that builds strength, tones muscles, improves flexibility and creates awareness. A regular practice allows you to enjoy an array of physical and spiritual benefits that give you a clear mind and strong body.  So why do so many say, “I’m not flexible, I have back pain, I am too stressed, I have no time,” when the positives outweigh the negative?   

 

Here are 3 reasons why you should begin your practice or get ‘back at it!”

Find out what's happening in Weston-Redding-Eastonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

I.  Most of our life we are seated in a forward bend.  We work hard, sit at a desk all day, or drive our kids for hours and sit in a car. Sitting is one of the most compromising positions for our lower backs and is usually the main culprit for creating the chronic back pains or stiffness that can arise. Practicing yoga and learning the proper alignment can teach you the how to sit, walk and maintain good posture properly without stressing your lower back.

Find out what's happening in Weston-Redding-Eastonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

 

2. We are busy all the time and pulled in many different directions. We make huge demands; we have endless obligations, unrealistic expectations and endless pressures in any given day. We never have enough time, enough sleep, enough for our kids, for our jobs, for ourselves. Yoga’s goal among all goals is to help relieve stress and learn how to deal with life’s challenges. Yoga helps us slow down and teaches us the importance of listening to our breath which keeps us present.  This enables us to make

healthier choices — to be proactive rather than reactive. A solid, fluent, focused yoga class leaves you feeling the way you deserve to always feel and will restore patience, instill calm, relieve stress and learn how to fully enjoy all that life offers.

 

 

3. Yoga beats the boredom of the treadmill.  It helps anyone at any point de-stress and feel more relaxed. But at the same time, hatha yoga is a physical experience. Understanding how to engage your muscles and develop awareness of your body to achieve things like standing on your hands or back bending or even just holding and breathing through a simple lunge or twist will challenge your endurance, strength, stamina and capacity in all the ways that you want to keep coming back to try again. You will sweat, your muscles will shake and all the while you will be coached with such motivation and real life inspiration that you will actually be empowered.  

Yoga will enhance your overall health and can be practiced by people of all ages and skills.  From beginners to intermediate to advanced, practicing yoga makes your look and feel good. It is the optimal exercise that equally nurtures the mind, the body and the spirit.

 

For more information go to www.yogapata.com or call us at 203-215-7750

Follow us on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/yogapata.ct

 

Tracy, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from Columbia University, taught English at Staples and Darien High School before deciding to change careers and focus on educating the community on the richness and transformative benefits of yoga. Tracy, was trained in Mysore India, and was the first yoga teacher to bring this style of yoga to Fairfield County more than13 years ago. Tracy, along with her husband Mitchel, owner, is a teacher and visionary at Yogapata in Wilton Ct.

 

 

 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?