At Lifestyle Health Retreats we believe that fitness at any level is one of the best ways to jumpstart your health and wellness. A daily routine of activity can vary and include running, working out in a gym, swimming, walking or practicing yoga. Yoga is an ancient form of exercise that originated in India centuries ago. Yoga serves to unite the mind, body, and soul through meditation, breathing, movements, and body poses. Many people practice yoga today for its health benefits which include stress relief, increased flexibility, and improved muscle tone.
The physical focus of yoga is holding poses and positions with the correct alignment and posture. There are many different yoga positions and some are more challenging than others. When you begin yoga you can expect to see positions that are seated, standing, and lying down. As you progress the positions should get more challenging and will help to build your muscle tone and flexibility.
Seated Yoga
Seated yoga positions are some of the most common yoga positions and are usually easy to maintain. They usually focus on learning proper breathing techniques as well as posture and alignment. Seated yoga positions are a great way for beginners to introduce themselves with the principals of yoga.
Standing Yoga
There are also many types of standing yoga positions. These positions help to improving flexibility and stamina as well as focus on proper spinal alignment while still using proper breathing techniques.
Advanced Yoga
More challenging yoga positions include supine yoga positions. These poses help to lengthen and strengthen the spine, as well as increase spinal flexibility. These positions can help to relieve back pain if done correctly but it is important to seek the advice of a professional to make sure you are using correct posture and alignment.
There are also yoga positions that are great for toning the abdominal muscles as well as developing upper body strength. Belly down yoga positions are some of the positions that are good for this and require students to lift themselves up from the ground while stretching and using fluid motion.
Balance Yoga
Another main focus of yoga is balance, and there are many positions that are designed to improve balance and coordination. Balancing yoga positions help to improve overall muscle tone as well as help you to achieve correct posture and maintain balance. Holding a certain yoga positions while balancing your weight is a great way to improve your overall fitness.
Some yoga positions require movement instead of holding a specific pose. Twisting, bending, and using fluid movements are a great way to improve flexibility and will help you to work towards mastering more challenging poses.
