Читать книгу New Anatomy for Strength & Fitness Training - Mark Vella - Страница 34

Yoga had its beginning in northern India more than 5,000 years ago. The physical exercise aspect of the yoga lifestyle is called Hatha yoga, comprising exercise poses known as asanas. When doing Hatha yoga, you will go through a range of these asanas, in harmony with your breathing. Yoga is more than physical exercise—it emphasizes training your mind, training your body, and connecting with your spirit. Yoga can improve your flexibility, strength, balance, and stamina. Long-term practice has been shown to reduce anxiety and stress and to improve mental clarity and sleep.

Dress comfortably for your first yoga session. The average class is 75 to 90 minutes. You may find the strength, flexibility, and even endurance aspects challenging at first. Work at your own pace, with the teacher’s guidance.

There are many variants of Hatha yoga for you to explore: fast-paced Ashtanga yoga and Vinyasa yoga, Bikram yoga (or hot yoga), spiritual Kundalini yoga, which includes chanting and meditation, and the precisely controlled Iyengar yoga, to name a few.

You can do yoga anywhere. At home, you can enjoy the motivation and instruction of online services such as Yoga Anytime as well as through countless apps. A basic yoga mat costs only $10. If you prefer group classes, they are plentiful and can range from a $5 student drop-in rate to $25 or more per group session.