One of the best parts of going to school in Ithaca are the opporutnities to take advantage of all the "alternative" lifestyle techniques this town has to offer. Yoga is probably one of the most beneficial things you can do for your body, especially when it comes to relaxation and stress reduction. The key component of yoga is learning to focus on breathing, and consciously being aware of the air entering and leaving your body. Learning to take deep breaths is shown to increase oxygen flow throughout the body, especially to the brain. It can also calm the central nervous system, which is where the benefits of yoga for stress reduction start to kick in.
Because you have to concentrate so much on your body and breathing during yoga, this leaves little room for other thoughts. Just a few minutes of yoga can leave you feeling significantly relaxed, with a much clearer mind. The physical aspect of yoga also does wonders to relieve anxiety. Physical activity of any sort has been shown to help reduce stress but yoga in particular, with its soothing atmosphere, tends to significantly calm the body and mind.
The greatest thing about doing yoga as exercise is that anyone can do it! There are so many resources out there for people interested in beginning yoga. Just a simple Google search yields thousands of results. Here a few tips if you are interested in getting started-
* Check out your local bookstore or library for any books or pamphlets. Any sort of guide for Beginners Yoga is great place to start. Look for one with pictures so you can make sure to get the positions right.
*Youtube. Lots of professional yoga instructors put short previews of their classes online for potential customers. There are some shows that will put clips of their episodes online also. Check them out and give it a shot! Here are a few good ones I found:
*OnDemand. Along with Free Movies, most OnDemand services offer short exercise videos, usually in the Sports section. They range anywhere from 10-30 minutes, so they can be a great quick morning routine or rigorous afternoon workout.
*Check out what your town has to offer! I found several great places right here in Ithaca.
I personally recommend checking out any type of Bikram Yoga, or "Hot Yoga". It's a traditional yoga class, taking place in a room heated 95-100 degrees. The idea is to flush out toxins with the profuse sweating. Its pretty intense, but the benefits are incredible for anyone who wants to give it a shot. You don't need to risk heat stroke to enjoy the benefits of yoga however, even a few mintutes a day can significantly reduce your stress level. As soon as the stress of midterms starts to hit you, just hop on into Downward Dog or the Cobra and you should be good to go!
No comments:
Post a Comment