There are many types of yoga. It is an exercise practice that combines breath control, meditation and movements to stretch and strengthen most muscles. People have been practicing yoga for thousands of years, and regular practice can produce huge improvements in your overall health.
The Benefits of Yoga
Yoga offers both physical and mental benefits.
Physical Benefits of Yoga
- improvement in overall muscle strength
- increase bone strength
- reduce long-standing pain and improve self-management of pain
- increase flexibility
- improve your body awareness
- improvement in blood pressure, hormonal balance and immune function
Mental Benefits of Yoga
- improvement in alertness and concentration
- improved sleeping
- reduction in stress and anxiety, increase your ability to relax
Using Yoga to Treat Chronic Pain
Evidence shows that the regular practice of yoga can help people who are suffering from arthritis, fibromyalgia, lower back pain, and other conditions. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that a weekly yoga class increased mobility more than “standard medical care” for 313 people with lower back pain.
Why Come to Elevation Physiotherapy & Wellness for Yoga?
If you have had pain, yoga can be a wonderful full-body program to restore and advance muscle strength and flexibility through your entire body. Yoga positions or asanas can be modified to accommodate your strength and experience, and each instructor can work with your physiotherapists to design a program that is personalized to address your needs.
If you do not have pain or limitations, individual or small group yoga can teach you how to perform asanas properly and safely progress to achieve your own goals. It doesn’t have to be difficult or intimidating if you are new to yoga, but it is important to properly learn techniques and flow from one movement to another.
What Does a Typical Yoga Session Look Like?
Each session, whether individual or in a small group will typically last from 45-90 minutes. A session will often start with breathing exercises to relax the body and bring your mind to the present. From there, your practice could involve meditative techniques, or seated, standing or lying yoga postures. Some of these asanas could be held for a few seconds to a few minutes. Holding each position correctly is essential and breathing into the posture is important, and you must learn when it is good to push your body and when to give in. The sessions typically end with breathing and meditation.
Different Types of Yoga
There are many types of yoga. Typically, “power” yoga or ashtanga-type yoga can be a hard workout to strengthen your muscles and improve flexibility. In western culture, active people often focus on activities or exercise that strengthen our muscles and improve endurance – they are purposely difficult workouts where we feel tired or sore as a result. In Eastern thinking, this is a “yang” workout. But overall health is about balance…
Yin Yoga
Yin yoga is the practice of the OTHER aspect of health and well-being! Yin is yoga for the connective tissue, ligaments, bones and joints rather than the muscles. Each Yin pose is held for several minutes to allow for changes in the connective tissue layers to occur. In order to elongate connective tissue, all of the muscles that surround that area need to stay relaxed.
Yin teaches stillness, acceptance and patience. Yang wants to push to accomplish something. Yin uses NO muscular work, while Yang uses the entire muscular system. Yin specifically targets the lower back, hips and pelvis
There are 3 principles of Yin yoga:
- come to the appropriate depth for each pose
- you must remain still: in breath, in body and in mind.
- Hold the pose
The use of breath is key: conscious breathing helps to calm the nervous system. People with long-standing pain often have a very sensitive nervous system, and proper breath control can help calm the body to encourage healing.
Yoga Classes & Workshops
We offer yoga classes and workshops for individuals and small groups. Please call for pricing.
Contact Us to Book an Appointment
If you’re stiff, you constantly ache and you feel like you have no energy, yoga might help get you back on track. Please contact our office to book your first appointment, or simply fill in our form and we’ll get in touch with you.
