YOGA...

I'm sure we have all heard about Yoga. I've known about Yoga for years. You know that exercise where everyone sits around and meditates and says...."OMMMMMMM." Right?

Mmmmm, not hardly.

So, what is Yoga?  To be honest, I really didn't know much about Yoga until my daughter became certified in Vinyasa Flow Yoga and started teaching. She has mentioned on several occasions that I need to take some classes. I took one class with her, then I took another class while I was on a cruise. But that really wasn't much of a class. Too many distractions.

Since the first of the year, our fitness center started offering Yoga classes free to members. I decided to try it. I now go three days and week and LOVE it! 

Most of you probably think of yoga as a stretch class. Yes, there is a lot of stretching involved, but there is much more to yoga than just stretching. First off, the word yoga means union; the union between mind, body and spirit. 

In yoga, you create balance in the body through both strength and flexibility. You do this by a series of poses and posture. Many times the poses are done quickly in succession, creating a heat in the body (which is the Vinyasa flow style), or more slowly to create a better alignment. This can also help with stamina. In addition to working the strength and flexibility you also work your core.

When going to a yoga class, it will be referred to as your practice. YOUR practice. Everyone's practice is different. Just because the girl next to you can twist up like a pretzel does not mean that you have to do that. Your practice will continue to evolve and change. Probably the hardest thing about yoga is letting go of your ego, and doing what is right for YOUR body. 

Another thing that is important in yoga is breathing. You breath in through your nose and out through your nose. During the practice you should never hold your breath; the breath is constant, and it is deep and long.

There is a lot to yoga, I recommend that you go try a class. I recommend that you go several times, because just going once will not give you a full understanding. Seems like the more I go, the more I want to go again and again.