Transform Your Body

How yoga can change your body...

Quote of the day...

“Do not follow the idea of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself.”

Dōgen Zenji

In Today's Email:

  • How Yoga Can Transform Your Body…

  • Did you know? Yoga can make you smarter…

  • Yogapedia: Today’s pose of the day...

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LEARN TODAY:
How Yoga Can Transform Your Body

#1: Yoga Can Help Lengthen Your Spine

Poor posture is far more common than we might think. Many of us spend long hours sitting behind a desk, holding babies, or simply living a sedentary lifestyle.

The constant …

• Slouching

• Arching of the low back

• Locked or bent knees; and

• Forward head tilt

… can compress muscles around your spine, leaving it in unnatural positions. Not only is this uncomfortable, but it can lead to bigger problems.

Yoga is a fun and natural way to help lengthen your spine and can help bring your bones into proper alignment.

#2: Yoga Can Help Decrease Stress Levels

Studies have shown that regularly practicing yoga two to three times per week for three months can reduce stress. How does this work?

The levels of your stress hormones, adrenaline, and cortisol, are reduced through yoga, as well as c-reactive proteins in your blood that contribute to inflammation.

Conversely, yoga increases your “happiness hormones” — serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine — as well as GABA-neurotransmitters that tell your brain and body to relax.

#3: Yoga Can Help Improve Flexibility

Yoga is a great physical exercise because it promotes strengthening your mind and body to help them move better. Think about it:

With …

• Better joint mobility

• Stronger muscles

• Improved balance; and

• Improved mobility

… the likelihood of your flexibility increasing is higher.

#4: Yoga Can Help Improve Balance

Having good balance is more important than you might think. Not only does having good balance help to maintain the body’s correct position, but it also helps you to:

• Walk without staggering your steps

• Stand up without falling

• Climb stairs without tripping; and

• Bend over without falling

If you’re struggling with any of these issues, practicing yoga to help strengthen your core is a great way to help.

#5: Yoga Can Help People Deal with Pain

When practiced correctly, yoga can help to reduce pain. How?

One Doctor of Philosophy has discovered through research there are simple ways to help people with both chronic and acute pain beyond pharmaceuticals. Instead, with mind-body practices — yoga and meditation — pain perception may be reduced because an increase in gray matter can help your brain regulate its response to pain.

#6: Yoga Can Help Build Lean Muscle

Yoga can sometimes be more difficult than many people tend to think.

Working through …

• Balance

• Mobility

• Core strength; and

• Flexibility

… takes both mental and physical work.

But while your body is working hard through yoga sessions, it’s:

• Building strength

• Toning; and

• Building lean muscle.

#7: Yoga Can Help Improve Joint Support

Yoga can help improve joint support in a few different ways:

1. Yoga helps to improve your range of motion, which is helpful for you to complete simple daily tasks.

2. Weak joints could be due to weakness in the muscles surrounding them, so yoga helps to strengthen muscles that support your joints.

3. When joint cartilage is immobilized, it can become unhealthy and weak. Yoga can help to keep cartilage moving, healthy, and strong.

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CRYSTAL OF THE DAY

POSITIVE NEWS OF THE DAY

He Saved One of the Largest Forests in India from Coal Mining–and Was Honored With 2024 Goldman Prize…

DID YOU KNOW?

Yoga Can Help Improve Cognition and Focus

Practicing yoga has both short-term and long-term effects on your brain.

Not only does yoga help you to focus, but it can make your brain …

• Smarter

• Stronger; and

• Faster

… resulting in better decision-making, test scores, and memory.

YOGAPEDIA
Ragdoll Pose (Uttanasana)

What is Ragdoll Pose?

Ragdoll pose is a variation of uttanasana, or standing forward bend. Here, the yogi clasps opposite elbows, bends the knees and allows the head to hang. The pose releases the low back and revitalizes the mind.

Instructions

  • Begin standing with the feet hip distance wide.

  • Bend the knees slightly, exhale and bend at the hips.

  • Clasp opposite elbows and allow the head to hang. Shift the bodyweight forward.

  • Hold here or slowly sway side to side.

  • Breathe while holding the pose.

  • Inhale and return to standing.

MEME