46 | June 2012 | woman this month The Power of Yoga Exercise doesn’t have to be a chore or a quick fix for losing weight. Yoga is a lifestyle form of exercise that goes beyond just making your body healthy — it heals your mind too. By Alison Coldridge When yoga became a top exercise trend, followed by its sidekick Pilates, no one thought these sweat-less forms of fitness class would stick around for long. In an age where we run, jump, punch, squat, kick and spin until soaked in perspiration; it seems inconceivable that a quiet, serene and seemingly easy form of exercise would take off. But it did. This ancient form of relaxation has become more mainstream than running on a treadmill. In the USA alone, a whopping 72.2 per cent of women and 27.8 per cent of men favour it above any other type of exercise. And this summer is seeing even more out-there styles, techniques and yoga recitals emerge, proving its worth as a true exercise trendsetter. An ancient art As a spiritual, mental and physical discipline, yoga originated in ancient India over 5,000 years ago and is related to the meditation processes seen in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. It’s the oldest defined practice of self-development and holds the overall aim of achieving a perfect sense of calm, balance and contentment within one’s self. Originally, yoga techniques were passed down from teacher to student through word of mouth, until they were written down by Indian sage Patarjali, considered to be the father of yoga. In the western world, yoga made its first real breakthrough in the swinging sixties and re-emerged stronger than ever in what’s known as the “yoga boom” in the late eighties. Nowadays, it is known mainly as a form of exercise. You may be familiar with the different types: hatha, ashtanga, bikram, kundalini, lyenga. Hatha is the most common style, which consists of a combination of positions, breathing and meditation. The crux of yoga is this focus on breathing, a sense of self-control that celebrities, such as Madonna and Jennifer Aniston, have found lifealtering and imperative to their figures and stress levels. There are many different positions, each putting emphasis on a different area of the body to fully stretch and flex every muscle. Numerous benefits The somewhat comical positions and names (we’re all familiar with the downward-facing Wellbeing
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk0MTkxMQ==