You must be limber to practice yoga. "Sorry, I'm not flexible enough for Yoga."
* Yoga increases flexibility but does not require it! Increasing your flexibility is one of the points after all and bestows many health benefits. It's possible you may be anxious about being judged by others who may be more flexible than you.
* Guess what? Most yoga practitioners are regular folks with just as limited flexibility as you if not worse. Everyone has to start somewhere and you can always begin at home until you feel comfortable in front of others but honestly? I wouldn't worry about it!
Yoga is not for men... that's a woman thing
* Rubbish! The beginnings of yoga started thousands of years ago with MEN and its original masters known by "yogis" were MEN. I understand that their is a more traditional perception that yoga is more for females but that is a very outdated notion. Just take a look around a yoga studio or yoga class at your gym. A lot more dudes than you'd expect!
* Yoga is constantly pushing into mainstream consciousness and its benefits are too good to be localized to one gender. It's catching on guys! Many studios are at a 2:1 female to male ratio now, compared to a 10:1 roughly 10 to 20 years ago. Besides guys, being surrounded and outnumbered by health conscious females can't be all bad.
Yoga costs too much money
* You can get started with FREE videos that are hosted on YouTube. Now, quality may vary with free programs but it is a great and free way to get familiarized. I recommend buying a program because people tend to be more motivated when they have made some kind of investment, whether its a monetary one or an emotional one. Just make sure you buy a program with a money back guarantee.
* Also, keep in mind most larger gyms that you join such as L.A. Fitness, Gold's Gym, 24 Hour Fitness, et cetera, have yoga classes already available within the regular membership... sometimes a tad bit more. It may be roughly $10 extra dollars a month added on your membership fee.
* Think long-term. The health benefits of yoga especially if you aren't in the best shape and probably have high blood pressure, etc, are going to save you doctor visits and medication costs. Even insurance companies are exponentially are covering yoga classes because it's saving them major bucks in the long run!
Hippies and 20 year somethings do yoga, not me
* I can see this more "social legitimacy" in decades past. Yoga is an eastern based practice and involves incorporating and harmonizing all components of the human being, not the least of which being spiritual. It only makes sense that it originally gained more traction when it was first introduced with more free-spirited and "hippy-type" individuals.
* Yoga simply has too many practical health benefits for any person of any demographic to not pay attention to. Scientific studies and media attention keep shedding light on this practice and social barriers are evaporating.
Weight loss cannot be achieved by yoga
* Absolutely FALSE and some of the primary reasons for its effectiveness may surprise you. They are not traditional concepts we ascribe to weight loss by 'exercise.' Someone suffering from obesity or perhaps just someone more" out-of-shape" than they'd like to be, either have a metabolic disorder of some sort or simply are under-performing in the metabolic arena.
* Yoga increases blood perfusion to tissues, organs and the rest of the body's systems. Certain yoga poses twist and shift the body causing it to "squeeze" the organs which opens up more blood flow, function and removal of harmful toxins. When you have good circulation your body can effectively remove toxins. Good circulation also provides the body more nutrients and oxygen supply to more efficiently perform metabolic functions and ultimately transform the body.
* In an emotional context, the body harbors pain and negativity. Our baggage likes to hide out and weight us down. Yoga not only relaxes the body but also releases these negative entities allowing us to feel lighter and more care-free. Baggage negatively affects our health and well being. Release it!
* Energetically, yoga helps unblock centers (chakras) within the body that regulate everything from your digestive system to your immune function. A well working digestive system is paramount to weight loss. Proper absorption of nutrients as well as proper elimination of wastes are both unavoidable contributors to healthy weight regulation and healthy body composition. Yoga to lose weight is viable strategy. We won't belabor the rebuttal to this obvious myth any further!
Yoga has only one discipline
* Styles of yoga abound and is not limited to one. These different schools and styles emphasize certain aspects of the overarching basic principles of yoga. Hatha yoga is the most common or known forms but people are becoming more and more familiar with different styles such as Hot Yoga (Bikram), Power Yoga, Vinyasa or Flow Yoga as well as meditation. This article will not discuss these in any detail.
Yoga is not for individuals with injuries or chronic pain
* On the contrary, yoga has been shown to considerably alleviate many chronic pain conditions including chronic back pain and arthritis (rheumatoid). Any medical conditions or such injuries should always be discussed with a yoga instructor so as to insure proper precautions and maximum benefit.
