tried yoga yet?

Now, yoga is nothing new. It's been around for probably thousands of years. It's been gaining popularity in the West now for some time, and for sure, you have heard of it.


Even RIC is starting to recommend it. I had an OT who had me planking (trembling, of course) for minutes at a time, something that strengthens the core so phenomenally that I was sore for days afterward (but, admittedly, this got better by the second or third time I tried it).


Now, obviously Power Yoga and anything very intense is going to be, initially, too difficult. I learned this the hard way by starting myself off, years ago, on trying to follow a Rodney Yee DVD on Power Yoga. I then learned to step it down several notches and try out the Yoga For Beginners DVDs by Gaiam. After regularly practicing "DVD Yoga" for a while, I decided to take a couple of private lessons with a yoga instructor.


Now, private lessons are costly. Mine were $60/hour, which will certainly add up if you go a few times a week. But the nice part about private yoga sessions is that 1) you can work on your specific problem areas (strength, flexibility, range of motion, breathing) and 2) there is no one else around to make you feel nervous. Oh, and 3) you have someone to supervise your alignment who can correct your form.


If you have extraordinary courage and are immune to what others think of you -- please, show me how to be the same! -- then look in to group lessons. Most, if not all, yoga studios conduct regular group sessions. As far as I know, they hold sessions that emphasize certain areas of healing. Some studios are more specialized, so do a broad search of the places in your area.


If going out for yoga sessions is not an option, bring the studio to you -- order a DVD from Gaiam (my personal recommendation) or any other legitimate yoga company. Or, you can subscribe to a magazine, like Yoga Journal (I do). But to start off, I'd invest in either a follow-along DVD or a book, like The Heart of Yoga, to investigate what asanas (poses) are about.


Benefits of yoga include strengthening, flexibility, and broadening your range of motion, peace of mind, better mental presence, and yes, better health. But a word of caution, especially for those of you wanting to go it alone: treat your body gently. If you struggle with a pose initially, remember that you can always modify. Yoga is about maximizing what you can do, not breaking yourself to do something too hard. Find a level that is challenging but still congruent with your current mind and body state. And it is helpful to have an instructor be at your side to make sure your form is correct and won't hurt you. Yoga can be tough, but flexible enough to suit you rather than you, it. I'm personally a big fan of the A.M. & P.M. Yoga DVD.


A part of yoga that is not talked about enough, though, is the ancient principle of "pranayama" -- the yogic practice of breathing. I recommend finding an instructor who can lead you in short (like, half-hour) sessions of pranayama, as this has been a little-known method of healing for a long time in India. In our recommended reading, check out Light on Pranayama. (It's long, but fascinating.) The friend of mine who introduced it to me was so excited, she started to lead an impromptu session I could barely take seriously.


Now, obviously, with such a foreign concept and such a delicate activity as your breath, proceed with caution. People can and have passed out before trying pranayama, so don't charge in without guidance. It's definitely exciting and promising -- but don't overdo! That's why I recommend short sessions with an instructor to help launch you off on the practice, and only trying it once in awhile in the beginning. Read about the benefits of breathing in this Women's Health magazine article.


When it comes to props, if you're serious about beginning a regular practice, invest in a few choice tools to help you exercise. You'll first and foremost need a yoga mat -- because you'll be doing poses barefoot, you'll need this non-slip, clean surface to do things on -- which you can easily find online or even at Target or Barnes & Noble (!). If you want to go green, some brands are even making eco-friendly yoga mats (though, for the moment, at a price). I always encourage people to be green and help take care of the planet everyone has to share, but if your wallet's a bit light right now and you're just starting out and not sure if this is something you want to adapt into your everyday life for years, perhaps start off with a regular, normal-cost mat and either give it away, donate, or reuse it some other way if you decide later to retire it.


Other props to look in to: bricks (I have cork ones) and a strap (for those lacking in flexibility, especially). These are especially useful for pose modification.


To those of you who are like me and naturally blessed with extra flexibility: Don't be overconfident -- flexibility needs to be offset by the body by strength. So be sure to balance the yoga with enough strengthening exercises, whether in or out of your yoga practice.


The yoga will positively benefit your core strength -- something everyone needs just to hold himself upright -- but also, if you take part in regular meditation and training your mind to be present (read: not wander), you will feel a tremendous shift also in your mental state. Yoga is one of the better known physical practices that incorporates body and mind.


I'm sure you've heard the rumors about meditation floating around lately, like the article in Scientific American Mind a few months ago (sorry, that's just a teaser -- but if you check your library archives for it, you can easily access the article). It's pretty much lauded as a very healthy, daily practice for all people of any walk of life, so I'd try it.


In the meantime, conscious visualization of where you want to be at can help you get there. Even visualizing your workspace how you'd like it organized, neat, and pretty can help you get enthusiastic about taking the action steps to get it there -- so as a general practice, try devoting a few minutes when you can to picturing in your mind what you want your healing to look and feel like. Think of how you'll walk, run, or hug someone you love, and how that will feel in your feet, your arms. How that someone might smell -- the more sensory details you put into the picture, the more effective your visualization will be. And you'll then be programming your mind to encourage the cells in your body-mind to follow suit. It sounds hokey, but I'm not kidding!


I'm currently in pursuit of a guest article by yoga pros so they can help deepen the scope of yogic benefits to you. If you've had yoga success in any way, please share either via comment below or e-mail to me.


PS. Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus both have yoga exercises you can try on the Wii. While it has its faults, too, give it a whirl -- and rather than listening to the Wii's admonishments, just compare your results to your past results.  :)


Namaste!
To our healing,
Pamela