| Guilford Woman Magazine Article - January 2009 |
Ready, Set, YOGA!
Are you ready to step into a yoga practice but don't know where to start? Do you wonder about joining an ongoing class and feel apprehensive about not being able to follow? At this time of year where so many people resolve to pay better attention to their health and reorganize their life/priorities, leap over those hurdles of doubt and research all your options. Just as with any other class, you must find the right fit so you will be inclined to stay dedicated.
Why choose yoga? Yoga is the oldest form of "exercise" on this earth, 5000 years old, tried and true. It is more than just exercise. In the west, we have embraced the ideals of the physical gains of a consistent asana practice, the practice of the poses. We are enticed by the potential gain in flexibility, muscular strength and endurance, and balance, as they are components of physical fitness. For the past decade the practice of yoga in America has grown by leaps and bounds. We wanted power yoga initially. We wanted to master practicing yoga by doing it harder, faster, stronger... I tell my students, we came in the back door on how we opened our eyes to what yoga has to offer. Now we are coming full circle and beginning to realize that stress reduction can come not just from practicing yoga poses, but is greatly enhanced by doing breath work, pranayama, as well as learning to use meditation, additional tools that lend themselves to the overall picture of good health. In this day and age where life is fast paced and overly structured, learning to slow down the racing mind so as to think clearly is an enticing advantage of a consistent yoga practice.
The greatest way yoga is growing in this country now is being termed "yoga therapy." Yoga, preparations for poses as well as full poses, are being used like physical therapy and most readily learned in a private yoga session or in small specialized classes. Also, counselors and psychiatrists/psychologists are beginning to use the meditative and relaxation techniques that come from yoga also as "yoga therapy." Many studies are being done to validate this use of yoga so that eventually insurance companies will reimburse for yoga as a therapy. Another way yoga is growing is in its use to keep athletes at the "top of their game." Many professional teams, Olympic teams, and right down to local kids teams, like STAR aquatics, incorporate yoga as part of the training of their athletes. They encourage using poses that strengthen the muscles used in that sport as well as the stretching to minimize injury and promote greater range of movement so as to enhance the power in those movements. The potential for using yoga is indeed great.
This statement from one of my teachers has stayed with me, "the common thread in all the poses is extension of the spine,...it is also the fruit of the labor." The idea is to strengthen the many intricate muscles that support each vertebrae and hold us up so that these muscles will be strong when they are long and there can be great space between each vertebrae for discs to stay healthy and innervation to be without compression. Many yogis attribute their yoga practice to keeping them from becoming shorter as they age,. Some even see some regaining of lost height.
Learning to practice yoga can come from using books and DVDs. An experienced teacher is the safest and best way to learn how to modify and make your practice unique to your needs. Finding a class at the right pace and intensity level and a teacher who knows about alignment are key elements to finding your place in yoga. The Yoga Alliance is the largest organization in this country which documents credible teachers. There are many great teachers out there. Now is the time to begin!
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