I absolutely fell in love with yoga a few years ago. I go to a local studio, Studio Core off South A Street in Santa Rosa and totally recommend it. It is heated, so if you aren’t familiar with this, be prepared to practice in about 100 degree temperatures. But it is totally invigorating and the sweat feels so good. There are many styles for practicing and Santa Rosa has numerous options and varieties available to you to choose from. Take your time to try out a few to get introduced. Most studios offer free classes for new comers to try them out, so take advantage of the freebies.
I mainly practice vinyasa, the word “vinyasa” can be translated as “arranging something in a special way,” like yoga poses for example. In vinyasa yoga classes, students coordinate movement with breath to flow from one pose to the next. Not only is yoga a good exercise idea but more importantly it’s a stress reliever. Its a great way to relax at the end of a stressful day and get your body moving. Below is a quick Vinyasa Flow that you can try out at home. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t perfectly do all the poses, bend your knees and modify as needed. IT’S A PRACTICE!
BREATHING
It all starts with Breath. Breathing is the core of life. Learning how to breathe through your physical movements should be your primary goal while practicing. There are multiple techniques for breathing in yoga. You can control so much of your body and mind by just “taking a breath”.
According to University of Michigan Health, deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body. This is because when you breathe deeply, it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The brain then sends this message to your body. Those things that happen when you are stressed, such as increased heart rate, fast breathing, and high blood pressure, all decrease as you breathe deeply to relax. (https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/uz2255)
Try out the breathing exercises in the video below. Take notice of your body and mind before and after the exercise. Can you feel a difference? Comment below.
Balance 