Yoga has been around for over 5,000 years. Incorporating it into your daily routine pays off in huge dividends, and not all of them are what you think.
Our very own Coach Faith Joy enjoys the chest-opening mountain pose while taking in the sunrise in Tempe, Arizona.
Following a simple yoga practice will loosen tight spots and strengthen weak areas and stability muscles, making you an all-around better, less injury-prone athlete - but there's more!
Yoga is an ancient discipline that has been around for over 5,000 years. With all those years of study and practice, yoga has crafted a culture of head-to-toe well-being. The process begins with the body, bringing in the breath (the breath is your anchor), the mind (hard-core focus), and the inner-self (maxed-out mindfulness). This process of focused mindfulness (you seriously have to stay completely focused to not fall over in some poses) improves your performance and helps prevent injury through better flexibility, increased range of motion, and balanced muscle strength. Imbalance in our musculoskeletal structure is one of the leading causes of injury and chronic pain - more on that in another post.
Yoga is for everyone - especially those who want to improve other areas of their lives.
On top of all that goodness, your mind gets a mega-boost with that laser-focus you're working on while holding poses like a Half-Lotus Tree Pose. The focus and mindfulness you're building during your yoga practice actually stays with you throughout the day as you incorporate it into your daily routine. If that wasn't enough to make you drop the coffee pot and go straight to Downward-Facing Dog, consider this; as your mindfulness and focus increases, your stress DECREASES! You read that right. These are often over-looked, but hugely important benefits to incorporating yoga into your life.
I practice yoga every day! One of my favorite yoga practitioners is Yoga with Adriene (and her sweet dog, Benji). Here is a link to one of her quick, 20-minute yoga for runners routines. If you don't yet practice yoga, do the poses in this video every day for four weeks and you will notice a difference! Come back and post what changes took place. We'd love to hear from you!
Sending love,
Faith Joy
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