As you may know, at my workshops I incorporate yoga or meditation into our activities.
That is because yoga is one of the best ways to align our minds with our bodies.
Plus anyone can do yoga. You don’t have to be in top physical condition to start doing yoga exercises.
In yoga, you can break a sweat even when you aren’t moving. No running or jumping required.
The most important aspect of yoga is its focus on breathing and meditation. Yoga increases the oxygen in your bloodstream, which revitalizes all your organs, including your brain.
Yoga will also help give you more energy, a positive outlook and a reduction in mood swings.
If you haven’t yet tried yoga, I highly recommend getting a yoga DVD or book from your library and learn a few of the basic exercises.
Or even better, visit a local yoga studio. Many studios will let you attend a session or two for free.
Even if you do decide to attend a studio, it’s still good to do exercises at home. Even 5-10 minutes of yoga each morning will benefit you. I recommend the “sun salutation” series of poses. If you don’t know the sun salutation, just look in any yoga book or on YouTube. These poses are a wonderful and gentle way to wake up your body each morning.
You should purchase a yoga mat for these exercises. Even if you have a comfortable floor, the mat gives you a defined place for your workout and makes it easier to hold your poses.
Yoga also teaches a number of breathing exercises. These can be done any time of day, even while you are sitting at a desk or in traffic.
The breathing exercises will improve your lung capacity, which is important as you age, and also your mental alertness.
For example, there are specific breathing exercises for the left nostril, to help you direct oxygen to the right side of your brain, where creative thinking occurs.
And if you’re doing tasks that require logical thinking, there are breathing exercises for your right nostril, which help get your left brain into gear.
I believe that physical activity like yoga is an important part of developing the focus you need to achieve your goals.
So give yoga a try if you haven’t already and let me know how it goes.
