Yoga and Personal Fitness

Yoga has eased into the mainstream consciousness after their popularity surged when A-list celebrities such as Madonna started practising it. This form of physical and mental discipline has long been practised in India and other Buddhist and Hindu countries particularly in Asia. Nowadays, yoga is seen as another form of physical activity that is usually offered among the many fitness courses available in various gyms and studios around the world. Those who are not really cut out for high-intensity workouts see yoga as welcome change from the high-impact cardio workouts that most are used to doing. Make no mistake about it however, for a lot of beginners, yoga is not easy. In fact, it can be as challenging if not as downright hard for those who have never tried it before. Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to be flexible to be able to do yoga properly. The best thing to do is to start with the easier poses and exercises before safely progressing to more advanced practices under the guidance of a qualified instructor.

There are different types of yoga that focuses on physical activity such as Hatha and Raja, with Hatha yoga being the most popular. Traditional hatha yoga is a holistic yogic path, including physical postures, poses, disciplines, purification procedures and meditation. Lately, a type of yoga that has seen an increase in popularity is Bikram Yoga, which is basically yoga that is practised in hot room with temperatures reaching as high as 125 degrees. The main focus of yoga is proper breathing when doing the various asanas or poses. This is important since yoga as a discipline centers on meditation as an exercise. Despite its popularity, not everyone can teach yoga. Instructors are called yogis and undergo rigorous personal training courses under a guru or an experienced yogi. A lot of those who practice yoga have also gone into some of the tenets of a Buddhist lifestyle such as vegetarianism.

The benefits of yoga are numerous, among them is being able to condition both your body and mind. Yoga practitioners usually experience increased energy and better focus in their day-to-day activities. Stronger muscles and flexibility are also developed with its continuous practice. Practitioners also prescribe different poses for certain kinds of illnesses and body conditions
ranging from cancer, constipation, menstrual cramps and back pain. Yoga is also known to reduce stress and anxiety. However, keep in mind that yoga may not be able to help you to significantly lose weight. If this is your primary goal, then yoga should be combined with other forms of exercise to help you achiever your desired goal. This discipline is not simply a fitness certification, for a lot of people, it has become a whole new way of life.