Yoga

One of the nice things about having a little time off is doing the things you would like to do if and when you ordinarily had the time. One of those things for me is yoga. I've practiced yoga on and off for about 4 years. In the beginning, it was a real challenge to get my fat body moving and twisting and bending and stretching, but I stuck with it and in six weeks I went from a size 18 to an 8. That in itself is an incentive to practice, practice, practice!

Edith was our first yogini. Then I tried it; then Miss Kelly, and then Miss Amy, and this weekend on Thanksgiving, Miss Molly tried it and loved it. Now all the ladies at the GS do yoga. This month we will be teaching the children once again. It's a marvelous exercise for everyone.

Yoga is a cardio workout; a weight training; tougher than a ballet workout, the overall massage you get with the practice is better than an hour at a spa. It's a meditation time just for you and it empowers you to a strong and vital confidence, and you do it all on a mat about 2.5 feet X 6 feet. You never leave your mat and all the exercise is done either standing, kneeling, squatting, sitting or lying down. You don't need anything to practice but a mat.

The idea of yoga is to exercise every single muscle in the body every time you practice. You start with balance and breathing and a warm up called a sun salutation. In this short routine, you will stretch up, back, forward, squat, lunge, do a pushup, do downward dog, upward dog, and that's only the warm up!

Imagine this: you are standing on one leg, you reach down and grasp the ball of your other foot. You slowly pull that foot out so your lifted leg is straight out in front of you. You put your head on your lifted knee, and then you let go of your foot. Sound impossible? It's not and quite frankly it's fun to go from wobble wobble to a lovely rendition of the correct pose. It takes time and practice, but once you have done this, your vitality and strength is so increased, you think you are 20 again.

Another pose: Stand with your feet about 3 feet apart. Bend at the hip and bend over and put your head on the floor. Grab your ankles with your hands and pull your chest through your legs. Not a chance? It's my favorite pose and I can do it!

There are stories everywhere about people who have been confined to beds and wheel chairs who have taken the yoga challenge and bit by bit recovered completely from paralysis of all kinds. It's a whole body method of getting and keeping in shape, but more than that it's about getting and keeping a healthy body and outlook.

The yoga studio here in EVV is actually in Newburgh. It's on Newburgh Road right across from the Stacer Road light and just east of the 164 interchange.

The 101 studio takes its name from the fact that the practice room is HOT. I despise heat, and I find the 101 degrees a delight because I can do more in the heat than I can in an airconditioned room. Also, I never come away from yoga sore, and that's because of the heat. You will sweat a lot, and that is fabulous for the skin.

Yoga increases your immune system, strenghtens your heart, your digestion, your balance, and it uplifts your mood. I can't say enough about this wonderful exercise.

Practices start at 7:30 A.M. and there are more practices about 9:00. there are classes all day on Saturday and a couple on Sunday. Visit the site and see if there is a convenient class for you - just once; you'll be hooked too.

For more information about Yoga go HERE.

You'll be glad you did.