Yoga

Welcome to Radiant Spirit Yoga!

Why Yoga?

Freedom

Until she began her Yoga practice, and started to feel the great benefits it provides, Rosalind, like many people did not understand how wonderful Yoga really is for the body, the mind and the spirit.

Through Yoga practice you will experience greater strength and flexibility in your entire body. Yoga brings core strength that will protect your back. At the same time it can open the spine and provide more space between the vertebrae. You will increase upper body and arm strength, open the heart space, shoulders, and neck and increase the flexibility in the muscles and joints. The upper body and back suffer greatly from sitting in front of a computer for extended periods of time. The lower back and legs can also become stiff and cramped. Yoga can give you greater freedom of movement and balance. And, help to tone the whole body.

Flexibility

The words heard most often from people who don’t give yoga a chance is “I’m not flexible. I can’t do yoga.” The thing that they do not understand is that being inflexible is the very reason to take up a yoga practice. Yoga will certainly help to open up muscles even if the individual is not able to get into a pose as deeply as someone who has great flexibility. Our bodies are machines that need movement and oxygen as much as they need food. Our quality of life is affected by how the body ages and yoga can help reverse or prevent debilitating problems that occur when one does not take the time for exercise and deep breath work.

Protection

Yoga can be practiced by anyone at any age. Yoga can be as beneficial to someone who already has a great exercise regimen as it can to someone who has a disability of some kind. For example, people who run, golf, play tennis or weight train, tend to use the same muscle groups in repetitive motion. While they may be very fit, they can also risk injury to joints or muscles because they lack flexibility or haven’t built strength in those areas. Yoga works the whole body – opening muscles and joints and building strength and flexibility. It helps to work the core strength that protects the back while opening space in the spinal column. Yoga practice can
be very energizing – breathing abundant life through out.

Healthful Change

Yoga is a great way for someone who hasn’t been involved with any physical activity (and feels out of shape) to begin an exercise program. Yoga practice can easily be customized for anyone regardless their fitness level and it can be a very rewarding activity at any level. Yoga will also help with weight loss and tone the body. It can help lower cholesterol, high blood pressure and improve circulation. Be sure to check with your doctor before starting any exercise program including Yoga. You should also let your Yoga teacher know about any issues or problems. He or she can give you a modification to a pose or suggest an alternate pose that provides a similar benefit.

Well Being

We easily identify physical movement and meditation with Yoga but, ethical standards and diet are also strongly associated with a Yoga practice. A renewed sense of well being to all who practice the science of yoga, meditation and healthful nutrition. These practices can greatly improve the physical and mental state of those who are being treated for chronic conditions, illnesses and diseases such as Breast Cancer, Mesothelioma, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and many others. An overall sense of well-being for the body, mind and spirit can develop as one implements these practices into one’s daily life. Yoga can be practiced at home or at a Yoga studio.

Variety

If you are a beginner check with the Yoga studio that you are considering, talk to the teacher about what styles and levels of Yoga he or she teaches and what they recommend as a starting point. You might try more than one teacher or style to find your own personal comfort zone. Yoga should be challenging enough for you to benefit from it but it should never hurt you. If you are uncomfortable with a group class consider taking private sessions with a Yoga teacher until you feel confident and comfortable going to a class.

Rosalind encourages anyone at any age or fitness level to begin a Yoga practice. Yoga can be a great addition to any fitness program because it works the body and the mind completely. The stress relief from both meditative and physical practice of yoga is highly beneficial brining clearer thinking and builds confidence in oneself. Through Yoga the body, mind and spirit connect in a unique and beautiful way.

See you on your mat in Yoga! Namaste!

Rosalind has dedicated this Yoga section to Daniele Jarman, E-RYT of Ignite Yoga Center in Livingston NJ and the six other very special, spirited and beautiful fellow students she trained to become a teacher with: Carla, Christine, Joey, Katie, Kelly, and Mary. You all have very deep hearts and spirits. May you always find peace love and light in your lives.

Please be aware that Yoga, Reiki, Shamanic energy work and Thai Yoga Massage are Complimentary Alternative Medicines and should never be substituted for seeking medical advice and treatment for injuries or physical or mental illnesses.