Sangha yoga and midtown yoga – Yoga teachers have a reputation for being lithe, mostly female and perhaps a bit flighty. Not one of those adjectives could describe such admitted yogis as basketball superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, or former football player Shannon Sharpe, among others. More and more athletes–professional or novice—are recognizing the benefits of a regular yoga practice.
Longevity of sangha yoga and midtown yoga
This ancient practice is believed to have been around for thousands of years. If that’s the case, there’s a reason for that. The word yoga is Sanskrit (ancient East language) meaning to “yoke” or unite the mind, body and spirit. Perhaps the idea of burly, muscular men in an inverted pose trying to focus on their breathing seems out of sorts with the non-yogi but even doing yoga once, a person can begin to feel the benefits of this exercise.
Sangha yoga and midtown yoga Rehabilitation
Stretching out and warming up is crucial for any sport. Yoga focuses on not just stretching the muscles one expects to use in a sport but in using all the muscles of the body, even the ones we rarely make use of. It brings into awareness the ways our body can move: our range of motion, as well as the limitations that need more work. It also helps with being more conscious of breathing, extremely important in bringing more oxygen into the body. This aids in the rehabilitation of sport injuries such as strained muscles, twisted ankles, or pulled hamstrings.
Mental Concentration
In fast-paced sports like football, basketball or hockey, the athlete rarely has time to think about which particular muscles he or she is about to use. All they know is that they have to be ready to jump, twist, pivot, catch or throw at a moment’s notice. In yoga, the athlete slows down to pay attention to all of the muscles, the strength and weakness of each, the breath that fills the lungs, the mind in need of quiet. It’s a time to reflect on the hard work the body does in high-energy sports as well as day-to-day functions.
Flexibility & Alignment
Practicing Sangha yoga or midtown yoga is not solely about meditating nor does it have to be a spiritual performance. It is a way to take care of the body, to concentrate on stretching over-worked limbs and sore muscles. Yoga asanas (poses) encourage gentle straightening of the spine, helping it become more flexible and aligned. The poses also incorporate a lot of the abdominal muscles to keep a straight back. The stronger stomach muscles we have, the less weight the back has to support, lessening the strain on our lower back.
Total-Body Workout
There are different branches and levels of yoga for everybody, even for kids. Whether you exercise every day, or are a weekend warrior, adding yoga to your routine can give you that edge in your performance. Yoga can help you become more appreciative of all your body can do and compel you to take great care of it. Before you know it, you’ll be starting your day with a few tiger poses and folding triangle twists before jumping into that ten-mile jog.
Popular Exercise Programs – Which is Best?
Hatha Yoga, an ancient exercise bringing the mind in line with the body and gaining strength, balance and flexibility at the same time (Yoga Journal). Hatha yoga was first practised in India in the 15th Century and remains a highly popular form of exercise today. Precisely what will the regular practice of yoga give a person? Yoga practitioners and diehard yoga supporters will say that yoga offers the ultimate mind-body workout and that after practising yoga, you will feel strong, flexible and completely relaxed. Is this true?
Yoga requires that you undertake poses (known as asanas) while you focus on controlling your breathing. This enables your mind to relax and prepare for meditation practice. Yoga asanas focus on poise, balance, strength and flexibility. This has benefits for your daily life as you will find that your posture becomes better (leading to less pain in muscles and joints), you are able to reach further for items on a high shelf, your stamina improves and your ability to manage stress in your day to day life improves greatly. Finally, if you are in a loving relationship, regular practice of yoga asanas can make it easier to spice up your bedroom action.
Pilates is a younger exercise when compared to yoga however it has many mind-body benefits including creating an awareness of your body and how it moves, gaining control of your muscles and improving your strength and coordination. Joseph Pilates developed exercises (originally called “contrology”) in the early 20th Century. These exercises were a based on principles from callisthenics, yoga and ballet and focused on controlling the breathing and improving the strength of the abdominal muscles.
Pilates uses precise movements, controlled breathing and a mind focus on the movements of your muscles. Regular practise of Pilates will give you improved flexibility, strength (particularly from exercises where you are lifting your own body weight off the floor), stability and coordination. Your mind will also benefit as the concentration required to think about your muscles while they are performing the Pilates exercises leaves you no space for other thoughts to creep in. In your daily life, you will find that you will be able to lift heavier objects, have less muscle pain because your posture is improved and you are using your muscles to balance and will be able to turn your muscles on and off to improve your performance in other sports.
Which Exercise is Better?
That question is for you to decide as ultimately it will come down to personal choice. Both Pilates and yoga are excellent mind-body fitness activities, taking you away from the stresses of the day and asking you to focus only on the internal systems of your body working hard to make you move. Without you even being aware of it, the benefits of practising either yoga or Pilates will improve your life greatly. You will feel fitter, look thinner (without dieting), have more stamina and a greater ability to deal with stress in your life.
