Why You Need to Make Time for Yoga

Let’s talk about yoga. Do you think it’s a calming and low impact form of exercise? While it can be, yoga also offers challenges that are suitable for exercise newbies and professional athletes alike.

Although mastering the form and spending time showing off a perfect yoga pose on an empty beach or atop a scenic mountain looks good, yoga is about building strength.  Most people view yoga as simply gentle stretching in peaceful surroundings. Pretty much something you would do on your rest day from what some consider to be "real exercise". 

There are many disciplines of yoga, all with unique benefits and challenges

Finding the right yoga style for you

Yoga makes you strong in ways beyond the physical.

If you have a busy mind, always thinking about your next task, maybe you need yoga to help you develop mental strength too. Do you want to get a strong and flexible body? Or, do you need to spend time following a set and flowing routine to help you develop some co-ordination? Whatever your needs or fitness goals

Hatha Yoga

Hatha yoga is a style that truly encourages the mind-body connection, it is a very traditional practice focused on truly controlling the breath and calming the mind through meditation. This style of yoga practice is great for slow, controlled and focused movements . This style is great for anyone new to exercise because a lot of emphasis is placed on being in perfect alignment.

Ashtanga Yoga

There are many variations of this dynamic style of yoga, but traditional ashtanga yoga it is based on a set of flowing movements. Each movement is directly connected to your breath, one movement on your inhale and the next movement on your exhale. If you like to follow a set routine without much variation this style of yoga is for you. No matter which studio you go to, the flow will be the same making it a perfect choice for people who travel and love keep some consistency in their routine.
Once you have the basic movements mastered, the breathing can truly become the focus of your practice. Ashtanga yoga is calming and stress relieving and  provides participants with a true physical challenge that will strengthen your muscles and help you to stay focused.

Bikram or Hot Yoga

Bikram yoga is a mind-body-physical challenge like no other. This style is based very closely on the traditional ashtanga flow yoga but with an added element of difficulty; the room is kept at a temperature of about 100-105 degrees. The heat makes you sweat profusely and creates an environment that is believed to help the body de-toxify and also to improve your ability to stretch further with each pose.

Bikram yoga can help you to get strong toned sexy arms, flat lean abs and killer leg definition because the flow of movements in the heat challenges your entire body. Many studios use great music to help keep you motivated but let me warn you that this practice is not those people new to exercise.

There are dangers associated with working out in the heat so use caution and be aware of the dangers before you take a class. A typical class lasts for about 75 minutes.

Allow yoga to make you strong

 Discover for yourself that yoga is not just for relaxing on your off day from running or going to the gym. Yoga can give you a challenging workout that will build your strength in ways you never imagined.

Written by Samantha Clayton.