Yoga Is An Exercise In Patience
Most of the time when you workout the pace is much faster than in yoga. Cardio is all about moving quickly to get your heart rate up. Strength training is a little calmer than cardio but there's still a sense of perpetual movement. This is true when you work out on your own and even more so when working out to a video or take a class. So, it's no surprise that when you go to do yoga, you have the impulse to move at your usual workout pace.
However, yoga does not work that way. Even when you are moving in yoga the pace is still relatively slow. A lot of the time is actually spent not moving at all. Your muscles are working unexpectedly hard to hold each pose. Being impatient, wondering when it's going to end, and how much longer you have to stay still, does not help. In fact, it makes it much harder.
I knew intellectually that I was supposed to feel centered and calm doing yoga but, I never felt it. I was never able to actually do it. There was always an undercurrent of nervous energy and racing thoughts. The thing I finally realized the last time I did yoga was that I needed to be patient. Being patient in yoga means letting go the need to rush and get it done. It means understanding that what you're doing is going to take some time and you might as well relax and let it run it's course. It means not worrying about what you're going to do next and just paying attention to what you're doing in that moment.
Maybe that's easier said than done, but there are a few steps you can take to help you accomplish this. First of all make sure to set aside enough time for your workout. Before you begin the yoga session, take a few deep breaths. Focus on your breathing and imagine with each exhale that you're letting go of whatever thoughts are nagging at you. Set your intention to be relaxed, calm and present during your yoga session. Then, while you're doing yoga, be patient with yourself when your mind starts wandering and you find yourself stressing over everything you're not doing at the moment that needs to get done. Just gently push the thoughts aside and focus on breathing through each yoga pose. It will take some time to get good at this. So, don't worry if it seems difficult at first.
The practice of yoga has a lot of benefits and can be a good addition to your fitness program. Learning to exercise patience with the process of doing yoga and with yourself will make it a much more enjoyable experience and you will get a lot more out of it. Eventually, you might even find that instead of dreading your yoga workout, you actually start looking forward to it.
Yoga For Weight Loss - Is It Possible?
Yoga is certainly a very good style of exercise but many people complain that it is not effective at helping them lose weight. This style of exercise offers you a lot of benefits that includes improved health and reduced stress. It is also a very good way of improving your muscle strength as well as bone density. However, it does not always help you lose weight. The problem lies not with the exercise but with the particular style you are following. There are many different styles of Yogic exercises and they offer you different benefits.
People who practice Hatha Yoga will find it difficult to lose weight if this is the only exercise routine they follow. The asanas or positions in this particular style are very slow paced and help to improve flexibility and blood circulation as well as strength of the joints. However, they do not constitute a proper cardiovascular workout since it does not raise the heart rate sufficiently. People usually supplement it with regular running or swimming in order to burn extra calories.
There are other Yogic routines that are better suited to people who want to shed some pounds. They are all different types of Vinyasa Yoga. Ashtanga Yoga is a very vigorous style that requires practitioners to follow up one asana with another one without a break. This is a great way to work up a sweat and you will find it very easy to lose weight. Another popular style is Power Yoga. This is one of the best cardiovascular workouts available to people who want to rev up their metabolism. Hot Yoga is a particular variation of Vinyasa style that is practiced in a room that is temperature controlled to be very hot. It is a common sight to see people perspiring very freely when they practice it.
These Yogic styles are very popular with young people because it suits their requirement for a very vigorous workout. Apart from losing weight, they also develop a great amount of core strength. Regular followers of these styles find it very easy to keep their weight down because they get a fair amount of exercise. It also increases their endurance levels which makes it a perfect way to prepare for other activities like long distance running or swimming that also help to keep weight under control.
This is also a very enjoyable way of exercising since it is usually done in a group. Many people make great friends at their exercise studios and this is a motivating factor for them. It keeps them coming back for more and therefore helps to prevent them from dropping out of the program.
It is certainly possible to lose weight if one follows this ancient form of exercise. It is also a great way to maintain weight at low levels. The immense popularity of this style with celebrities and film stars indicates that it is very effective at helping keep weight under control. You too will benefit from following the right routine.