* Yoga increases flexibility but does not require it! Increasing your flexibility is one of the points after all and bestows many health benefits. It's possible you may be anxious about being judged by others who may be more flexible than you.
* Guess what? Most yoga practitioners are regular folks with just as limited flexibility as you if not worse. Everyone has to start somewhere and you can always begin at home until you feel comfortable in front of others but honestly? I wouldn't worry about it!
Yoga is not for men... that's a woman thing
* Rubbish! The beginnings of yoga started thousands of years ago with MEN and its original masters known by "yogis" were MEN. I understand that their is a more traditional perception that yoga is more for females but that is a very outdated notion. Just take a look around a yoga studio or yoga class at your gym. A lot more dudes than you'd expect!
* Yoga is constantly pushing into mainstream consciousness and its benefits are too good to be localized to one gender. It's catching on guys! Many studios are at a 2:1 female to male ratio now, compared to a 10:1 roughly 10 to 20 years ago. Besides guys, being surrounded and outnumbered by health conscious females can't be all bad.
Yoga costs too much money
* You can get started with FREE videos that are hosted on YouTube. Now, quality may vary with free programs but it is a great and free way to get familiarized. I recommend buying a program because people tend to be more motivated when they have made some kind of investment, whether its a monetary one or an emotional one. Just make sure you buy a program with a money back guarantee.
* Also, keep in mind most larger gyms that you join such as L.A. Fitness, Gold's Gym, 24 Hour Fitness, et cetera, have yoga classes already available within the regular membership... sometimes a tad bit more. It may be roughly $10 extra dollars a month added on your membership fee.
* Think long-term. The health benefits of yoga especially if you aren't in the best shape and probably have high blood pressure, etc, are going to save you doctor visits and medication costs. Even insurance companies are exponentially are covering yoga classes because it's saving them major bucks in the long run!
Hippies and 20 year somethings do yoga, not me
* I can see this more "social legitimacy" in decades past. Yoga is an eastern based practice and involves incorporating and harmonizing all components of the human being, not the least of which being spiritual. It only makes sense that it originally gained more traction when it was first introduced with more free-spirited and "hippy-type" individuals.
* Yoga simply has too many practical health benefits for any person of any demographic to not pay attention to. Scientific studies and media attention keep shedding light on this practice and social barriers are evaporating.
Weight loss cannot be achieved by yoga
* Absolutely FALSE and some of the primary reasons for its effectiveness may surprise you. They are not traditional concepts we ascribe to weight loss by 'exercise.' Someone suffering from obesity or perhaps just someone more" out-of-shape" than they'd like to be, either have a metabolic disorder of some sort or simply are under-performing in the metabolic arena.
* Yoga increases blood perfusion to tissues, organs and the rest of the body's systems. Certain yoga poses twist and shift the body causing it to "squeeze" the organs which opens up more blood flow, function and removal of harmful toxins. When you have good circulation your body can effectively remove toxins. Good circulation also provides the body more nutrients and oxygen supply to more efficiently perform metabolic functions and ultimately transform the body.
* In an emotional context, the body harbors pain and negativity. Our baggage likes to hide out and weight us down. Yoga not only relaxes the body but also releases these negative entities allowing us to feel lighter and more care-free. Baggage negatively affects our health and well being. Release it!
* Energetically, yoga helps unblock centers (chakras) within the body that regulate everything from your digestive system to your immune function. A well working digestive system is paramount to weight loss. Proper absorption of nutrients as well as proper elimination of wastes are both unavoidable contributors to healthy weight regulation and healthy body composition. Yoga to lose weight is viable strategy. We won't belabor the rebuttal to this obvious myth any further!
Yoga has only one discipline
* Styles of yoga abound and is not limited to one. These different schools and styles emphasize certain aspects of the overarching basic principles of yoga. Hatha yoga is the most common or known forms but people are becoming more and more familiar with different styles such as Hot Yoga (Bikram), Power Yoga, Vinyasa or Flow Yoga as well as meditation. This article will not discuss these in any detail.
Yoga is not for individuals with injuries or chronic pain
* On the contrary, yoga has been shown to considerably alleviate many chronic pain conditions including chronic back pain and arthritis (rheumatoid). Any medical conditions or such injuries should always be discussed with a yoga instructor so as to insure proper precautions and maximum benefit.
About the Author:
Learn more about YOGA. Stop by Scott McLeod's site where you can find out all about weight loss through yoga and what it can do for you.