Tomasz's classes are for everybody. "This is fun and I practice a sweet and friendly approach. This is a gentle way and all are welcome." This take was very far from my own views on the subject. Yoga means union of mind, body and spirit, and it was developed as a spiritual form of exercising. It always seemed that this new fad was simply a trendy way of getting fit. A gym workout dressed up in yogic clothes seemed a very far cry from getting in touch with a power greater than ourselves.
Another answer I have for why I do yoga is for stress relief. Modern times can be very stressful. It seems like the pace of day-to-day life is accelerating. Dealing with your job, your kids, the phone calls, the crazy schedules, it all adds up to a lot of stress. The meditation involved in yoga truly allows you to focus and unwind. I find yoga to be a great balance to pilates memphis all the stress in my routine. And as you know it's been proven that increased amounts of stress leads to health risks such as heart attack and strokes. So anything you can do to reduce your level of stress is worth its weight in gold.
You can do all this with Yoga. It combines breathing and a series of positions all of which promote harmony between the mind and the body. When you concentrate on your breathing while assuming the various postures, you are toning your body and building muscle plus getting rid of stress and improving your memory. Yoga is also great for strengthening the back. It can even reduce the amount of sleep your body requires and lengthen your lifespan. To be truly fit, the mind as well as the body must become strong.
Sometimes I'll do one set of weight lifting followed by a minute of pilates. Other times I'll do two sets of weight lifting (usually a duo superset) followed by 30 to 45 seconds of a yoga pose (or two).
I was one of the naysayers when it came to yoga. Last year my buddy and I made a bet. If I lost I had to go to hot yoga class with him. If I won he had to go jogging with me. I've spent a year in yoga class now, and I'm so glad I lost that wager. I was sure that stretching into a pretzel would do nothing for me, but not only am I staying fit, I feel amazing.
I bought the Power Yoga book and got to work. It was tough. In fact, I couldn't do much of it at all - both the flexibility moves nor many of the strength moves. I figured there must be something to the yoga.