Have you ever considered yoga as a form of therapy, rather than a form of exercise? Pretty much all forms of Hatha Yoga can be used to improve flexibility, increase relaxation, and begin to teach body awareness and mental focus. And some strong styles can be used to build strength.
But did you know that Gentle forms of Hatha Yoga can be used to:
- release chronic tension in the neck and shoulders
- reduce pain in the feet, ankles, knees, hips, back, shoulders, and neck
- improve posture
- continue rehabilitation after physical therapy
- as an alternative to or in conjunction with massage
And other beneficial side effects can include:
- reduction of high blood pressure
- reduction of stress hormones
- reversal of diseases brought on by stress
Gentle, therapeutic yoga is such an excellent self-care tool because you can continue to apply what you learn in class, outside of class.
Say your low back is hurting. You come to yoga class and the teacher leads you through a series of poses to release tightness in your legs and hips. By the end of class you’re feeling great! Your low back pain is gone and you feel good all day long. But the following day your back pain starts creeping in again. What do you do? Your can go to another yoga class or you can practice a few of the poses you learned in your previous yoga class.
For the relatively low cost of yoga classes, you can learn how to treat your own back pain without having to take any medications and possibly even in the comfort of your own home. How awesome is that?!
And if you have a chronic issue, private yoga lessons are an excellent option so that the teacher can focus exclusively on your needs. They’ll even send you home with a customized written yoga practice that you can do on your own.
People often ask me how often they should practice yoga. You can practice as often as you’d like! The more consistently you practice, the more amazing you’ll feel. You’ll feel energized, easeful, and peaceful. Your mental focus will improve and you’ll sleep better.
It’s not uncommon for a person to practice yoga at the studio 5-6 days per week, and if you think about it, the cost of the Monthly Unlimited pass is about equal to the cost of a one hour massage plus tip. The benefit of the Monthly Unlimited pass is that you can practice (literally) an unlimited number of hours of yoga. You can keep yourself feeling great all month long!
I rarely (if ever) talk about prices in the newsletter, but I think in this case it's relevant and helpful, especially if this post has piqued your interest in Gentle, therapeutic yoga to create ease in your body...
If you're brand new to The Yoga Room, you can take advantage of our First Week Unlimited Pass, which is 7 days of unlimited classes for just $10. And if you have attended classes at the studio before, you might want to check out our Beat the Heat Summer Unlimited Pass, which is unlimited classes from June 1 through August 31st for $255 AND you get a free t-shirt or tank top! ;)
Now it’s time for you to take action!
- Check out our Class Schedule and find the Gentle classes that suit your schedule. Write them down on your calendar and come in for a class this week! Make sure to tell the teacher about any body issues you’re working with so they incorporate poses to address them into the class.
- If you’ve experienced an improvement in your health due to your yoga practice, we’d love to hear from you! Send us an email to tell us all about it. We’ll contact you for permission to share your story in a future newsletter. We all know that success stories help motivate people to make positive life changes, so you can be an important part of helping others improve their health :)
I look forward to seeing you and/or hearing from you!
Lots of love, Zelinda
P.S. If this post was interesting to you, please be on the look out for next week's post about how we customize our Gentle classes to suit the needs and limitations of every person in the class.
And if a friend or loved one who can benefit from yoga came to mind while you read this post, please share the post using the links below. <3