Yoga – A General Overview
Over the last few years the prevalence of yoga has grown by leaps and bounds as a commonplace form of exercise. Yoga studios are sprinkled through sprawling cities as well as dotting smaller towns across the country. Television has helped to normalize yoga as just another form of exercise to be done on a daily basis; magazines are filled with glowing articles about the different forms of yoga and a quick search of YouTube reveals just how widespread the discipline has become.
Yet – yoga is still the great unknown for a huge section of our population. For all the glowing reviews in magazines and depictions on television, the image of such extreme flexibility and difficult positions can cause some to shy away from ever getting started in the first place. Understanding the basics of yoga and the general practice of it is one way to allay any fears you might have about taking your first class.
Yoga is for Everyone
There’s no one type of body for yoga, one gender, one age, on ethnicity, or one type of person. Yoga practitioners and teachers will be the first to tell you that there’s a type of yoga for you out there. It’s an easy misconception to make when some magazines portray yoga as a one-type-of-person sort of practice. There are yoga classes for senior citizens and small children. Yoga has also assisted in giving people with disabilities an outlet both for exercise and learning. Special needs classes have been known to cover a wide range of disabilities with extremely beneficial results for both students and caretakers. Learning about all the different types of yoga may be the perfect antidote to refresh your view on the discipline.
Non-Athletes are Welcome
Scared that you aren’t in the best shape of your life? A hugely common misconception about yoga is in reference to athletes. You may think only athletic people, or people in the peak of fitness are the ideal yoga students. We’re here to break that misconception down. It doesn’t matter your level of fitness when you begin your yoga classes. More often than not you’ll find people in beginner classes having never engaged in any sort of exercise routine before. No matter the fitness level, there’s a class for you.
Are Yoga Benefits Real?
Sometimes popular practices run the risk of falling into the ‘fad’ category. Yoga has tracings running back more than 5,000 years and some researchers believe that number is even higher. The health benefits of yoga are proven so make no mistake of yoga being just another flash in the pan. Practicing yoga can help with flexibility, improved energy levels, increased muscle strength, and much more. One of the most universal benefits of yoga is the stress relief component. Stress is a natural part of life. Stress can come in different forms, take different shapes for each person, but the end result is almost always the same. Yoga can help to relieve your stress as well as give you the techniques you need to manage your stress in a healthier light.
What has been your experience with yoga? We would love to see you at our studio, contact us at 703-887-9574 to book a slot. Also check us out our 4 for 40 new student special that’s available for a limited time.