For years people tried explaining to me the many benefits of yoga. Mental health, physical health, and overall well-being. In my early 20s I took Pilates on a fairly regular basis and simply assumed yoga was pretty much the same thing. About three and a half years ago I switched gyms and saw they offered yoga classes. I took a couple of classes quickly realized the poses and stretches in yoga were actually much different than any Pilates class I had ever taken; however, I still wasn’t sold on practicing regularly. It wasn’t until February of this year when I really discovered yoga. A friend of mine had been taking hot/power yoga classes at a local yoga studio (Prana Power Yoga) for a couple of years and had been trying to get me to try it out for quite a while. I got heavy into running in 2010 and began researching training programs and how to become a better runner, and what I could do to benefit myself. I read countless articles regarding yoga and how it is an essential and key form of exercise for any runner. So, with my incredibly tight hamstrings, quads, and hips, I bit the bullet and tried a hot yoga class. Now, let me start by saying holy hot! It may sound silly, but I actually had anxiety going into this class. The temperature is anywhere from 92 to 100 degrees at about 50% humidity, give or take. I typically don’t do well working out in the heat so I feared I would pass out or get sick. But, despite my fears and reservations, I survived my first class (90 minutes) and I was completely amazed at how difficult the poses were and how incredibly amazing I felt after. Each pose forces you to engage many different muscles and parts of your body, requiring you to use your own strength to maintain your form. Between stretching, bending, twisting, holding, and balancing, I was officially sold that yoga was no joke. Not to mention, my upper body and butt were definitely sore the next day! I have not only noticed how much better I feel, but how much stronger I’m getting from practicing. For the past 14 months I have been working out with a personal trainer; I’ve done this off and on since college, but never this consistently. Although she pushes me to my lifting limits, there is something a bit more challenging about yoga that I cannot quite explain. While both clearly requires physical and mental strength, yoga somehow takes your mind and body to a place that lifting weights or working out at a gym cannot do. It is proven to help with anxiety and sleeping disorders, some of yoga’s many other benefits and reasons why I finally decided to try it out. I have also noticed at how much better and stronger I feel running thanks to yoga. Pigeon pose is probably one of my favorite which targets areas of my hips and thighs that get very tight from running. It’s a painfully good pose! There different forms of yoga; I have been practicing Vinyasa, which is a steady flow of breath-synchronized poses and movements. So, unlike what some people may think of yoga as just holding a specific pose for a long period of time, in Vinyasa the instructor essentially provides you with a series of different poses at a continuous flow. Yoga, much like running, has really helped me to discover my inner mental and physical strength. I feel more in tune with my body than I ever have before. Your body feels different every day, it has different needs every day, and no matter what, yoga can help you succeed at what it is you need on any given day. I know my body better now thanks to running and yoga as they both challenge me equally, but in very different ways. Between running, weight/cross training, and yoga, I finally feel like I have found the perfect balance in my workout life, and I can honestly say that this practice is something I plan to continue for many years to come. Whether you’re a pro-athlete or someone who’s simply trying to back into shape, I strongly recommend yoga as part of your routine. It’s healing on many levels so go find a studio near you and try it out! Until next time, Namaste! 🙂
Where I practice yoga! http://www.pranapoweryoga.com/