Some thoughts on Yoga

Have you wanted to try yoga? If you said yes, you are not alone. Yoga has become somewhat of a fad with yoga studios popping up everywhere, but one that is worthy of investigation. I have been practicing yoga for a couple of months now, daily, and I am amazed at the varied opinions and many questions that people have about it. Yesterday, I purchased a book that I spied as I was going into a local Barnes and Noble bookstore called The Yoga Directory, by Linda Doeser. After reading a good bit of it, I am impressed and pleased with her approach to this often misunderstood practice.

"The holistic nature of yoga makes it a safe option for alleviating some common ailments...it can help with a wide range of problems, such as PMS, arthritis, insomnia, backache, and above all any symptoms arising from poor posture."

This is one of the reasons I wanted to give yoga a try. As I get older, I am noticing more and more little aches & pains and am even thinking I have signs of arthritis in one ankle (surely due to much abuse in earlier years). I have already found many benefits to yoga, after just practicing for a short time. More flexibility, better posture, more lung capacity, stress-relief and a feeling of overall wellness are the most noticeable.

The Yoga Directory explains a little about the history of yoga, the different types of practices and philosophies, and shows detailed poses (featuring photos with real people, not models, which is refreshing). I know that some people shy away from yoga due to some common misconceptions; that yoga is a religion, or that the poses are prayer postures to foreign gods. I just don't find this to be the case, at least as explained in this book. Poses, prayer, songs of praise, mantras and meditation are used as ways of uniting Brahman (the concept of the divine or supreme being - in my case, the G-d of the Universe) and the Atman (the self in a state of pure consciousness, having let go of ego). I have found that the practice of yoga poses focuses and unites my mind, breath and body in preparation for relaxation and meditation. I have never had such deep and meaningful meditation time with HaShem as I have when practicing yoga. I concede that if you are looking for a religion, you could find one in the Eastern philosophies that utilize yoga. Since I am a devout believer in the Most High G-d of Israel, that is just not an issue for me.

I have had some interesting conversations about yoga with several friends, and even with complete strangers. They have concerns about the difficulty of the poses. Here is what Ms. Doeser says,

"Worth noting too, though, is that yoga is very gentle; you do not have to drive yourself to raise increasingly heavy weights or double the number of push ups. Quite the opposite - in fact you could say 'If you feel pain, there is no gain.' You learn at a pace that suits you. This is not only a reassuring approach for beginners, it is also invaluable for competitive high-achievers who need relief from constant pressure."

Gee, I don't know anyone like that... *smile*

If you are interested in giving yoga a try, I started with the Yoga Zone, For Beginners Only DVD. I really like the gentleness of it. I have to say, however, I did not care for the meditation part of the program (which is on a separate disk.) The workout is still worth purchasing, even if you don't want to watch the meditation offering.



 This DVD is from my absolute favorite yoga teacher, Rodney Yee. He is called "America's Favorite Yoga Teacher" for a reason - he is gentle, encouraging and easy to follow.

This is another offering from Rodney Yee that I like quite a bit, however it is at a more intermediate level. I would also recommend his Yoga for the Core DVD (I own quite a few yoga workout DVDs so I don't get bored.)

I would highly recommend yoga for anyone who feels stiff and out of shape. You will feel energized and more limber even with your first try, I'm sure. The meditation is something everyone needs - stillness and calm centering is definitely needed in our hectic modern lifestyle.

*Namaste*

*I have seen many definitions of 'namaste', but I like St. Germain's translation the best:

The God I AM of my soul salutes, forever,
the God I AM within your being.