What are the benefits of Yoga?
What do I wear?
What do I need?
What is the appropriate amount of time to eat before
yoga or meditation?
Are there any specific ages that should not participate
in a yoga practice?
Do women menstruating need to take any
precautions?
Can I get cardiovascular benefits from a yoga
practice?
How often should I practice?
What if I'm not flexible at all?
What are the benefits of Yoga?
Answer: Yoga can be a complete form of exercise that strengthens your
entire body, improves your flexibility, cultivates focus and
concentration and reduces stress by making you less reactive. It
especially opens the spine, the hips and the shoulders, where all
stress hides and strengthens the many systems of the body, like the
circulatory system, the immune system and the endocrine system. Yoga
calms the mind, steadies emotions and opens the heart to feeling more
vibrantly alive, giving you a sense of empowerment. It makes you more
comfortable in your body. When you feel better in your body, you feel
better about yourself and act better towards others and that's
the goal! That's the short list. Want more reasons to start or
continue a yoga practice? See below:
- Reduces overall stress and tension
- Increases energy & vitality
- Improves posture & body alignment
- Reduces back & neck pain
- Tones & strengthens muscles
- Improves concentration & focus
- Increases intuitive awareness
- Increases bone density
- Creates flexibility, strength & balance
- Improves function of glands and organs
- Normalizes blood pressure
- Improves digestion & metabolism
- Improves circulation
- Improves quality of sleep
- Rejuvenates joint function
- Increases joy and sense of well-being
What do I wear?
Answer: Comfortable clothing that stretches and breathes with you.
Anything you would wear to the gym is suitable. Bare feet.
What do I need?
Answer: A mat, a bottle of water and perhaps a towel. If you have none
of these, you can rent a mat for $1. We also sell high-quality yoga
mats(that will not fall apart and unravel after a week!) and special
practice towels that aid in non-slipping for those who sweat.
What is the appropriate amount of time to eat before yoga or
meditation?
Answer: In general, the stomach should be empty. Food in the stomach
can reduce range of motion & energy level, which can affect your
strength, stamina as well as your ability to concentrate. In general,
before your yoga practice, wait 2-3 hours after eating meat; 1 1/2 to 2
1/2 hours after carbs/starches; 1/2-1 hour after fruits & veggies.
Now you know the issues, and knowing your own metabolism and digestive
system, you can make your best decision.
Are there any specific ages that should not participate in a
yoga practice?
Answer: No! Although depending on you age and mental & physical
ability, there are certain classes more appropriate than others. See
our class descriptions and if you need more direction, our staff will
be more than happy to guide you.
Do women menstruating need to take any precautions?
Answer: Yes and no! There are different points of view on this. Some
traditions believe it is best not to practice asanas at all during the
full cycle of menstruation. Others say it is ok, so long as you refrain
from Inversions(headstands, handstands, shoulderstand, plow, etc.)
which reverse the flow of blood down and out of the body. I know many
women, including myself who swear they are fine practicing as they
normally do. Again, it is a matter of your own experimentation and
using your intuition to make the appropriate choices. Listen to your
body and you'll know.
Can I get cardiovascular benefits from a yoga practice?
Answer: Okay, we know, you want to really ask if you're going to
burn calories and lose weight! Again, it depends on the nature of your
practice. Vinyasa flow classes will generally build heat, generate
sweat, and provide a healthy cardiovascular workout. All yoga, however,
because it reduces stress, calms the mind, and transforms your
metabolic and glandular systems, can create huge benefits. Lastly, yoga
empowers your mind which goes a long way to help you maintain a healthy
attitude, which we all know creates healthy body and spirit.
How often should I practice?
Answer: As often as you can! This is a very personal question. Like
everything else in life, the more you practice, the greater the
results. We recommend that the first thing you do is NOT put pressure
on yourself so you don't approach yoga like a chore! Start
wherever you can, even if it's once or twice a week, commit to
that. The more important thing is CONSISTENCY. When you get serious
about yoga, it's like eating, breathing, sleeping. But it's
something you have to ease into, depending on your level.
What if I'm not flexible at all?
Answer: This is our favorite because it's such a myth that you
have to be flexible to practice yoga. Yes, you will become more
flexible as a result, but it is not a prerequisite. In fact, yoga
really has nothing to do with being flexible. The postures were created
to heal and maintain vitality of the places they expose. If you are
carrying a lot of tension in an area a pose exposes, then the tension
will release and your range of motion, flexibility, will increase. Yet
if there is no tension in the area, the poses job is to maintain this
status and create stimulation that promotes oxygenation, regeneration
and flushes out toxicity. In fact, if you are hyper flexible, this is
not healthy because it creates a state of instability. So, no, you
don't have to be flexible. What you need is time to move and
breathe.
