Yoga makes us feel good. It inspires us; it strengthens us and stretches us to extremes.
Yoga gives us time to think about everything going on in our life and at the same time yoga gives us a time to just be still.
Whether you are practicing yoga as a meditative form, or to elongate and tone, you will most definitely want to make sure you are getting all the benefits from yoga that are possible.
Yoga increases flexibility. However yoga cannot increase your flexibility if you are not doing it correctly. Even if you have been practicing yoga for years, talk to your yoga teacher after class one day and ask her to ensure you are doing the yoga poses correctly.
For years I did ‘downward facing dog’ incorrectly but could have sworn I was doing in perfectly. One day someone in my class mentioned their legs being stretched and I didn’t know why because mine weren’t being stretched.
Yoga is the only science, sport or practice that literally massages the muscles and organs in the whole body. Yes yoga massages every single muscle and organ in the human body If the yoga is practiced correctly.
Make sure you are correctly holding the poses to reap the benefits of having organs that would never otherwise be stimulated, be touched on.
Another benefit to yoga practice and reason to make sure you are doing the stretches and poses correctly is because yoga can actually bring sleeping muscles awake.
If you have been sedentary as of late and some of your muscles have gotten weak or flaccid, correctly practicing yoga will stimulate these muscles and begin toning and strengthening them immediately.
Also make sure you are breathing during your yoga practice. Many times I have caught myself so intently holding a pose that I was not breathing.
Let’s face it; becoming one with your breath is the most significant benefit to practicing yoga so if you aren’t breathing correctly you aren’t able to meditate, and oxygen isn’t getting to all of the muscles in your body.
