What is Yoga? Should You Be Doing It?

Yoga studios are popping up all over Nassau County.  There are two yoga studios practically next door to each other right here in Wantagh on Merrick Road!  The Super Bowl featured a Doritos commercial with yoga and currently running is a Chase Bank commercial showing a woman checking her bank balance while doing yoga.

 Is yoga mainstream enough to be featured during the Super Bowl? What is yoga anyway?! And should you be doing it?

 If you ask Hollywood, the answer is clearly that we should all be doing yoga. Jennifer Aniston, Miley Cyrus, Madonna & even Lebron James are yoga lovers.  Last weekend, Spike TV awarded Jennifer Aniston the “Decade of Hotness” award and in her acceptance speech she thanked her yoga instructor. 

So can you look like Jennifer Aniston if you do yoga? Maybe… and that was precisely the reason I started doing it. (Don’t tell my yoga teacher this, please.)

Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice that is intended to free you from suffering. The word “yoga” literally translates “to yoke” in Sanskrit. To yoke or join together the mind, body and soul is the quickest most easily understood definition. 

Despite the recent surge of yoga studios in the Wantagh-Seaford area, yoga has been practiced for the last 5,000 years and can hardly be called a fad or passing trend.

The most widely recognizable aspect of yoga is the physical practice or asana.  Upon thinking of such, most people visualize a flexible gymnast contorting their body into insane positions and assume that yoga is not for them because they aren’t flexible.  You don’t need to be flexible to do yoga and you are never too old to start trying to increase your flexibility. 

Practicing yoga increases your strength & flexibility, reduces stress & detoxifies your organs.  Flexibility can help you avoid common injury while reducing stress helps promote a happier, friendlier environment at the office or at home.  Being a fit, happy person seems ideal, so I think everyone should be doing yoga.

There are thousands of styles of yoga asana.  Some more popular styles are Ashtanga, Anusara, Iyengar, Bikram & Kundalini.  The best way to find one you like is to get out there and take some yoga classes at different studios.

Yoga people are generally very welcoming and friendly so don't be shy. Many studios have mats you can borrow so you don’t need to run out and buy one right away.  Don’t be afraid to tell everyone it is your first time.  

Relax, have fun and go with the flow.

Next week’s feature:  The Yoga Rx: How Yoga Can Heal Common Ailments.