Yoga For A Healthy New Year

It is tempting to think that everyone knows what a yoga session is. But once you start to talk to people you begin to realize people aren't sure what yoga is really about. The confusion isn't helped by the bewilderingly varied versions of yoga that are out there. To make things worse, how would you know if you were at a good yoga studio or a bad one?

Yoga is a little like a chameleon. There are so many different types that all profess a different advantage. One of the recent 'fads', for want of a better word, is hot yoga. But as well as hot, there are many other types too. Trying to find the one which is right for you is not as simple as it looks.

Queens yoga is a great place to start. You can find a way into a yoga practice to find which specific type works for you. Yoga in the west has been richly influenced by Richard Hittleman - he brought it back from India but subtracted the spiritual aspects. Limiting practice to the exercise and stretch aspects rather than the religious.

Today though many teachers do bring in a spiritual element. Manhattan Yoga, for example, will often finish a session with a pose called Shavasana - known in the west as 'corpse pose'. In corpse pose, you lie on your back, palms upward. It is a wonderful way of calming down after the session. It gives the muscles a chance to relax after the exertion of the session. Often the teacher will play some relaxing music at the same time. You might shy away from this being spiritual, but you can hardly deny that it is about being of the moment or as being mindful. 

2020 is going to be a major year here in the US. Many of us feel a lack of confidence in what is happening in the wider world. and many also feel we have to manage our psychological well-being. Yoga is one of the ways we can nurture our physical and mental well-being and develop a sense of self. 

Personal well being comes from finding a balance between the internal and the external. If you have ever tried to stand on one leg, you will know how difficult it is, (if you haven't, try it now...). The balancing act that is modern life is so much easier if you have a crutch and yoga is a better one than the alternatives.