Blog 10: Take A Moment to Try Yoga

Welcome back everyone! Last week, I talked about the wonderful health aspects of owning a pet companion, known as pet therapy. Truly, it is a great way to gain a companion who has unconditional love for you and will motivate you to be more sociable, to exercise, to increase your happiness levels, and will significantly lower your stress levels. Even if you are allergic to most pets like myself, there are animals that are considered hypoallergenic for you to keep in mind. This week, I am excited to talk about yoga, a form of exercise that can be used to improve your physical strength and your mental stability. I am happy to say that I have recently signed up for an online yoga class that will help me get in a form of daily exercise, when my schedule might be hectic and in addition will allow me to improve my flexibility and muscular strength. Let me give a little background information on the history behind yoga and how it affects the human body. “The word ‘yoga’ comes from a Sanskrit root ‘yuj’ which means union, or yoke, to join, and to direct and concentrate one’s attention” (Woodyard, 2011). According to Woodyard, using yoga as a form of daily exercise can contribute greatly towards improving strength, endurance, flexibility, self-control, and peace of mind, while achieving a sense of balance and union between the body and mind (Woodyard, 2011). Yoga does not just address the physical aspect of the body. It will include components of the following: “. . . conscious breathing, meditation, lifestyle and diet changes, visualization and the use of sound, among many others” (Woodyard, 2011). Yoga is one of the many types of exercises out there that address both the mental and physical aspect of the individual that can “. . . create a greater sense of well-being, increase feelings of relaxation, improve self-confidence and body image, improve efficiency, better interpersonal relationships, increase attentiveness, lower irritability, and encourage an optimistic outlook on life” (Woodyard, 2011). In addition, yoga “. . . may well be effective as a supportive adjunct to mitigate medical conditions, but not yet as a proven stand-along, curative treatment” (Bussing, Michalsen, Khalsa, Telles, & Sherman, 2012, p. 6). I hope that you find yoga to be a great form of exercise to incorporate into your exercise regimen and let me know how it makes you feel! Stay tuned and stay healthy!

Youtube video of Yoga to shift perspective-20 minute yoga flow-Yoga with Adriene (Mishler, 2020).

#yogamoment #useyogatodestress

Please reach out or comment below on any personal experiences that you feel comfortable sharing!

References:

Bussing, A., Michalsen, A., Khalsa, S., B., Telles, S., & Sherman, K. (2012). Effects of yoga on mental and physical health: A short summary of reviews. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 1-6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3447533/pdf/ECAM2012-165410.pdf

Mishler, A. [Yoga With Adriene]. (2020, July 5). Yoga to shift perspective – 20 minute yoga flow-Yoga with Adriene [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icfwMWYDeac

Woodyard, C. (2011). Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life. International Journal of Yoga, 4(2). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3193654/