…to Practice Yoga:

• 1: Inner Peace - the word yoga means union, a connection between the body and spirit. Through the practice of yoga, we quiet the continuous chatter of the mind that often brings us stress. The meditative aspect of yoga helps many to reach a deeper connection with their spirit and understanding of their lives. Yoga is an experience of moving from doing to a state of being.
• 2: Decrease stress and anxiety - yoga encourages relaxation and letting go of every muscle in the body. There is a calming to the central nervous system, alteration of blood flow to increase serotonin production, and a lowering in the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Yoga can also lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate.
• 3: Flexibility and strength - yoga not only increases flexibility and range of motion, but improves postural alignment and balance in the body. Yoga builds strength, stamina, and endurance and can relieve chronic pain, back, neck, joint, and muscle problems. Yoga is a weight bearing exercise that promotes calcification of the bones and aids in weight management.
• 4: Promote harmony with self and others - yoga is a practice of self-acceptance, compassion, and gratitude. When we live in the present, we embrace every moment life has to offer - knowing the difference between what we can change and accepting the things we cannot. By loving ourselves, we can love others.
• 5: Improve concentration/focus - by slowing down and focusing on the present, we become more aware of all that is around us. The practice of yoga can lead to improved concentration, coordination, reaction time and memory.
• 6: Promote better sleep - most students experience improvement in their sleep even after only a few classes. By turning the senses inward and bring relaxation to body, we can rest more deeply.
• 7: Improve breathing, circulation, and cardiovascular health - the yoga postures incorporate breath awareness; linking each movement to the breath. Learning to breathe properly and stretching tight muscles in the chest and upper back can increase lung capacity. Deep breathing increases the oxygen in the blood and as blood flow is improved to the heart, brain, and pelvic area, more oxygen is moved to all the cells. Proper breathing can strengthen the nervous system and calm conditions such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, and insomnia.
• 8: Bolster immune system - yoga invigorates the entire body by stimulating and enhancing the endocrine, nervous, lymphatic and digestive systems, and the thyroid, parathyroid, and pituitary glands. The restorative postures offer the body true relaxation and rest for healing. Yoga is a practice for everyone - it is not limited by age of physical condition.

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