Yoga YourWay to Health

By: Melody Dizon

 

Ihave had the pleasure of having breakfast with a dear mentor and friend of mine, Donna Thomas, National Group Fitness Brand Manager, Personal Trainer and Yoga instructor, who like me has caught the YOGA bug. Yes, that’s right – the YOGA bug.

I would like to tackle YOGA in this article. Many people have preconceived notion of what yoga is. Some say, it’s so boring that they can sleep through it. Some have a totally personal experience with the poses and then there are some given their performance agility can do handstands and splits. People can have many definitions and feelings tied up to yoga. So what is really YOGA? How can Yoga benefit a stress-stricken society? A society that craves for instant gratification, that seems to be always on the go and doesn’t have the time at all to be still or to smell the roses, as what my mom always tell me? I think, I pretty much summed myself up here how I go about my day. My guess is, yours too? Am I right? 24 hrs a day seem so short. Our days can be filled up quickly with scheduled meetings and appointments with work, and then there’s family life, a wife-life and a mother-life. All I can say is, is Friday here yet? Question is, do we have to wait till Friday? Somehow, I stumbled on exploring YOGA about a year ago when I needed an in-between workout days for the cardio workouts I do. And life has never been the same. Here’s why.

As explained by Natalie Nevins, DO, a board-certified osteopathic family physician in California, “Yoga is a healing system that helps create strength, awareness and harmony in both the mind and body. Most sessions are typically comprised of breathing exercises, meditation and assuming postures that stretch and flex various muscle groups”. “It’s all about the breathing, Mel”. Donna added that yoga brings you to the here and now, an equalizer of some sort, to which springs forth different kinds of yoga. There’s hatha, mysore, ashtanga, yin to name a few. She stressed that for newbie people to not be intimidated by yoga as there are different levels. Beginners, she suggested should try the prenatal yoga because it is the safest of all. It’s all about what speaks to you since we are all wired differently.

The relaxation techniques incorporated in yoga can lessen chronic pain, such as lower back pain, arthritis and headaches. It can also lower blood pressure, reduce insomnia, increase flexibility, increase muscle strength, improve respiration, give energy, maintain a balanced metabolism, lose weight, strengthen cardio performance and protect from injury. One of the best benefits of yoga too is how it helps a person manage stress. Stress, as we know, can have devastating effects on the body and mind. It can reveal itself in many ways, including back or neck pain, sleeping problems, headaches and inability to concentrate, says Dr. Nevins. Yoga can be very effective in developing coping skills and reaching a more positive outlook in life. Yoga’s incorporation of meditation and breathing help a person improve his/her well being. “Regular yoga practice creates mental clarity and calmness; increases body awareness; relieves chronic stress patterns, relaxes the mind; centers attention and sharpens concentration.”
True yoga is not the shape of your body, but the shape of your life. Yoga is not to be performed: yoga is to be lived. Yoga doesn’t care about what you have been: yoga cares about the person you are becoming. Yoga is designed for a vast and profound purpose, and for it to be truly called yoga. Its essence must be embodied. – Aadil Palkivala

The goal of yoga is not to tie ourselves in knots- we’re already tied in knots, the aim is to untie the knots inside of us and awaken. – Max Storm
You cannot teach anyone a yoga posture. You can only set an event in motion that creates a possibility for each person to go within and discover that his or her own inner experience is the real yoga teacher. – Tribalance Yoga

Breathe and release anything that does not serve you, the universe is taking care of it. God is taking care of everything else’s. Falling out of posture means you are human. Getting back into posture means you are a yogi.

Remind yourself that your mental health is as important as your physical health. Balance in your life is so very important. Take time to find some. Yoga doesn’t take time, it gives time – Ganga White

When in doubt go to yoga. I have embraced yoga and discovered so many things about me. Apart from all the physical benefits it brings, it’s about the serenity, the stillness and the quietness in my mind that I absolutely appreciate. They say, go yoga or go meditate, because life questions cannot all be answered by Google. I laugh at how true this is.

Going to hot yoga class at 6A.M. sets the tone for the day for me. My mind is somehow conditioned that if I don’t allow things to take root in my heart and in my mind, then my day will be okay. All the unnecessary clutter that will disrupt my peace and my joy, I learned that I have a choice in everything. Will I let it get to me? I take a deep breath and I walk away.

I choose my battles, for not all battles need to be fought for. So I challenge our VIATIMES readers to at least give yoga a try. Let it go. Let it be. Just be. It might do you some good. The light in me honors the light in you. Namaste!