Physical Fitness and Yoga

I hear all the time that Yoga is not a 'good form of exercise because there is no cardio or core work'.

When I am told this, I merely smile and invite them to a Yoga class.

After a basic Hatha session, these dear souls are breathing deep, sweating, and can feel every muscle in their body because it has been activated and so invigorated.

In all, I think the fitness industry does a very good job of promoting the fact that they alone have the key to fitness. In their stale air, mirror walled, pounding music filled gyms, they jump in aerobics or spin in cycling class or pound away at the weights or run countless miles to nowhere on machines.

Conversely, Yoga requires little to no equipment, and its approach to physical fitness matches perfectly with what modern sports physicians now all agree. Namely, that "physical fitness" means : strength, flexibility and endurance. That is the three-way winning combination of Yoga, and has been for 10,000 years.

Yet .. Yoga takes it one step further, because Yoga incorporates a body/mind connection. In fact, that is what the word yoga means, to "yoke" or unite the body/mind. This too is something that sports therapists are starting to suggest, and is actually the long-time practice among Olympiads and professional atheletes. For, when we can see, in our mind's eye, what we aim to do - when we can visualize the goal - then it will manifest in the body.

In all, our physical practice must be aimed at our goal, and all too often, most well-intentioned souls do not have a clear idea of what that is other than 'be in good shape'. Or, follow the latest fitness regime as outlined by the fitness industry.

So it is that many spend many dollars and much time in a gym trying to achieve something that leaves them feeling vaguely unsatisfied.

Yoga has been around for as long as it has because it works. Its really that simple. But why does it work? Well, because Yoga is simply the way our body was designed to work. Hundreds of thousands of Yogis over the course of hundreds of years have studied human movement to arrive at the optimum exercise practice for our body.

In short: If you were given an owner's manual at birth, it would be a book on Yoga.

So do yourself a favor and take a *real* Yoga class, from a *real* Yogin (as compared to a gym class that is merely stretching to music). You will be glad you did!

Om Peace!
Yogini Valarie Devi