Isn’t Yoga Just Stretching?

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Many people attending yoga classes today do so for the physical benefits. Often the additional effects of calming the mind and tuning the inner processes of the body are an added bonus. This differs greatly from how yoga students in Eastern cultures practice yoga; as a way of life not just an hourly class for three times a week. The popularity and growth of yoga in the UK has moved along at a rapid pace with new studios and styles of classes appearing. There’s something for everyone’s tastes and personal preferences from sweating it all out in a hot power class to soothing and unwinding in a gentle restorative class.

Stretching or calisthenics may look similar to yoga on the surface but delving deeper below the initial impressions and appearances there is a great difference. Calisthenics are an aerobic workout of stretches and movements, such as bending, jumping, swinging, twisting or kicking, using only one’s body weight for resistance, designed to challenge the cardiovascular system and burn energy to build strength and flexibility. Routines are often used as a warm up before any sporting activity. The movements are performed in a rhythmical way, often to music, with a smooth transition between each move. They are designed to get the body warmed up and the heart rate increased ready for intense, high energy sport or exercise.

Whilst yoga increases muscular strength and flexibility the practice doesn’t stop with the physical effects. Yoga (meaning to join together or union) aims to integrate the body, mind and spirit using physical postures, the breath and the mind. Yoga goes beyond purely burning calories and toning the body. Yoga is a philosophy, a spiritual path and moral and ethical framework. Yoga is an examination of the self or soul. The philosophy behind yoga explains human existence in terms of energy – physical energy in the body from cellular processes, mental energy that is sensory, emotional and intelligence and spiritual energy or prana that is distributed throughout the body and connects the physical to the mental and mental to the spiritual.

The practice of yoga allows the body to fine tune its performance and for the physiological systems to function correctly. Yoga postures (asana) and breathing practices (pranayama) allow the body to open up in certain ways, sending blood, energy and other fluids are sent to the muscles and organs. Asana and pranayama are the foundations of yoga that link the body to the mind and the soul. They work together to provide a basis for providing the body what it needs perform at its best. Both of these practices are seen as a foundation to prepare the body and mind for meditation and moving closer to connecting with the soul and your true self.

A regular yoga practice has many health benefits for both body and mind such as reduced blood pressure, lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, reduced body fat, improved cognitive function, better mood regulation and emotional stability, increased flexibility and a better ability to manage chronic pain. These benefits pave the way for good health, improved emotional wellbeing and that sense of wanting to delve in to something a little deeper. That spiritual, soulful side of yoga that has a way of working its way in to your practice and daily activities. As one of the most influential yoga teachers, BKS Iyengar once stated ” Yoga is a light that once lit, will never dim.”

Words by Jacqueline Coleman

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Count Your Blessings

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‘I see skies of blue and clouds of white. The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night … And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.’

This is my favourite verse from the song ‘What A Wonderful World’ by Louis Armstrong.

The words sing true. They are blessings that everyone has in their life, no matter what is going on. A few of the small things that are overlooked that we should be grateful for every single day of our lives.

In modern society, most people are rushed and on constant overdrive; striving to do better, be better and achieve. A way of life that has become the norm! In turn, this leads to stress, illness and poor health.

Those of you who are familiar with ‘The Law Of Attraction’ will already know of the benefits of making gratitude a daily practice. Attracting more things to be grateful for! From another angle, gratitude is an extremely healthy attitude to include in your life, being good for your mind, body and soul.

It is not hard to be grateful. I am just curious, when was the last time that you noticed the people who passed you by whilst rushing to and from? Did you see the adorable elderly couple holding hands, strolling down the street? I did. They made me smile and think … I want to be like that when I grow old!

Not only does this practice slow your pace, it calms you, releasing your stress levels and puts you in a positive mind frame. Now, that is being healthy!

The small thing, the air that fills your lungs, the daylight that shines through your bedroom window when you wake. Your morning cup of tea and the jam on your toast, the gentleman who gives you his seat on the bus, a text from a friend to ask how you are … all things to be grateful for.

Would it be okay if you tried being grateful for a week and see how many blessings you have in your life? It is so much better than being grumpy, worrying all the time and recognising all the bad points. On the plus side, you will have a natural face lift and less worry lines.

Just see how much better you feel and after a short while it will eventually become a healthy habit, because when you stop and look around, you will see that life is pretty amazing.

Words by Diane Eliza Maccabe