Go ahead and try YOGA!

Health Coach Corner - by Maria Hicks

I know we all feel great after stretching and it’s a wonderful way to start your day. I have done yoga for several years now and I really enjoy the deep stretch and strength training benefits of yoga. Have you tried it yet? You can take a class at a community center or gym or you can try a DVD in your own home. Even if you think you are incredibly inflexible, don’t worry, you can still do yoga – and it will help you become more flexible. I used to think yoga was a thing for “cool and hip people from California” – but, I soon realized that anyone and everyone can benefit from yoga. It’s physically challenging and mentally relaxing.

Here are just a few fun facts on yoga:

1. Stress Relief

Yoga can help reduce the effects of stress on your body. One of the benefits of yoga is that it encourages relaxation and can lower the amount of cortisol in your body.

2. Pain Relief

Daily exercises of yoga can help ease the aches and pains of the body.

3. Better Breathing

You will learn to take deeper, slower breaths with daily exercises of yoga. It will help to increase your lung function and set off the body’s relaxation response

4. Flexibility

You will notice your level of flexibility will increase, which will help with your range of motion.

5. Increased Strength

Yoga poses use all the muscles in your body and help you increase your strength level from head to toe.

6. Weight Management

You will see the benefits of yoga begin to affect your scale. Daily exercises are always recommended, but yoga helps reduce the level of cortisol in your body. This aids in weight loss and fat burning.

7. Improved Circulation

Yoga will help improve your body’s circulation.

8. Cardiovascular Conditioning

Even the gentlest style of yoga will help to lower your resting heart rate and increase your overall endurance.

9. Focus on the Present

You can have greater coordination, memory skills, reaction times, and improved concentration skills by utilizing yoga for daily exercises.

10. Inner Peace

The benefits of yoga are very far reaching indeed. There is no one other exercise avenue you can take that will address all of these issues in one simple session.

This is a great website.. very "rich" in content, videos, history of yoga, poses, and everything for a beginner to an expert!

This is a good one for people brand new to yoga