What is Yoga ?
The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’ which means to join or unite.
Yoga is the union of the mind, body and universal spirit.
Yoga has been practised for over 5,000 years .
A misconception about Yoga is it is just for women but Yoga was all started by men for men in India.
Yoga is for everyone !
It is for every age group and you are never too old to start.
Yoga improves balance and therefore reduces your chance of falling and it is popular for people with arthritis as it brings flexibility and strength.
You also do not need to be fit to do Yoga.
Practising Yoga is an effective stressreliever and it is a way to ease symptoms of anxiety and depression.
By transferring focus and attention to the body and breath, Yoga can help to temper anxiety while also releasing physical tension.
Yoga moves you from the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system. This is a move from a flight or fight response to rest and digest response.
When you practice Yoga you will have less anxiety and enter a more relaxed state.
As soon as you start breathing deeply, you slow down out of fight or flight and calm your nervous system.
Hatha Yoga is the combination of physical exercises with this controlled breathing.
It brings together a balance of energy, like the balance of the sun and the moon.
It is designed to build a strong and healthy body so the healthy body can support and nurture the soul.
Hatha yoga has a lot to offer those of us living and working in the Western world.