Yoga BLOG

Become and stay flexible with yoga Those who practice yoga typically expect, among other things, to become and remain flexible and fit. This is therefore more of an athletic perspective, which is served through the asanas. Naturally, practitioners welcome the pleasant psychological effects—greater serenity and calm. Increase gently and gradually Indeed, yoga, like gymnastics and related movements, promotes flexibility. The word "joint" is already contained in the word: It's about lubricating the joints, stimulating the synovial fluid, maintaining joint function, or even expanding them. Added to this is pure muscle work: many muscles shorten in our sedentary lives. In yoga, they are gently stretched and gradually restored to their original length. The emphasis is on "gentle" and "gradual." While initial successes are quickly apparent, such a path takes longer overall. Therefore, anyone who enjoys competing and/or comparing themselves to others is on the wrong track in yoga classes—and on a dangerous one: Yoga, like all other forms of training, can lead to injuries if we want to achieve great results quickly. Those who have been out of practice for years or are just starting out as beginners should be especially careful. This also applies to people with limited functions. They can start yoga at any time, but should choose modified exercises and ideally start their yoga life with a good trainer. Such a professionally trained yoga teacher will not push someone to achieve achievements who are clearly not yet capable of them, or not at all capable of them; and they will stop overzealous students if they just as obviously overdo it. Simple stretching exercises The simplest stretching exercises do not differ significantly from a gymnastic program: - Open and close hands in rhythm with your breathing, then move your wrists to the right and left as well as up and down - Arms stretched forward, then raise and lower sideways - Stretch feet, then pull toes in, finally circle in the ankle - Shoulder circles forward and backward; pull shoulders towards the ears and let them fall - Pull shoulder blades together and release again - Lower your head forward (neck stretch) and raise it; then lower it first to the left shoulder, raise it again, then lower it to the right shoulder and raise it, stretching the opposite arm to the side or towards the floor; finally, close your lips, gently clench your teeth, and gently bend your head backward (work with particular care here) We're familiar with such exercises from many other warm-up programs. So, as you can see, yoga isn't difficult, especially for beginners . However, even with these movements, you should practice cautiously, work at a lower intensity, and under no circumstances exceed any pain threshold. Yoga isn't a competitive sport; the sometimes complicated movements can cause just as many injuries as many other sports. However, many people don't go to the doctor because they don't associate the delayed onset of pain and problems with their beloved yoga. Therefore, yoga is rarely associated with sciatica, back, tendon, joint, and other problems. A good warning sign from your body is certainly the moment when you no longer feel completely comfortable. So, it's important to listen deeply to yourself and not go too far too quickly and too abruptly out of false ambition or sheer enthusiasm. A key point is warming up, starting with shoulder circles, then larger arm circles, running on the spot, and jumping jacks. These aren't specific yoga warm-ups, but they help warm up your body. Some online exercise videos begin with simple stretches, as described above, so you don't necessarily need to warm up for them; however, even some seemingly simple seated exercises shouldn't be attempted without warming up. Here, too, we advise caution. If you keep all these points in mind, you will feel completely at ease with your yoga exercises and will definitely become more flexible over time. Image © stefanolunardi / 123rf.com