Develop Your Mid-Season Yoga Practice

This is a very potent time of year for many people.  The Halloween festivities have come to a close, most candy has probably been eaten (and more than probably, with some help from Mom and Dad!), and some of us may even be preparing our homes for the Christmas season.  The days are shorter and the dark comes quicker, so even amidst all of this “busyness”, there is something deep inside of us that intrinsically senses it is time to slow down and bring our focus more inward.  If you haven’t already been maintaining a yoga practice, or if you have one but have placed it in the back of the queue, this could be a very cohesive time to step back onto your yoga mat.

Yoga is so prevalent in our culture these days, that most of us are very aware of the far reaching benefits yoga holds.  It’s a form of ‘exercise’ that anyone can do and it provides a very balanced mix of physical, mental, and emotional benefits.  At a time of year when plenty of sweets have been ingested, and we are entering another season filled with chocolates, cakes, eggnog, special coffees and wines and large lovely dinners, it is reassuring to know that we have sister yoga on our side.  Aside from toning your body and helping you gain flexibility, it improves mental fitness and general ease is restored to the body-mind-spirit system.  And this can only be a good thing!  Right?

In case you are not sure of yoga’s back story, here are some tasty information tidbits for you:

• Yoga is a form of ‘exercise’ that’s been prevalent in various societies for centuries.

• In India, it’s been practiced for more than 3,000 years and has since been embraced by other cultures around the globe.

• The word yoga is derived from the word yoke, which means “to bring together mind, body, and spirit.”  Ultimately, union of the aforementioned.

• Many yoga enthusiasts practice for the overall positive effect it has on them in bringing peace into their lives.

• Yoga helps you gain control of your breathing while meditating and maintaining various poses that improve your cardiovascular functions.

If you choose to take class at a fitness center or a studio, you will find a wide variety of styles which many people can find confusing or daunting.  The best thing to do is to feel out for yourself what it is that you need for you.  If you have a whole lot of excess energy or emotion running and you feel the need to ‘get stuff out’, there are many styles of yoga that are fast-paced with postures that focus on strength-training, stamina, and flexibility – such as Ashtanga and its Flow Yoga counterparts.  Other styles such as Bikram Yoga and other forms of “Hot Yoga” are carried out in extremely hot rooms, with the intention of detoxing the body through sweat and heating the muscles to a point of being able to stretch deeper into them.

If what you feel you need instead is to calm the mind and the nervous system to a place of deep peace, there are styles that use chanting (kirtan) in conjunction with meditation, such as Kundalini Yoga.  Others such as Iyengar yoga and other restorative forms regularly utilize yoga props such as blocks, straps, and bolsters.  For some people, especially if they are just starting out, taking class in a larger studio or center can feel a bit daunting.  If this is the case for you, I highly recommend taking up a home yoga practice.  Find a DVD or recording that you feel suits your needs best.  You can find some really great online yoga classes at YogaDownload.com.

As a yoga instructor, I love to teach both flow yoga classes and restorative classes.  For at home practice purposes, I highly recommend stocking up on some props.  The deep levels of relaxation that can be assisted with the use of props is second to none.  Yoga blocks allow you to rest deeper in forward bends if you have a tight lower back and hamstrings, yoga bolsters help to release the muscles around the neck and the spine while ‘cradling’ you into a deep rest.  Yoga straps will help with taking any posture just that little bit deeper – like having a friend there to assist you with going that little but further.  And of course, having a partner there to help you move deeper into your practice is certainly ideal (wink!) but if you would also love some props to use at home and don’t yet have any, there are always some great deals on yoga props here.

The health benefits are just one thing to be derived from practicing yoga.  A consistent practice, if you don’t already have one, (but if you do, then you know exactly what I’m talking about!) will transform you completely, from the inside out.  Here’s to a joyous season of chocolates, spiked eggnog, and your mid-season yoga practice!