There is a good reason why yoga has become popular over the last years. Yoga practise promotes not just physical, but also mental and spiritual wellness. You might have heard someone say "I am not flexible enough to do yoga", or "I am not athletic or physically fit enough to do yoga". However, this is not true. I am a firm believer that everyone can find some benefit in yoga, regardless of their age, fitness level or ability. It can be a physical, mental or spiritual benefit that one can find from yoga.
There are many types of yoga to fit all needs and abilities. There are more gentle practises for the ones that are new to yoga, hot yoga for those that like to sweat, restorative and yin yoga for the ones that want to relax, get more flexible. There is also rocket yoga for the athletic people that like to practise on their hands. Yoga can be also adapted to the people with disabilities. I have taught blind people, elderly people unable to stand straight or unable to use their feet. Yoga is for everyone. Every yoga practise can still offer benefits, even if you just stay completely still, practising breathing and mindfulness.
Yoga has wide range of benefits outside of the physical practise. Yoga is a lot about mental and emotional wellness, ie. about the mental health that has recently got a lot more attention. Yoga is beautiful, because it draws our attention to the present moment, makes us aware of our breath and allows us to connect with ourselves on a deeper level. For this reason yoga is often recommended for anxiety and depression.
For many, like me, yoga started about being a great workout, which it can also be. Yoga can be a great workout for those who are athletic, or want to work on their muscle strength. There are also many practises into various genres of music, like techno, disco or pop-music, if you are into that. There are more endurance based practises, such as Ashtanga, Rocket or Power yoga. These yoga practises challenge the body physically by building strength, improving coordination and body-awareness. Many of these practises encourage freely adding arm balances and inversions for fun, calling it "flying". As a conclusion, there is something for everyone in yoga. So, it does not matter whether you are new to yoga, beginner or an experienced practitioner, young or old, flexible or inflexible, there is something in yoga you will find benefit in. Yoga promotes physical and mental wellness and also enquires you to question things within. I encourage you to give it a go. You may be surprised, and learn something about yourself you did not know, find that it enhances your wellbeing or simply by just enjoying the silence or the music your yoga teacher picks.
Comments