It’s no wonder that yoga has increased in popularity over the last few years… check out what yoga can do for you!
Beep. Beep. Beep. The alarm goes off at 6AM, you start the coffee, jump in the shower, get ready for work, sit in traffic, and barely make it to work before your first meeting. Your day consists of countless emails from unsatisfied clients, having to pick up the slack from your unmotivated coworker, then a meeting with your boss who threw yet another project on you. Whew…You are mentally and physically drained by the end of your day and literally want to head straight home and fall fast asleep, but instead- you pull it together and head to a yoga class.
Why Yoga? Simply, because you need to restore your mental, physical, and spiritual well being.
Yoga in Eden Prairie integrates the mind, body, and spirit and focuses on the person’s well being as a whole. Yoga allows you to connect your mind to breath and movement. This practice allows both your mind and body to be completely present so that you can restore your sense of self. Each and every one of us have many family, work, and friendship roles to fulfill. These roles can be very rewarding, but also very demanding at the same time. By practicing yoga regularly- you have a chance to regain your own mental and physical clarity so that you can be the best version of YOU for those you love.
On top of yoga having such a positive influence on your mental and spiritual health, the physical benefits are endless! Some benefits include increased flexibility, muscle strength and tone, respiration, energy and vitality, maintaining a balanced metabolism, weight reduction, cardio and circulatory health, improved athletic performance, and protection from injury.
Yoga is for everyone.
Whether you have a job where you sit at a desk for 8-10 hours a day, are a “weekend warrior” gearing up for your next race, or someone who just likes to walk/run or bike in your free time, yoga is an important component for everyone’s workout routine. Yoga increases core stability by engaging major and minor muscle groups simultaneously to ensure proper posture and alignment. According to the Mayo Clinic, “strong core muscles make it easier to do everything from swinging a golf club to getting a glass from the top shelf or bending down to tie your shoes. Weak core muscles leave you susceptible to poor posture, lower back pain, and muscle injuries.”
Overall, “yoga gives you the power to better understand your body,” says Emilie Smith, a yoga-for-athletes instructor in New York City. “You learn where you’re strong or weak, tight or flexible.” By correcting those problems, you can raise your game if you’re an athlete, prevent injuries, and even work through injuries by modifying your practice to fit your needs.
What type of Yoga is best for you?
There are many different types of yoga such as hatha, iyengar, vinyasa, yin yoga, power, bikram, and yoga sculpt to name a few.
BEGINNER YOGA:
Hatha– is the form most often associated with yoga, it combines a series of basic movements with breathing.
Iyengar– is a type of yoga that uses props like blocks, straps, and chairs to help you move your body into the proper alignment.
Vinyasa– is a series of poses that flow smoothly into one another.
Yin yoga– is a slow-paced style of yoga with postures that are held for longer periods of time. These poses apply moderate stress to the connective tissues of the body-including the tendons, fascia, and ligaments- with the aim of increasing circulation in the joints and improving flexibility.
MORE ADVANCED YOGA:
Power– is a faster and higher-intensity practice that builds muscle.
Bikram– is also known as “hot yoga,” involving a series of 26 challenging poses performed in a room heated to a high temperature.
Yoga sculpt– is a heated class that uses free weights to help tone your body and build muscle strength in addition to having high-intensity cardio burst for maximum calorie burning.
Some popular poses and their benefits include:
- Helps to lengthen and release tension from your spine
- Opens the hips and shoulders
- Relieves back pain, headaches, insomnia, and fatigue
- As a mild inversion it calms the nervous system and relieves stress
- Tones the core muscles of the body- abdomen, chest, and low back
- Prepares the body for more challenging arm balances
- Strengthens the muscles surrounding the spine to help improve posture
- Stimulates function of abdominal organs
- Relieves stress
- Improves digestion and constipation
- Helps to alleviate back pain and symptoms of menopause
- Used therapeutically for anxiety, infertility, neck pain and sciatica
- Opens the hips and chest
- Develops concentration, balance and groundedness.
- Improves circulation and respiration
- Energizes the entire body
- Stimulates the internal organs
- Relieves impinged piriformis and alleviates sciatic pain
- Helps with urinary disorders
Yoga goes hand and hand with what patients experience at Wellspring. At Wellspring Health Center, we take a holistic approach by integrating physical therapy, sports medicine, and massage therapy. We have created a very calm environment with aromatherapy to quiet the mind and let the body heal naturally. We focus a lot on simple core exercises performed on a yoga mat to help increase mobility, flexibility, and core strength. A lot of patients have never done yoga before, but after completing our rehabilitation program- patients start to see the importance of core strength and start to become passionate about integrating some form of yoga into their daily routine!
Interested in trying a free outdoor class this summer by Lake Calhoun or Lake of the Isles? Check out Twin Cities Yoga Cooperative for the 2017 schedule! In addition, Wellspring also offers a free yin yoga class once a month on Mondays from 6:45-7:45pm- check out our website for exact dates and details!
