And you thought Yoga Was Just Stretching.

While upon the method to spot a friend of mine in the local YMCA, he asked why I didn’t just join the gym and I explained to him that I practice Yoga and occasional calisthenics in your own home for my exercises and really didn’t feel the call for a gym membership. His response was predictable : “Yoga…isn’t that just stretching? ”

I smirked in the familiarity from the question and proceeded to elucidate to him the theme want to know. As I told him and for people who might not know otherwise : No, Yoga is much not only stretching or stepping into supposedly awkward looking poses and positions.

It‘s a mixture of stretching, breathing exercises, meditation and perhaps the foremost overlooked limb, adherence to some proper diet.

The term yoga, coming from the Sanskrit word yuj means to yoke or bind and it is often interpreted like a union or perhaps a approach to discipline. Its ultimate goal is that the union of man with God as well as universe in one breath. Furthermore, it aims to liberate the spirit like the mind and spirit are equally associated with its practice.

Yoga is indeed the oldest existing physical-culture system in the planet. Besides as like a systematic and scientifically proven path to attaining physical fitness, it delays aging, rejuvenates and improves one’s appearance, maintains suppleness and increases vitality and also the creative section of life.

Using its core warm-up exercises referred to as Sun Salutations (that somewhat much like the calisthenics exercise referred to as ‘burpees’ ), the inversion poses, forward and backward bending poses, balancing exercises to the arms and building focus, the typical practitioner will attest to the undeniable fact that for attaining fitness, Yoga can stand its own.

Think Yoga can’t help with building strength? Reconsider. Heck, I challenge the foremost adept body-builder to carry the simple yet powerful peacock-pose for 90 seconds straight. Bet you they’d crash half-way in its execution-if they create it that far.

Yoga also offers unique breathing exercises that wonderful for patients with respiratory disorders as well as singers and public speakers, moreover using its unique relaxation pose, oft times practiced during and once its execution, Yoga offers a systematic means of deeply relaxing the complete body perhaps the way in which simply there is no other exercise can. (Bear in mind in fact that several from the poses provide a deep body massage not unlike those received in salons…just thought I ought to throw that in. )

With countless books, DVD’s, videos and classes on offer for many ages, levels of fitness and experience (a few of them being actually free for the very first few lessons to undertake Yoga out ), I would recommend you provides it a trial and find out for only yourself actually can perform.

Something you need I promise you is that this ; you‘ll walk away from your class and nod in agreement that indeed : “yoga is much not only stretching. ” It‘s THE exercise.