A blog brought to you by our newest librarian, Pearl Choe
There is an idiom in my hometown, ”가을은 천고마비의 계절”, which means, “it is autumn, and the weather is great for staying home and relaxing” – and COVID has certainly made a lot of us more likely to stay at home with a good book…and a snack (or two).
To be honest, I have to say I am one who has put on weight, therefore, I looked for a solution. Here is the one that I found: Yoga.
Why Yoga?
A lot of people do yoga these days. Some just for fun and others for new experiences and so on. Each person has different reasons why they do yoga. But actually there are many benefits.
Here are 3 benefits with some poses that you can try.
1. Yoga improves strength, balance, and flexibility.
It needs flexibility but also a balance and strength for each pose. The quote by Bomin Song (@yogabomin), a yoga instructor, says, “If you practice yoga everyday little by little, you will see that your body is transformed into a fit body”. Our body must be in good balance with everything it does. Doing yoga is helpful to find a good balance between improving your flexibility and strength.
Recommended poses: Downward facing dog Warrior, and Tree pose.
2. Yoga helps you to sleep better – stress relief.
Some people might think that exercising before going to bed is not a good idea. But exercising a little before going to bed can help you sleep well. Breathing is one of the most important therapeutic aspects of yoga. The goal of each session is to focus your attention on your breath, let all thoughts be put away and be present in the moment to feel calmness and peace of doing yoga breathing.
Recommended poses: Butterfly, Child, and Extended legs with seated pose
3. Yoga might improve quality of life – self-esteem.
You may feel increased mental and physical energy, a boost in alertness and enthusiasm, and fewer negative feelings after getting into a routine of practicing yoga. Because yoga is not only about physical exercising but also improving your mental health by just doing yoga. It can be very helpful to improve self-esteem and perceived body image as well.
Recommended poses: Staff pose, Player squat pose, Hero pose, and any other poses that make you feel good.
I am sure there are a lot more benefits than the three above and numerous studies show yoga’s benefits in arthritis, osteopenia, balance issues, and other specialties. If you search for ‘yoga health’ in any of our databases, you can see some of this research for yourself: try CINAHL, ProQuest Central, or ScienceDirect for academic research on this topic.
But I just want to share my thoughts with you and hope that you enjoy doing yoga and wish you all good health.
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