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HEALTHY LIFESTYLES
Mountain Views News Saturday, July 20, 2013
HOW CAN YOGA HELP
YOGA FOR WOMEN
by Lori Koop, Right Brain Business Coach
The business of life can draw us into its whirlwind: work pressures often
push us away from our TRU selves, and perfection may keep us reaching
for the impossible. The methods we’ve learned for exercising our
freedoms may not be helpful. Thankfully, we are still free! Free to choose
the way we want to live.
“Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can
retreat at any time and be
yourself.” - Hermann Hesse
Just 3 minutes with focus can
get you there. Free of charge. 24/7. Without special
equipment or drugs. To choose it, try this…
Find a quiet spot and close your eyes. Allow the
world to become smaller and smaller as you listen
to your breath. Breathe in to fill your belly,
wide and full. Then breathe out -- all the way
out, pulling your belly button towards your
spine. Continue to notice the movement of
your body. Feel the sensations. Feel yourself filling
with peace. Hold your breath at the top for
3 counts if you want. Then release… releasing
stress and tension as you exhale. Hold for the
same number of counts on the bottom. Repeat
until calm returns.
Find your spirit, free of toxins and fear. It clears
the air and brings new insights. Retreat to your
sanctuary. Refill and refresh. You don’t have
to be caught up in life’s whirlwind -- you can
choose a calmer path.
- - - - - - - - - -
Lori Koop, The Right Brain Business Coach
Get clear about The Real You and what’s TRU, for you and your business. Schedule a complimentary
coaching session at The Center for Wellbeing, 626-355-2443. www.LORiKOOP.
com
By Hope Rayman Friedman
Yoga and women go together like chocolate and
raspberries. Maybe your doctor has mentioned
how practicing yoga can lower your blood
pressure. Maybe you’ve read in a women’s
magazine how it can help with menstrual
discomfort or menopausal symptoms. Maybe
you’ve tried a class once and found it to be a
delicious tonic for stress. So why not make it a
bigger part of your life?
Yoga provides the physical and emotional
balancing women need to be our best selves for
our families and ourselves. You don’t need to
be uber-flexible or stand on your head to have a
strong practice. The journey of learning how to
finesse the postures while honoring your body’s
own idiosyncrasies is empowering.
You may already have activities that you enjoy. If
you enjoy the meditative component of running
you’ll also like yoga, which is useful in keeping the
hamstrings supple and helps to reduce injuries. If
you swim to reduce joint stiffness, you might find
a more gentle oriented yoga class to be kind to the
joints while also building bone density. Walking
is good for your heart. A yoga class is also good
exercise for the heart and teaches you how to
slow your breath, which can fill you with a deep
sense of peace.
My point is not to choose yoga over other physical
activities, but to find a good instructor or classes
you love and add it to the mix. It will increase
your energy. Your muscles will get leaner and
stronger, and you’ll optimize your respiratory,
circulatory and digestive systems. You’ll also
improve reproductive health, which can help
relieve PMS, cramps, hot flashes, and other fun
(!) menopausal symptoms.
Practicing yoga is especially important to
women because of the varied demands on
our time that leave us drained. A gentle or
restorative class, or a class specifically designed
for women, will incorporate poses that stimulate
the parasympathetic nervous system, which
encourages a deeper relaxation response and is
rejuvenating.
Make yoga a bigger part of your life, or better yet,
practice yoga and then treat yourself to chocolate
and raspberries.
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