With certain types of yoga come certain health benefits including the burning of calories through intense, moderately paced movements. Yoga also improves flexibility and strength. I can now touch my toes with the legs straight – I haven’t been able to do that since middle school! Yoga (also) decreases heart rate and blood pressure, which is good for people like me who become upset at the slightest little thing that does not go their way. Yoga improves physical endurance, posture (if you have to keep your back straight for the entire session, your body will become used to it), and balance. I have personally noticed that it helps with allergies. I have horrible allergies, and when I practice yoga, within ten minutes I can breathe normally and my eyes are not bright red anymore.
Yoga also improves mental health…and has been shown to help memory and concentration. It is definitely easier for me to concentrate after taking this class. My mind wanders when I am presented with a task that I do not want to perform and now I sit down and get the job done. (Yoga) has also been shown to help with one’s acceptance of oneself, which may be the most important health benefit of them all.
I used to take dance and martial arts classes when I was younger. Perhaps because of this I was not sore after the first class. I was, however, very tired. It was difficult for me to accept the fact that I was out of shape. I am 21 years old. It should not be difficult for me to work out at a steady pace for about two hours. I was determined to become more flexible, strong, and have more endurance by the time this class was over….I had gained a significant amount of weight last summer (about 35 pounds) and have not been able to successfully take and keep it off. About halfway through the (six week course), I realized that I could run up and down stairs and not be panting when I reached a landing. My stomach wasn’t flowing over the waistband of my pants as much. I could carry more things to and from my car than I could previously… I can’t say I don’t slouch at all anymore, but I am definitely more aware of it and will straighten my back when I realize I am slouching…
I never thought yoga would affect me the way it has. This class made my walking and jogging class easy! I will definitely keep doing the sun salutations after this class is over, and hopefully I will have the opportunity to take a yoga class again.
This post was written by Jennifer Wright as a testimonial for Ashtanga Yoga Maryland. This has been reposted with permission. Click here to go to the original.