What is yoga and why
is it important?
The art
of practicing yoga helps in
controlling an individual's mind, body and soul. It brings together physical
and mental disciplines to achieve a peaceful body and mind; it helps manage
stress and anxiety and keeps you relaxing. It also helps in
increasing flexibility, muscle strength and body tone.
Best Time for Yoga
In classical scriptures, the best time prescribed for Yoga is
early morning. But remember that you can practice Yoga at any time as long as
your stomach is empty (i.e. minimum 3 hours after a full meal). If you want to
improve flexibility by trying advanced postures, then practicing Yogasana at
evening will help.
Can we do
yoga after drinking water?
Also do not
drink more than a small glass of water half an hour before the yoga practice.
Drink as little as possible during the yoga practice - and preferably not at
all! ... It is recommended not to drink for 15 minutes and eat for half an hour
after the yoga practice to let the body calm down again.
How many days a week should you do yoga?
For those who are already quite active with sports practice
or other workouts, once or twice per week on "easy" training days
might be enough. If you're a newbie who's come to yoga to heal a sore back, two
to three times per week could be the proper prescription.
Yoga Beats the Gym
1.
Yoga benefits the mind, body and spirit.
Yoga will help tone your body but
while it’s doing that, it also helps you to be truly in the moment and infuses
your spirit with positive energy. A gym workout is focused primarily on
improving your body’s physical condition.
2. Yoga benefits
your full body—externally and internally.
The twisting, stretching and
folding of a yoga practice are good for the digestive system, the circulatory
system, the lymph system and more. It’s a great way to detox the body and can
improve your cardiovascular system. And all this while developing stronger
muscles. A gym workout is focused just on strengthening muscles and boosting
cardio.
3. Yoga teaches
acceptance.
Yoga helps you believe you’re
perfect the way you are—with your strengths and your weaknesses. It's true what
they say -- yoga is not about self-improvement, it's about self-acceptance. Gym
classes, especially boot camp style classes, are more likely to have you
feeling like a failure if you can’t do everything.
4. Yoga is about
focusing on yourself.
Many yoga studios don’t even have
mirrors so you’re forced to think about where your body is and what each muscle
and limb is doing, whereas gym classes have mirrors for you to see—and worry
about—what everyone else is doing.
5. Yoga will make
you lean.
By stretching your muscles as you’re
strengthening them, your body will take on a leaner appearance. A gym workout
filled with weights will cause your muscles to bulk up.
6. Yoga is more
efficient.
Yoga relies on your own—your
entire body—for strengthening. Gym classes use weights and other equipment.
Through different asanas, your full body becomes toned and stronger by using
your own entire body weight as 'weights'. By using only weights or other
equipment, muscles are isolated and have to be worked individually in order to
benefit, which takes a whole lot more time.
7. You can do yoga
anywhere.
Yoga is a different experience in
a yoga studio, but you can easily practice yoga at
home, outside or in small spaces. All you need is about 6 feet by 4
feet and you have your own yoga studio. A gym workout requires more equipment
and more space.
8. Yoga is kinder to
the body.
This does not mean yoga is not
intense. Just ask anyone who practices Ashtanga.
Yoga builds heat and works your muscles, but you’re doing what your body allows
you to do and not attempting to lift weights and pound on the joints—both of
which can cause injury. Yoga also stretches as you move through the postures
and a good yoga practice builds on itself to prepare the body for the next
position.
9. Yoga eases your
aches and pains.
A gym workout increases them.
Yoga slowly stretches muscles and opens the energy channels of the body. The
increased flexibility keeps muscles and joints lubricated and healthy. Weights
and treadmill can cause strain which leads to soreness and injuries.
10. Yoga helps you
breathe easier.
During times of stress, it’s easy
to forget to breathe—really breathe, and not just shallow breaths. Without deep
breaths, it’s harder to think clearly and fatigue can set in. Yoga focuses on
the breath so that when you need it most, those deep breaths are the norm.
11. Yoga is calming.
We move through practice with a
calm, relaxed expression. No grunting, no dropping weights, no clenched teeth
or grimacing expressions like you see from gym-goers. The overall intention is
to release tension throughout the body and mind.
12. Yoga reduces
stress.
Many yoga classes include
meditation, or at least Savasana.
It gives you a chance to clear the mind of the stresses of the day. With
practice, stressful situations can be dealt with more easily and overall stress
levels decrease. The competitive nature of a gym along with the loud music and
bright lights is more likely to increase your stress.
13. Everyone can
practice yoga.
No matter your age or your
health, you can practice yoga. Yoga has even been found to help people who have
health ailments ranging from Parkinson’s to cancer. Gym workouts, in general,
are not designed to be therapeutic, or senior-friendly.
14. Yoga improves
concentration.
During a yoga practice, you focus
on the breath, the posture and the gaze. Outside distractions are tuned out.
While you can try and do this at the gym, this focus and silence is not exactly
encouraged with all the other distractions around, like loud music, TVs, etc.
