Are you one of the many people that believes that yoga is for “hippies”, or do you hesitate due to fear of looking silly in front of other people because you won’t be able to put your foot behind your head or afraid that the instructor will make a pretzel out of you? Although the practice of yoga has become very popular over the past 30 years, there are still quite a few misconceptions about it.

Yoga. The word may bring to mind candles and incense burning along with people holding seemingly impossible poses. It is true that some yoga postures (asana) are a bit difficult to perform, and require a flexible body. However, yoga is an individualized practice, so one should do postures within their own capability. If you suffer from particular ailments find an instructor that can help you with certain postures for those ailments. Often, just attempting a posture is enough to obtain the benefits of that posture. Whatever you do remember that your yoga practice is “your” yoga practice and you don’t have to look like the picture on the wall or in the book do it correctly.

Yoga isn’t just about being flexible, it is about bridging the gap between mind and body. Due to this union yoga helps to improve strength, concentration, balance energy and bring about peace of mind. We as human beings are made up of three components: mind, body and spirit. When these three needs are fulfilled we are more likely to lead harmonious lives. Yoga can help you physically by generating strength in the body and bringing relief to countless ailments. Mentally, yoga stimulates the mind through its practice of breathing techniques. Pairing the breathing with the postures can engage your intellect and sharpen your focus. The breathing also calms the mind. Learning the proper breathing allows you to get the most out of each pose.Yoga has meditative properties in teaching the ability to be still which provides the experience of inner peace. Who wouldn’t want to acquire a calm state of wellbeing & peace of mind?

The fact is that yoga is for anyone who aspires to have inner peace and who wishes to avoid disease and live a healthier life. Yoga offers something for everyone from strengthening muscles to lowering blood pressure. For many people yoga is a great stress reliever and allows time for relaxation and meditation.

Although yoga can be relaxing and calming, do not be mislead because it can also be quite the challenge. If you’re like most who believe that you don’t sweat when practicing yoga, think again. Although you are not jumping up and down or pumping heavy weights, the challenge in yoga can definitely elevate ones heart rate. In yoga it requires you to concentrate and maintain a pose for a given period of time. Your body acts as the weight and your ability to hold the pose can give your muscles a pretty decent workout. Yoga can be challenging and fun. There are many levels, so there is always room for improvement and challenge for everyone. If you like to be compete just compete with yourself to reach your full potential.

Yoga is for people of all walks of life. Young or old, men, women, children and even pregnant women, can all benefit from an effective method of physical, mental or spiritual development.
Yoga can be practiced almost anywhere, your home, at the park, the beach or in a hotel room on vacation. It is something that can also be shared with a friend, partner or a child. It is great because it helps you to become more aware of your body and its potential to evolve.

There are some risks so always go at your own pace, don’t try to keep up with others, be sure to stay hydrated, don’t do anything that will compromise a current injury and always talk to your doctor or mention ailments to your instructor before you begin a class.