Why Practice Yoga?

Hatha Yoga is an ancient practice that brings body, mind, heart, and spirit into union. Yoga systematically stretches and strengthens all muscles throughout the body, increases circulation to organs and glands, quiets the nervous system, and improves concentration. This timeless system of self-care is an effective technique for developing a healthy body, a vibrant spirit, a sense of peace, and an appreciation for the wholeness of who you are.

By connecting outer body movement to an inner intention, the most basic yoga postures can be vehicles for deep physical and mental transformation!

Here is an *amended* list, from Yoga Alliance, of their "Top Ten" reasons for practicing yoga. We all come to yoga for different reasons at different times; there is no right or wrong reason!

1) Stress Relief- Yoga reduces the physical effects of stress on the body by encouraging relaxation and lowering the levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Additionally, yoga lowers blood pressure and heart rate, improves digestion, boosts the immune system, and eases symptoms of conditions such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, asthma, and insomnia.

2) Flexibility- Yoga helps to increase general flexibility and mobility, increasing range of movement and reducing aches and pains.

3) Increased Strength- Yoga asanas (postures) use every muscle in the body, helping to increase strength literally from head to toe! Yoga can also help release chronic muscular tension.

4) Better Breathing- Yoga teaches you how to take slower, deeper breaths. This helps to improve lung function and trigger the body's relaxation response.

5) Body Awareness & Balance-Yoga is about connecting to your body. You will learn how to become aware of what you are feeling and how you are feeling in any given moment. A keener awareness for optimal body alignment results in better posture and helps relieve back, neck, joint, and muscle pain.

6) Improved Circulation- Yoga helps to improve overall circulation and, moving through a wide variety of asanas, oxygenated blood moves more efficiently through the body.

7) Weight Management- Yoga (even Gentle styles) can aid weight control efforts by reducing cortisol levels, as well as burning excess calories and reducing stress. Yoga also encourages healthy eating and a healthy outlook on life.

8) Cardiovascular Conditioning- Even gentle yoga practice provide benefits for your heart by lowering resting heart rate, increasing stamina and endurance, and improving oxygen uptake during exercise.

9) Focus on the Present- Yoga helps us focus on the fullness of our present experience, each moment, each breath. In our chaotic busy lives, we are often "living" ten steps ahead of where we really are. Through the practice of yoga, we come back to the richness and beauty of each moment as it happens. Yoga also helps improve concentration, coordination, reaction time, and memory.

10) Peace- The meditative aspects of yoga help you connect to your spirit and reach a deeper, more satisfying place in your life. Many of us start yoga to "touch our toes", build strength, or stand on our hands. However, we often find that it is the moments of connection and peace that we experience through the practice that keep us coming back to our mats.