I’ll be the first to admit that for years, no one could get me to try Yoga. It was far too slow for me. How could anything that slow benefit anyone? So, what changed? Why do I have this new passion for Yoga? Quite simply, I kept hearing and reading about the numerous benefits of Yoga. During my research, I stumbled upon a document entitled 75 Conditions Benefited by Yoga, complete with references by Timothy McCall MD. That definitely peaked my interest! NOTE: In 2019 this was updated to 117 Health Conditions Helped by Yoga.
Beyond specific conditions, I was definitely interested in stress relief, pain relief, and overall wellness.
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As with many things, I began at home. More specifically, I visited my local libraries and I borrowed a variety of different Yoga DVDs to review/try at home until I found some that appealed to me. One DVD stood out, and was the first one I purchased for my personal Yoga library. *Yogalosophy by Mandy Ingber is a Yoga workout that combines Yoga Poses with toning movements. I recommend the 30 minute Express workout with the cuing when initially starting. I like how Mandy emphasizes that we should listen to our bodies and modify as needed. I also like that she makes me laugh. I find her humor infectious. After doing the Express workout routine a few times, I began to notice how amazing I felt afterwards. Energized, and yet relaxed, and focused. That kept me coming back to my mat.
The most amazing thing is, I don’t have to make my body look like a pretzel in order to benefit from doing Yoga! In fact, even with modifications for various range of motion limitations, Yoga is very effective.
So who has the time for Yoga? Some will say you need to devote 30, 50, or even 60 minutes for each Yoga practice/session. I have found personally that consistently doing as little as 10 minutes (preferably in the morning) works great for me. I have DVD programs that are 10, 18, 30, and 50 minutes long. No matter which one I use, unless I have more time, I do only 10 minutes and stop. Even that little bit of Yoga does wonders for my mood, and I find I am much more productive (and a lot less reactive) when I hit the mat in the morning.
OK. That’s my Yoga story. It’s actually more of a journey that is still unfolding. Anyone interested in giving it a try? What about a Yoga Challenge? LOL! Lemme know with your comments.
Additional Resources
Yoga As Medicine Website
*Yoga as Medicine (Paperback), Timothy McCall, MD
*Yogalosophy: 28 Days to the Ultimate Mind-Body Makeover Mandy Ingber
*Yogalosophy for Inner Strength: 12 Weeks to Heal Your Heart & Embrace Joy Mandy Ingber
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