At the center of wellness, we find yoga

Yoga. What do you need to begin the ancient discipline of meditation and movement?

Only your body and an open mind. 

By way of introduction, we often define wellness as a healthy mind, body and spirit, and yoga exercises and strengthens them all together. With simple guidance, beginners can experience the wealth of health benefits the practice provides, from increased flexibility and lower blood pressure to relief from chronic back pain. 

In this section of Self Haven we’ll explore physical exercise focusing on yoga. You’ll find instruction for all skill levels, whether you’re just starting or are a lifelong practitioner.

You may feel intimidated at first by all the different forms of yoga — there are more than 100! — and not know where to start. Fortunately, you don’t even have to be flexible to begin, and just like other types of exercise, you can start at your own knowledge and skill level and learn as you go.

Beginners won’t have to wait long to be encouraged. A study cited by greatist.com found that just one yoga class “had the ability to significantly reduce tension, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility and fatigue.” After 12 weeks, lower back pain was lessened. 

One of the first poses that yoga students learn is called the mountain pose, illustrated in the photograph above, and you can try it now by just standing up. Pace yourself as you follow these simple instructions from dailyburn.com:

“Stand with your feet together and arms at your side. Ground your feet, making sure all four corners are pressed down. Next, straighten your legs, then tuck your tailbone in as you engage your thigh muscles. As you inhale, elongate through your torso and extend your arms up, then out. Exhale and release your shoulder blades away from your head, toward the back of your waist as you release arms back to your sides.”

There is so much more you can do, and we invite you to explore this amazing resource for self care.