Overview on Yoga

It is my last blog that I will be posting this year!!!

I just wanted to give an over view on the history of yoga, the different types of yoga and their great benefits! It will be the last blog encouraging all my followers to practice yoga because it is fantastic.
According to swamij: "Yoga originated around 5,000 years ago in India, but just recently many studies have been proving that Yoga originated much later, maybe around 500 B.C. "* It is always interesting to learn more about the history, we get to know why we are practicing this activity, and since when! However, many people don't care for learning the past or yoga, and just want to practice it because what they hear of their friends and family saying. Well, I am one of many people that encourage the individuals surrounding me to practice yoga. I truly believe it is a remedy for many of my problems, whether it be headaches, back pain, or even my soreness.

Ever since I was young, I was always the tall one in my class room. Due to my height, and my growth being so quick, I developed scoliosis. My doctor encouraged me to do yoga several times a week when I was younger, but I never thought it would help, so I decided to ignore his tips and my back never got any better. Recently, I started new classes of yoga and I can already feel within two weeks my back being less tense. All this to remind everyone that you can be an athlete, a man, a women, a pregnant women and even a child, and you have right to practice yoga.

In addition, even if you can't afford yoga classes, there are plenty yoga sessions you can find on www.youtube.com. Instructors share their poses on YouTube, and teach others how to practice yoga. There are videos for meditation, for beginners, for athletes and even women whom are few months pregnant and do not want to make it to their yoga classes, you can stay home and practice on your mats. I did a survey on 21 people:7 adults, 7 teenagers and 7 athletes. Out of the 21, only 9 practiced yoga, which includes 6 of the athletes, 1 adult (a pregnant women) and 2 teenagers who do it for their own benefits. I noticed that athletes practice yoga more frequently then any other people.

"According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, 70 percent of all runners will be injured. Yoga exercises help tone the core, improve your range of motion and balance the body, absorbing the impact frequent running has on other areas of the body."(gaiam)** So, it is proven that yoga will help improve the health of many athletes. I truly believe that fact is correct, many of the NBA, NFL and NHL athletes practice yoga to help stretch their muscles, and relieve their stress.  Ray Lewis is a football athlete that plays for Baltimore Ravens. "Although the menacing linebacker is one of the last people you’d expect on a yoga mat, Lewis has actually been practicing yoga for a few years now." (stack)*** As you can see, athletes do practice yoga, it is not only for women like many guys think it is!

At last, even if you are not flexible, and not the best yoga practitioner, you will get better! As long as you are trying to follow the steps, and you feel your muscles stretching, you are doing it right. You will not be as great as an instructor, but you will come close if you keep pushing yourself, and going to the next level. Yoga will help you improve your heart rate, your flexibility, relieve your stress, and help your body in many different ways.

Thank you so much for following me on my weekly blogs! Good bye




*** http://www.stack.com/2012/09/17/yoga-athletes/

** http://life.gaiam.com/article/how-does-yoga-help-athletes

* http://www.swamij.com/history-yoga.htm