Description

Many people think of yoga as a gentle activity—and some styles are—but to reap yoga’s many benefits, the exercise has to be practied correctly. Yoga has a reputation for making muscles more flexible, which it does, but lots of poses are also good for strengthening and toning muscles because they require students to hold up or balance their own body weight with their arms and/or legs. One of the first steps learned in yoga is how to properly contract deep abdominals, building plenty of strength and stability around the abdominal walls. The key to promoting the sense of inner peace associated with yoga are the breathing practices. Through yoga, students develop a better awareness of bodily sensations—for example, recognizing when their breathing is calm and focused versus forced and choppy—and also an awareness of what is going on within themselves. This online series covers Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Yoga techniques.