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Everything You Need to Know About Yoga
We all have that friend or family member who can’t go without their weekly yoga sessions. But have you ever wondered why so many people insist on having it as a part of their exercise regimen? After all, it’s now one of the most popular forms of exercising around.
If you’ve ever wondered, “ what is yoga? ” keep reading. We’re here to share the basics of yoga , so you can understand why so many people have incorporated it into their lifestyles.
Yoga is for Everyone
Unlike many other physical and mental exercises, yoga works for absolutely everyone! There are varying difficulty levels, from yoga for beginners to experienced practitioners. Yoga is about meditation through breathing, and the poses and positions you’ll take are just there to help you reach a more meditative state.
Yoga also has amazing benefits that can help anyone regardless of age, body shape and size, or ability. Its continued practice relieves stress and anxiety and helps people become more in tune with their bodies.
Not to mention, it is a non-competitive form of exercise that can be done virtually anywhere and does not place significant stress on your joints or muscles.
Yoga has Many Different Faces: Prenatal Yoga, Hot Yoga, Power Yoga
It’s easy to think of yoga as just being the stereotypical images we often see – downward-facing dog, planking, and slow-flowing movements of already fit people. Still, there are many types of yoga, and we are going to discuss three of the most popular types you may not know about.
Prenatal Yoga
As the name might suggest, prenatal yoga is an excellent way for pregnant women to exercise their bodies and minds without fear of overstraining themselves. It can reduce anxiety and stress, aid sleep, and helps to decrease lower back pain and nausea.
Hot Yoga
Hot yoga is any type of yoga carried out in a heated room (hence the ‘hot’ part). Rooms usually have a temperature between 95 and 100 degrees, and the heat increases the participants’ heart rate and puts more demand on your muscles. As a result, it is a much more intense form of yoga than you will find in traditional classes.
Power Yoga
Unlike those forms of yoga centered more on meditation and flexibility, power yoga focuses on improving muscle strength and endurance. It is a faster form of vinyasa, where one flows through interconnected poses more quickly and intensely.
With various options, it is easy to find a yoga practice to suit your needs.
Strength Training and Flexibility
One of the most significant benefits of yoga lies in its ability to improve your strength and flexibility. Because a regular yoga session will take your limbs through a wide range of motions, you will naturally find yourself becoming more flexible over time.
Depending on the types of yoga classes you take and the level you practice, yoga can also be used as a balanced form of strength training. After all, more challenging yoga poses require you to use your muscles to support your weight and positions.
So it’s a form of weightlifting – with the “weights” being your own body!
Getting Started With Yoga in Vaughan, Ontario
As you discovered, yoga is a very multi-faceted practice. There is much more to it than meets the eye, and it can benefit your life in many ways that you don’t expect.
To learn more about the benefits of yoga or to sign up for yoga group classes, get in touch with our team at BodyWorx Vitality in Vaughan, ON.
