While on the way to spot a friend of mine at the local YMCA, he asked why I didn’t just join the gym and I explained to him that I practice Yoga and occasional calisthenics at home for my exercises and really didn’t feel the need for a gym membership. His response was predictable: “Yoga…isn’t that just stretching?”

I smirked at the familiarity of the question and proceeded to explain to him the theme of this article. As I told him and for those who may not know otherwise: No, Yoga is way more than just stretching or getting into supposedly awkward looking poses and positions.

It is a combination of stretching, breathing exercises, meditation and perhaps the most overlooked limb, adherence to a proper diet.

The word yoga, from the Sanskrit word yuj means to yoke or bind and is often interpreted as a “union” or a method of discipline. Its ultimate goal is the union of man with God or the universe in one breath. Furthermore, it aims to liberate the spirit as the mind and spirit are equally involved in its practice.

Yoga is indeed the oldest existing physical-culture system in the world. Besides being a systematic and scientifically proven path to attaining physical fitness, it delays aging, rejuvenates and improves one’s appearance, maintains suppleness and increases vitality and the creative part of life.

With its core warm-up exercises known as the Sun Salutations (which are somewhat similar to the calisthenics exercise known as ‘burpees’), the inversion poses, forward and backward bending poses, balancing exercises for the arms and building focus, the average practitioner will attest to the fact that for attaining fitness, Yoga can stand its own.

Think Yoga can’t help with building strength? Think again. Heck, I challenge the most adept body-builder to hold the simple yet powerful peacock-pose for 90 seconds straight. Bet you they’d crash half-way in its execution-if they make it that far.

Yoga also offers unique breathing exercises which are wonderful for patients with respiratory disorders and even singers and public speakers, moreover with its unique relaxation pose, oft times practiced during and after its execution, Yoga offers a systematic means of deeply relaxing the entire body perhaps the way no other exercise can. (Keep in mind of course that several of the poses give a deep body massage not unlike the ones received in salons…just thought I should throw that in.)

With countless books, DVD’s, videos and classes being offered for all ages, levels of fitness and experience (some of them being actually free for the first couple of lessons to try Yoga out), I suggest you give it a trial and see for yourself what it can do.

One thing I promise you is this; you will walk out of your class and nod in agreement that indeed: “yoga is way more than just stretching.” It is THE exercise.

Foras Aje is an independent health researcher and founder of Bodyhealthsoul.com For more Yoga tips and information on Yoga for beginners, stop by his website today.

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The most common definition of aging is not what really determines it. In reality, misusing our bodies over a long time causes the body to degenerate and consequently look older. A lifetime of remaining sedentary, consuming non-nutritious foods or having poor posture while working can cause the stiffness or aches and pains commonly attributed to getting old. Regular care and maintenance of the human body is required as much as all other types of machines ever made by man. One of the major things that make the bodies of humans unique is the ability to renew or regenerate themselves at the cellular level. Yoga is an important tool that works to help maintain the health of the human body.

Many people have started using this form of exercise even at the age of fifty or more years. The success of turning back the clock on the process of growing old and the ability to feel young again has inspired the baby boomer generation. Quite often people who begin using Yoga in their older years discover that they feel even better than they did in their younger years. One of the rewards from starting a Yoga program is the ability of the body to recover greater flexibility and regain health that had turned poor. Patience and the determination to try is all you need to get started.

Yoga has been shown to be a perfect exercise to help prevent osteoporosis. Arthritic pain felt in feet or hands has been alleviated from arthritis sufferers with the use of Yoga poses. Seniors often feel depressed due to the lack of energy and flexibility which plays a large part in their daily lives. But yoga can help folks who were previously unable to get up on their own to feel energetic again and have a renewed flexibility and freedom from joint pain.

It is difficult to remain motivated to exercise if very little movement has been done on a regular basis. This causes muscles to lose their strength and tone and joints to become inflexible. However, seniors can use chairs, blocks, straps or other props to help them do yoga exercises -even those who have had a regular habit of misusing their bodies over the years. Folks fifty and over may think they are more fragile than they really are, but once they begin using Yoga, they will reap the benefits of renewed flexibility of their bodies. There is no good excuse not to try since there are many different modifications of Yoga positions that are available to those in their 50’s and over.

People over fifty need to challenge themselves not to stop with the beginning poses which are relatively easy, but to keep going with the goal in mind of attaining their highest possible success. If seniors keep on practicing breathing correctly, flexing their muscles that have not had much use and the various postures that they learn, the rewards will be theirs to enjoy. They should keep in mind though that their bodies can tell them when they need to slow down.

If people in their older years desire to keep their muscles and joints strong and supple, yoga can help with this and more. It helps improve balance and keep minds active with a more positive attitude, especially when they feel younger and more agile than before they began an active Yoga program. Even people in their 70’s and 80’s can strengthen their bodies and gain a renewed sense of general health and happiness by beginning to practice Yoga in the latter years of their lives.

Dennis Harris has a health related site that provides help for a wide range of medical and health related issues. You can visit his site at http://www.healthissuestoday.com

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Hatha Yoga is mainly practiced for health and vitality. Hatha Yoga was introduced in the 15th century by Yogi Swatmarama. Hatha yoga focuses on the purification of the physical being which leads to the purification of the mind or vital energy. The exploration of these physical-spiritual connections and body centered practices led to the creation of Hatha Yoga. Today In the West, hatha yoga has become wildly popular as a purely physical exercise regimen divorced of its original purpose.

Whatever the historical details, Krishnamacharya has become the undisputed father of modern-day hatha yoga. Krishnamacharya’s first lessons in yoga were from his father and his grandmother and passed on through generations of practice.

Hatha Yoga follows in that vein and thus successfully transcends being particularly grounded in any one religion. This exploration of these physical and spiritual connections and body centered practices led to the creation of Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga has been included in the life style of these traditions. Hatha Yoga classes tend, among other things, to emphasize physical mastery.

Hatha also means a force or determined effort, and yoga, of course, translates as yoke or joining together. The very name hatha yoga, a combination of “ha,” meaning sun, and “tha,” meaning moon, denotes the union of opposites. Through the practice of yoga an individual can gain information about physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being.

Hatha Yoga represents opposing energies: hot and cold, fire and water following the theme of ying and yang, male and female, positive and negative. Hatha yoga attempts to balance the mind and body. The balancing of the mind and body is brought about via physical exercises (also known as asanas), controlled breathing (pranayama) and relaxation or meditiation.

Pranayama refers to breath control in yoga. In this yoga is defined as a means of binding or controlling the breath and the mind using the syllable Om. In this case yoga has extremes, practices of fasting, breath control, and postures to transcend the body, and not cultivate it. Asana body postures that are contemplative in nature and are designed to align the body and bring about the optimum situation for relaxation.

Traditional yoga is a holistic yogic path and is becoming wildly popular.

Rob Daniels is a long term practitioner of Yoga and Pilates additional articles available at Pilates Shop http://www.pilates-shop.net and Yoga Store http://www.yoga-store.net

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