October is National Yoga Month (more info HERE at the Yoga Health Foundation)
Yoga is so good for wellness.
Yoga is so good for wellness.
I owe so much to yoga and I think it can be a helpful wellness tool for every human being.
Yoga strengthens your body at its core, which makes you stronger and can prevent injury. When I first started taking yoga classes, my main goal was to become more flexible. I had no idea that I would have the powerful mental refresher. I also appear taller because my posture improved. And one of my favorite perks of doing yoga is the strength I have gained. A stronger, balanced body is a gift - and the time you spend keeping your body healthy (and well) will pay off in many ways. We all hear that yoga is good for the mind, body, and spirit, but when you feel those benefits it changes the way you think about it - the experience makes you know it.
If you have not tried yoga, or if you have tried yoga and did not enjoy the class - I want to encourage you to keep trying.
I stayed away from yoga for too many years because I only tried a few classes. The classes I tried were either too advanced for a beginner or they were done at a pace that did not match my style. Horrible actually. And so I stayed away from yoga and did other things for my workouts.
However, in 2013, Adrienne Reed yoga (HERE) was on TV and the daily episodes were amazing and they focus on Power Yoga poses that are Vinyasa and Yin combined.
Suggestion #1: Try one of Reed's videos - I think you will be glad that you did.
What looped me in with Reed's TV episodes was that they were short, engaging, and fun. I also saw results almost immediately and so the motivation only increased.
Adrienne Reed power yoga allowed me to participate in yoga in a way that looped me in and improved my health when I was sitting at the computer doing a lot of writing. This yoga rescued me!
I now enjoy taking local yoga classes and sometimes I even teach some basic poses and yoga is a special part of my life, but sometimes I do yoga at home with Reed because her workouts are so good.
Suggestion #2: Try one of Harmony Yoga's classes.
Recently, I found another REALLY GOOD TV yoga show, called Harmony Yoga (HERE), which is a show produced from a studio in Stamford, CT. and it presents a very fresh approach to yoga.
Harmony Yoga features Kripalu yoga, which focuses on "Mediation in Movement" and the classes are for all levels, but really cater to beginners or those of us still advancing. And trust me when I say good, I mean this yoga is enjoyable and the quick workout makes you feel loose, stretched, and ready for life. The shows I am doing are recorded on the DVR, from the Jewish Channel, and the 30 minutes has a warm-up, stretch and wake up, and cool down with shavasana (complete let go to relax).
Recently, I found another REALLY GOOD TV yoga show, called Harmony Yoga (HERE), which is a show produced from a studio in Stamford, CT. and it presents a very fresh approach to yoga.
Harmony Yoga features Kripalu yoga, which focuses on "Mediation in Movement" and the classes are for all levels, but really cater to beginners or those of us still advancing. And trust me when I say good, I mean this yoga is enjoyable and the quick workout makes you feel loose, stretched, and ready for life. The shows I am doing are recorded on the DVR, from the Jewish Channel, and the 30 minutes has a warm-up, stretch and wake up, and cool down with shavasana (complete let go to relax).
Here is Carol Shwidock, Harmony Yoga's founder, sharing about her latest DVD:
Breath by Breath
Life proceeds breath by breath.
Deep, full and easy, shallow or
uneven, breathing is the key to
cultivating peace.
Deep, full and easy, shallow or
uneven, breathing is the key to
cultivating peace.
Breath by breath, choose to
stay present. It isn’t success
you are seeking, but surrender
to the flow of energy.
stay present. It isn’t success
you are seeking, but surrender
to the flow of energy.
It’s not control that matters,
but letting go, allowing life
exactly as it is this moment
to touch and change and
breathe through you.
but letting go, allowing life
exactly as it is this moment
to touch and change and
breathe through you.
~ Danna Faulds