confessions of a yoga junkie

Ten Things I Love About Yoga

1. Yoga gets you more in touch with your own body.
2. Brilliant bodyweight exercises, great for strengthening, with lots of balance work.
3. Uses all of your body - from toes to scalp. Even uses the important pelvic floor muscles, which are often ignored.
4. A balance between activity and stillness, even in the most vigorous practices.
5. Focus on breath - something our culture sadly lacks. Breath is a great tool for managing emotional and mental states.
6. Lots of different styles, so you can choose one that's right for you.
7. The word most frequently used to close classes: Namaste, meaning "I honor the divine in you."
8. Yoga is noncompetitive. Whatever your body and practice look like, is okay. Physical limitations are accepted as a fact of life.
9. Consciousness within the yoga community about what practices help with what problems. Tight shoulders? Migraines? Anxiety? We've got a pose for that, if we don't have three.
10. The many places and ways to do yoga make it more accessible. Choices range from looking up a pose on the Internet or getting a video from the library to joining a yoga studio. Although lots of fancy yoga equipment is available, almost none of it is necessary.

Okay, kids, confession time. I have actually done yoga six times in the past week.

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