For 5,000 years,
yoga has been a path
to good health and
conscious living.
Would you like to
increase your
physical vitality,
mental clarity, and
heighten your
spiritual awareness?
Regardless of your
age or physical
condition, yoga can
bring you these
benefits.
Yoga is
training in
listening to our
bodies. By tuning in
through awareness of
our breath, through
conscious movement
in the poses and in
the transitions
between the poses,
we can receive an
amazing amount of
information from our
bodies.
The stuck places,
the places in our
bodies where energy
is blocked, cause us
discomfort in order
to get our
attention. What is
that “stuck place”
in your body trying
to tell you? You can
mentally go inside
that place, breathe
into the area,
expand it with your
breath, then relax,
open your mind and
ask your body what
the stuck area is
trying to tell you.
Be open to the
message and you may
find the discomfort
beginning to melt
away.
What are the
benefits of yoga?
Yoga has been
clinically shown to
lower blood
pressure, increase
circulation, build
muscle tissues,
increase
flexibility, relieve
stress and
stress-related
symptoms, and
strengthen the
respiratory system.
Other benefits can
include relief from
symptoms of
menopause,
counteracting
osteoporosis,
cleansing the
internal organs,
energizing the
nervous system,
balancing out the
digestive system and
obtaining relief
from headaches and
lower back pain. For
caregivers and
others with a
hectic,
stress-filled life,
yoga is Yoga is a
way to decrease your
stress level and
increase your
stamina and
flexibility.
Although you may
enjoy taking a yoga
class, unlike
swimming, tennis and
many other
activities, yoga can
be done in your own
living room, at any
hour of the day or
night, without the
purchase of any
special equipment.
Do I have to
stand on my head?
There are as many
different styles of
yoga as there are
yoga teachers. Yoga
classes range from
very gentle
meditative yoga, to
very intense and
challenging ‘power
yoga.” It’s
important to find a
style or a class
that is right for
your level of
ability and for your
body. Whatever style
of yoga you choose,
tune in to your body
and do only what
feels supportive and
beneficial to you.
Although
headstands, and
shoulder stand, can
be an excellent way
to improve
circulation and
concentration, they
are not for
everyone. In
particular, if you
have suffered any
damage to your neck
or back, headstands
may not be good for
you.
But there’s a
yoga style that’s
right for everyone.
Yoga is now widely
taught in yoga
centers, YMCAs, on
TV, and is available
on video, audiotapes
and in many of
books. Whatever
method you choose,
be sure to choose a
class and teaching
style that inspires
and is appropriate
for you. There as
many different yoga
styles as there are
yoga teachers, so
shop around.
Just give it a
try. If you’re
breathing, you can
do yoga. One of the
simplest of yoga
poses is called “Savasana,”
the corpse pose is
the pose of deep
relaxation. The idea
is to consciously
bring your attention
to each part of your
body and relax it
completely, as free
from tension as if
you were a corpse.
Lie comfortably
on your back with a
pillow under your
knees to support
your lower back.
Throughout this
relaxation exercise,
you can first tense
the muscles to bring
your awareness to
them and then
completely relax the
areas.
Begin with your
feet. Consciously
tense, then relax,
all the muscles in
your feet and
ankles, then tense
and relax the
muscles in your
calves and knees,
then in your thighs,
hips, buttocks and
lower back.
Relax your groin
and abdomen, your
ribs, and
collarbones, and
your upper back. We
often carry tension
in muscles without
knowing it.
After you have
relaxed the muscles
in your chest, in
your arms, shoulders
and your neck, you
can move on to relax
your head and face.
Try clenching your
jaw and then
releasing it;
scowling, then
releasing your
forehead, even
tensing the muscles
around your ears!
After you have
tensed and relaxed
every muscle in your
body, lie quietly
for at least 10
minutes and rest.
You will be grateful
for the deep
relaxation you’ll
experience.
A roaring
exercise
Another way to
relax the muscles in
your face is to
practice roaring
like a lion! Sit
comfortably, then
open your mouth and
eyes very wide, and
raise your hands
near the sides of
your face with the
palms out and
fingers stretched
and breath outwards
loudly as if you
were roaring. This
can be great fun
(even if it does
look a little
silly). It can help
expand your lungs
and help your face
muscles relax.
Susan Winter
Ward,
internationally
recognized yoga
instructor, author,
and video producer,
is the creator of
Yoga for the
Young at Heart™,
a multimedia
publisher which
publishes an
informative and
inspiring collection
of CDRoms, videos,
audio tapes, books
and television
programs, as well as
exciting vacation
retreats. Her
product line is
available at:
Yoga for the Young
at Heart
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