For many of us, mind-body exercise is considered mainstream. For others though, still, mind-body exercise is considered odd, weird, even “out there”. Because proper education allows us to make the most informed decisions and develop the best opinions, a series of articles will be presented in the coming months to provide a brief overview of a variety of mind-body exercise modalities, their intent, benefits, and a rationale for you to give it a try and see if it suits you! What is important is to try a variety of things and see what fits your lifestyle and improves your quality of life. This has the added benefit of improving your odds of success at weight loss and long term weight maintenance. This is true for ALL types of physical activity, not just mindful exercise!
YOGA
The ancient practice of yoga is known to most as a form of exercise that involves physical poses (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama), and relaxation. This is true, but in a wider more accurate explanation, yoga is a discipline, practice, and way of life. Through exercise, breathing and meditation/relaxation, yoga teaches how to quiet the mind, accept the body, and live consciously. The exercise form is based on the belief or recognition that the body and breath are directly connected with the mind.
There are many different types of yoga, each of which offers a different method of self-discovery and requires varying levels of strength, flexibility, patience and commitment. Most poses strengthen weaker muscles while stretching tight muscles. They also stimulate internal organs or release energy to relax stress-prone areas (low-back/neck). Still other forms of yoga focus on cardiovascular training, fat-burning and developing muscle strength. Hatha Yoga is the over-arching branch of yoga embraced most fully by “westerners”, as it focuses on the body. Within Hatha Yoga there are thousands of types of practice such as Iyengar, Vinyasa and Bikram. This is similar to the way the term aerobic exercise means movement that develops cardiovascular efficiency but can be accomplished by running, swimming, or cycling. Some forms of Hatha Yoga are aggressive and more physically challenging while others are focused on relaxation with a gentle approach. There truly is something for everyone.
Regardless of the type of yoga you try, for thousands of years yoga has been and continues to be practiced all over the world. Scientific research has proven yoga, specifically a yoga-based lifestyle including physical asana practice, stress management/relaxation, and diet changes, to be an effective way to improve physical health, develop concentration, focus on positive thinking, and relieve stress. The benefits of yoga are of course physical, but also emotional, spiritual and mental. Most importantly, yoga teaches us to see ourselves as we already are, and appreciate ourselves. Who doesn't need that?!
Still sound weird? Maybe, but it's easier to experience than explain so give a class a try. Then, if for some reason you didn't like it or didn't “get it”, try a different class, then another. The instruction depends not only on the instructor, but also the particular method of yoga taught, which is as variable as types of shoes when you walk into a shoe store. They all essentially do the same thing, but how you get there and what it looks and feels like is all over the board.
In the next series of articles we will review the mind/body exercise modalities of tai chi/qigong, Pilates, and a definition of mindfulness as it applies to all forms of exercise and your everyday life for improved enjoyment and quality of life!
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