Yoga is one of the most loving gifts you will ever bestow upon yourself. There’s no better time than now to get started.
Yoga is aerobic, strengthens all your muscles, improves flexibility, calms your nervous system, connects you to your true self, and gives you the best relationship to your body you could possibly have.
It’s best to go to a good teacher to learn the poses. Once you feel comfortable with your alignment you can practice at home. There are many great DVDs: Shiva Rea’s Yoga Sanctuary, Alan Finger’s series, Donna Helm-Yost’s Karma Yoga Project, and Yoga Radiance; but, my favorite way to do yoga at home is by subscribing to Gaia.com. They offer wonderful streaming videos in all styles: Kundalini, Yin, Vinyasa, Ashtanga/Power Yoga, Hatha, and Anusara. They also have videos on Pilates, meditation, and music. If you prefer not to spend any money, experiment with yoga classes on YouTube. Yoga with Adriene is a good place to start, but there are numerous teachers to explore.
If you’re new to yoga none of the different styles of yoga will make sense to you. Don’t get overwhelmed. Almost all yoga practices use the same poses. Some are faster, some are slower. Some are more meditative, some more like a gym class. In time, you will find the style(s) that appeal to you. Just do some yoga, preferably every day. Even if all you can do is a balance pose while stirring the soup, do that.
Yoga is like a mini vacation. It can take you away from all the stresses of your life by nurturing your body, mind, and spirit. It teaches you, through a beautiful new relationship with your body, that you can bend beyond where you think you can without breaking.
Copyright Nicole S. Urdang
