YOGA

In the last month or so, I started going to yoga at the local gym where I live. I have never thought about about adding yoga to my workout routine thinking that I may never enjoy it or it may be too boring for me.

Nevertheless, I decided to give it a try. I attended a class for Vinyasa yoga and have fallen in love with it.

Vinyasa yoga or Ashtanga yoga focuses on the fast paced flow of the movements while synchronizing your breath. There is a lot of focus on the breathe which I love. We forget that our body automatically functions on its own and we don't have to "think" about breathing.

In Vinyasa joya you move along with deep inhaling and exhaling breathes and it actually make you more conscious. The poses are a little hard for me since I am a beginner but I am not giving up. I try to do them the best  I can and will modify if it gets too much.

Its been the only type of yoga class that I have attended due to my schedule. I would certainly like to try to add on more classes if I can.

If you have been thinking about yoga, I would certainly recommend it, not just Vinyasa yoga but any other types of yoga. The feeling that I have once I leave the class is completely different from my other more intense group fitness classes.

For one, I feel so relaxed. My shoulders are not hunched up and I feel my muscles feeling so good stretched out. I try to focus on my breathe a lot and the instructor, who is just so fabulous, keeps reminding us to inhale and exhale which helps with the focus on the breathe.

I also feel a lot calmer once I leave the class. I find myself speaking more slowly and calmly and not loudly.  The effect lasts for a while so I try to remember the after feel good affects throughout the day if I find myself in a position getting agitated by something or someone.

It has also reduced my stress levels quite a bit. I think that bringing awareness to your breathe not just during the class but also throughout the day does wonders.

It's not like my other intense workout classes and the main difference with Yoga I find is the attention to the breathe throughout the class. The after feel good effects are similar.

Sometimes, we forget about our breathing as we go about our day but consciously pausing and taking those breathes every hour helps.  I want to get to a point where I stop often and take my deep breathers with my eyes closed. One way for me to remember is using my Fitbit.

I have  a reminder on my Fitbit every hour for step o'clock where  it will beep and remind me to get up, stretch out and walk around the floor when I am at work. Many of us have a sit down desk job so it is a great way to remind yourself to get up and walk.

I have now decided to incorporate my deep breathing exercises as well. Just a few deep inhales and exhales with my eyes closed every hour. I am sure this too will do wonders for me through out the day and it's good for my heart and soul.

It brings you back to the present as well. I am sure that the constant pauses to pay attention to my breathe will not only help ease my mind but will do wonders to my day.

It really does not matter what type of yoga you do, but for me the benefits have been so great. I only wish that I had started it earlier in my life but there was really no chance. I can only make sure that I try to keep up with it a couple of times a week if not more. Yoga is such a great breathing exercise for the body, mind and soul.

One of the breathes that I love during my practice is the "Ujjayi" breathe. My lovely instructor says to breathe in filling your lungs all the way up then letting it go through your mouth making 'ahh' sound. We do it a lot more holding the downward dog pose at least 3 times and sometimes we let it go through the mouth while feeling a little constriction on the back of the throat. I love it!! Such a just way to deep breathe. You ought to give a try.

We also flow through the posses and some of my favorite one's are the downward dog, the resting pose, the warrior pose and the goddess pose. It's certainly all powerful posses and you can feel the energy in your hands and legs as your flow through them. It's really hard to describe and everyone's yoga practice will be a little different. If you do try it, you will see it for yourself.

I certainly will continue to try to improve on it and keep at it for as long as I can. It's one of those things where if you start, you will become addicted, in a good way, to the after effects. It's like the feeling that runners have after a good long run called the runners high. I call it the yoga high.

My friends, I love it. I hope I am able to continue with it and work around my schedule so I can keep up with the practice. I hope you too find something that you like or end up loving no matter what it is as long as you keep nourishing your mind , body and soul.

Wish you love my friends!

Peace

Monita