What is yoga?
Yoga goes back thousands of years and originated in India. It is part of a system of well-being that shows you the best way to live – from how to behave (with honesty, kindness and mindfulness) to how to eat (natural foods and not too much!), to how to keep the body and mind healthy.
It is this bit that people know best. Because yoga developed in India, many of the terms used to describe the postures or poses (or asanas) are Sanskrit. But teachers often use the English translation. So the Triangle pose can also be called Trikonasana. Mountain pose is also known as Tadasana.
What the postures do is keep the body very healthy. Both on the outside and on the inside. While a pose might be toning up a particular set of muscles, the pressure put on the different areas of the body mean that the internal organs are also being toned.
Where yoga differs from other forms of exercise is in the range of movements. There are forward bends (calming poses), back bends (energising poses), twists (keeping the spine and spinal cord supple and healthy) and upside-down (or inverted) poses. The upside-down poses such as headstand and shoulderstand are known as the king or queen of poses because they bring blood to the brain (and refresh the glands in the brain that control hormones). Because the head is below the heart, the heart gets a rest.
Once a student has learnt the poses, they can work on the breathing. Again, this has a great effect both on body and (more importantly) mind. It means that you can learn to keep your mind under control and improve both concentration and focus. The breathing side of yoga is called pranayama. Not only does it help clear your mind, it also helps maintain a good flow of energy (prana) throughout your body.
Yoga is not a competitive sport. Some people are going to be more bendy than others. Others are going to be stronger. There should be no need to compare yourself to others.
It is this bit that people know best. Because yoga developed in India, many of the terms used to describe the postures or poses (or asanas) are Sanskrit. But teachers often use the English translation. So the Triangle pose can also be called Trikonasana. Mountain pose is also known as Tadasana.
What the postures do is keep the body very healthy. Both on the outside and on the inside. While a pose might be toning up a particular set of muscles, the pressure put on the different areas of the body mean that the internal organs are also being toned.
Where yoga differs from other forms of exercise is in the range of movements. There are forward bends (calming poses), back bends (energising poses), twists (keeping the spine and spinal cord supple and healthy) and upside-down (or inverted) poses. The upside-down poses such as headstand and shoulderstand are known as the king or queen of poses because they bring blood to the brain (and refresh the glands in the brain that control hormones). Because the head is below the heart, the heart gets a rest.
Once a student has learnt the poses, they can work on the breathing. Again, this has a great effect both on body and (more importantly) mind. It means that you can learn to keep your mind under control and improve both concentration and focus. The breathing side of yoga is called pranayama. Not only does it help clear your mind, it also helps maintain a good flow of energy (prana) throughout your body.
Yoga is not a competitive sport. Some people are going to be more bendy than others. Others are going to be stronger. There should be no need to compare yourself to others.