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The physical benefits of Yoga

By Desiree Kleemann

Yoga is a 5,000 year-old practice that promotes individual health & well-being through physical and mental exercise and deep relaxation. Anyone of any age, religion, health or life condition can practice some form of yoga and reap its benefits. People come into yoga for many different reasons; in this brief overview we will look at the physical benefits.

Some think that they simply cannot do yoga because they believe they are not flexible enough. This is a very common misapprehension. As long as you work within whatever range of motion you have in your current physical condition, you will experience an opening of the joints, a lengthening of the muscles and an overall sense of well-being. You come into yoga at the point that you are at, in the present moment, whether it is with tight hamstrings or lower back pain; whether you are fairly sedentary or are an accomplished athlete. You then progress from that point, never being in a rush to accomplish a posture or get to a place you feel you should be at; you simply strengthen from where you are at the moment.

Yoga is not a quick fix but a practice to be explored indefinitely. It is about being present in your body, having awareness of where your body is in space and focusing on the moment. The physical benefits might become apparent almost immediately as you create greater upper body strength, balance and more flexibility. Some of these benefits may occur over a longer period of time ­ several months or longer ­ but they will continue to grow with your practice. Then there are all the added bonuses such as calming the mind, learning to focus on the task at hand, and relieving tension and stress! This is not to mention other possible therapeutic benefits that yoga practitioners have laid claim to, such as tuning up the central nervous system, digestive tract, or circulatory system through the strengthening, twisting and elongation of the spinal column.

Anyone can practice yoga because everyone can breathe; but everyone cannot practice every kind of yoga. Before you take your first yoga class explore a bit and decide what kind of class you would best benefit from. For the very physical ­ Ashtanga or power yoga, to lyengar ­ a class that works best on alignment of the body. There is Vinyasa Flow ­ a class that has a continual flow using movements to connect the postures, or yoga therapy using props, chairs, or the wall to help support you in the postures. These are a few of the many different styles of yoga to choose from. You may want to explore several styles before settling on the one that is right for you. You may also move from style to style as your practice changes with your physical needs and development.

Finding a style that works for you as well as a teacher that you connect with will insure a safe and healthy yoga practice. Ask around your area to see who’s doing what, and what the students say about particular classes and teachers. If you can speak with someone who has taken classes with more than one instructor it can be quite helpful to get their feedback and comparisons. Don’t be afraid to ask a teacher directly about their teaching approach, their background and general knowledge of the body and its workings.

Rather than starting out your practice by picking up a yoga video and following along, I do recommend finding a qualified teacher for immediate feedback and posture corrections, as well as reading informative books.

Desiree Kleemann has come into yoga after 20 years as a professional dancer, choreographer and dance teacher. After years of coping with dance injuries and making adjustments as a result of them, Desiree found the healing effects of yoga to benefit both her physical body and her general state of mind. Making yoga a daily practice and sharing her passion with other people has become her natural path.

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