Yoga 101

I'm sure it's safe to say that the majority of us have heard of yoga. But how many of us actually know about yoga aside from the cinematic stereotype that it's either done by a super hippy individual or stay at home moms who head into their 10 am classes with their lulus on and Starbucks in hand. But guess what? All kinds of people do yoga and it's absolutely amazing for not only your physical health, but your mental and spiritual.

So what is it?

Yoga is a mind and body practice that combines physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation. In more recent year, yoga has become a popular form of physical exercise focusing on the poses that are known to promote improved control of the mind and body and increase your wellbeing.

Originally fitness was not the primary focus of yoga. The primary focus was to work on the self- master the mind, control emotions, and grow spiritually.

6 Branches of yoga:

• Hatha yoga: the physical and mental branch, designed to prime the body and mind
• Raja yoga: meditation and strict adherence to a series of disciplinary steps known as the 8 limbs of yoga
• Karma yoga: aimed to create a future free from negativity and selfishness
• Bhakti yoga: establish the path of devotion, a positive way to channel emotions, and cultivate tolerance and acceptance
• Jnana yoga: about wisdom, the path of the scholar, and developing intellectually through study
• Tantra yoga: the pathway of ritual, ceremony, or consummation of a relationship.  

Types of Yoga

• Anusara: an all levels yoga. Focus is on creative freedom and individuality 
• Ashtanga: uses ancient teachings and applies 6 established sequences of postures that link every movement to breath
• Bikram: also known as "hot yoga"! Occurs in artificially heated rooms and consists of 26 poses and sequences of two breathing exercises. 
• Hatha: generic terms of any type of yoga that teaches physical posture. Hatha usually serves as a gentle introduction to yoga poses. This is the ideal class to take when you are just beginning.
• Iyengar: focuses on finding the correct alignment in each pose and uses a range of props such as chairs, blocks, blankets, and more. The key idea is to master poses in isolation.
• Jivamukti: incorporates spiritual teachings and the fast paced flow between poses rather than the poses themselves. This focus is called vinyasa and each class will have a theme, which is explored through scripture, chanting, mediation, asana, music, and pranayama. Can be quite physically intense!
• Kripalu: teaches to know, accept, and learn from the body. Usually begins with breathing exercises, gentle stretches and is then followed by a series of individual poses and final relaxation. 
• Kundalini: a system of meditation aimed to release pent-up energy. It is a class where you get a chance to get your chant on. 
• Vinyasa/Power: the athletic and active type of yoga based on the traditional asthanga system
• Sivananda: based on a 5 point philosophy. The philosophy states that proper breathing, relaxation, diet, exercise, and positive thinking work together to form a healthy lifestyle. 
• Viniyoga: an adaptable yoga for any person, regardless of physically ability.
• Yin: a quiet, meditative yoga practice also called taoist yoga. Allows release of tension in the joints of the ankles, knees, hips, whole back, neck, and shoulder. 
• Prenatal: used to support people through and after pregnancy.
• Restorative: there are 4-5 simple poses and props such as blankets and bolsters to hlep sink into a deep relaxation 

Why is it important?

It helps you with so many aspects of your wellbeing such as:

• may reverse heart disease
• help with pain, balance, and flexibility
• reduces stress and elevates our mood
• helps increase lymphic drainage
• reduces symptoms of menopause
• relieve low-back pain and neck pain
• help manage anxiety or depressive symptoms
• help people with weight management
• help people with chronic diseases

Why do people practice it?

• 86% of people said it reduces stress
• 67% said it helped them feel better emotionally
• 63% said it motivated them to exercise more regularly
• 59% said it helped them improve their sleep
• 82% said it helped improve their overall health

Yoga is something that does NOT require you to be the best at it physically. In fact traditional yoga does not primarily focus on the physical aspect. The key is to become more connected an in tune with your body and mind. It truly is something that ANYONE can try.

So do you feel you're ready to try it out? Still have some hesitation? Did you know there are 13 obstacles of Yoga? You can read about them here to understand what they are and if maybe you are currently are encountering any of them, which could explain why you are still on the fence! Want to know more about yoga? A great starting point is Yoga Basics where you can learn more introductory content, yoga philosophy, energy anatomy (chakras, prana, shakti, and more), or even how its used therapeutically. 

Come back tomorrow to get some beginners tips for Tip Talk Thursday!

Ciao!

YWC

Sources:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/286745.php

https://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-yoga

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/yoga/introduction.htm

https://www.yogabasics.com/learn/