What do I need to practice yoga?
You just need a jumpsuit, a yoga mat and a free yoga app or YouTube video, if you’re new to yoga. And, most importantly, the intention to feel better in a long-term period and the curiosity to explore your body sensations and yoga positions. This is all is necessary to practice yoga.
When should I do yoga?
It is important to practice it every day to feel the long-term effects, even if you can feel the benefits already after one single training. You can start just with 10 or 15 minutes of practice every day and then, with time, reach 20 or 30 minutes per day.
You can either practice in the morning or in the evening. Personally, I choose to do it in the morning, as it helps me to start the day with energy, being more focused and active all day long.
Indeed, the last quarter of the night is the “Brahma Muhurta” time, which is 2 hours – 2 hours and a half before sunrise. This expression means “the time of the creator”: it is the time when you can create yourself, make yourself the way you want yourself to be.
In this period, the entire body has the maximum natural production of melatonin, which is a secretion of the pineal gland. Melatonin is a mood stabilizer, therefore practicing during “Brahma Muhurta” makes coming to ease happen naturally.
Nevertheless, practicing yoga in the evening is also possible and it’s a good way to relax at the end of the day.
Why should I practice yoga?
Yoga helps both the wellbeing of the body, the mind and the soul.
Let me show you some of its benefits:
– Yoga means more energy, awareness, brighter mind and mood;
– Yoga relaxes you and makes you sleep better;
– Yoga improves balance, flexibility and strength (blood flow and warm up muscles are increased by slow movements and deep breathing, while strength is built by holding a pose);
– Yoga helps with back pain relief (stretching and improving mobility);
-Yoga can ease arthritis symptoms (joints inflammation);
– Yoga benefits heart health (it reduces levels of stress, body-wide inflammation, high blood pressure and excess weight);
– Yoga helps you manage stress (according to the “National Institutes of Health”, yoga supports mental health, mindfulness and healthy eating);
– Yoga promotes better self-care (scientific evidence shows that it provides benefits in oncology, osteopenia, women’s health and chronic pain);
– Yoga connects you with a supportive community (it can provide an environment for group healing and support).
This is why I am very thankful to “Trinoga” and “Open Mind” associations to give me the opportunity to do yoga every day and share it with the other volunteers.