Yoga Benefits: Why Yoga Isn't Just About Poses and Appearance

Yoga has been around for thousands of years and has many health benefits. It is often recommended by doctors to help lower stress. Yoga is beneficial for every person regardless of age, sex, race, or physical body structure. All of those things I mentioned above are absolutely true, yet many people believe they need to be a certain way to practice. They believe they already have to be flexible or that they need to be a certain weight. Those beliefs are keeping thousands of people from getting the benefits yoga has to offer.

There are many different styles of yoga, which aren't usually identified when speaking about it. Yoga is a very broad statement and means "to yoke." The poses or asana as they are called in yoga are only 1 "limb" of yoga. There are 8 limbs total by the way which I will write about another time. I began my yoga journey in my late 20s and I was overweight, out of shape, and had a hip and knee injury from a car accident. I didn't start yoga for exercise, but for stress relief and better mobility from my injuries. I went on to yoga teacher training in my mid 30's. I taught yoga until I was halfway through my pregnancy with my son. I have never been the typical yoga teacher image. I continued to be overweight after my son was born and continued to have flare-ups from my injuries. That is when I decided chair and restorative yoga were better fits for me. I could get the same benefits while being a low impact on my problem areas. Today at almost 40, I use yoga for stress relief, mental clarity, and to just move my body. Movement is essential to life. Being focused on how your body feels while you are still and then when it moves through asana can make a big difference in your everyday life.

I encourage you, no matter where you are in your life to consider yoga. Something gentle and slow is effective. You do not need to stand on your head or do some fancy pose to get the benefit.

If you are in the Ithaca, NY area, join me in person on October 1, 2022, for 8 weeks of chair yoga. You can register for 1 class or all 8. The class is limited to 10 participants each week. A remote version is in the works for this winter for those who are not local or do not feel comfortable being in person. Register here

Have a beautiful day,

Trish