I loved it.
Yoga is fantastic for your body for multiple reasons as with any exercise. Many people immediately think of flexibility. Yes, yoga does help to increase flexibility, even areas you never thought could be stretched. It also increases muscle tone and lubrication of the joints. This makes yoga great for younger generations as well as elderly.
When you Google "yoga" you probably come across pictures such as this one below.
Picture thanks to freedom festival.
Many people would obviously have trouble with this position. As with anything, you do what you can. Yes, push your body, but you also need to listen to your body. If in reaching for your toes you can only get to your knees then so be it. If you want to be able to touch your toes then you practice, gently stretching your body, and eventually you will get there without injuring yourself. This is key. Yoga is a great activity to enable one to tune into his or her body.
In reality, doing yoga looks more like this for the average person. See below.
Picture thanks to Your Body Center
When I do yoga, I think of it as massaging my body. I "massage" the aches out of my body. I stretch and work the muscles to loosen them up. And breathe! You'd be amazed at how many people don't.
I'm serious.
Do a stretch right now.
.......
Did you breathe out or did you hold your breath?
If you don't know, do the stretch again and pay attention. Paying attention to your body is something that yoga is also good for. With an increased awareness of your body you will know when you are about to "dork something up", when you start to come down with something, and when stress begins to settle in. Knowing that these things are about to happen is majorly beneficial in preventive care.
Even if you think yoga is not for you, give it a try. You may discover that it is for you. :)
~The Kneadonator
