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Yoga
Help Control Your Life
by
Sam Dworkis
founder of www.extensionyoga.com
The husband of
a yoga student recently asked me that if he were to do yoga, would it make
him stop smoking. I responded, “No”, because yoga doesn’t really do
anything. Semantics aside, yoga doesn’t make anyone change
behavior or habits.
I then went on
to explain that yoga is simply a tool that helps to develop
“self-awareness” by teaching how to first control your breathing, then
to control the movement of your body, and ultimately how to control
aspects of your mind.
There are many
approaches to yoga which range from “aerobic” yoga that is suitable
for younger and/or extremely fit people, to “classical” yoga that is
directed to extremely flexible people, all the way to totally sedentary
approaches based upon quiet sitting and meditation. On the other hand, ExTension
and Recovery Yoga are
western approaches totally based upon physiological principles and laws
adapted from science and medicine.
As a process, ExTension
and Recovery Yoga are done
by learning a series of easy-to-do exercises that first focus upon the
breath. From there, breath control is applied to various exercises that
enhance both flexibility and strength. These exercises become your yoga
foundations.
Although
easy-to-do, the foundational exercises can be adapted to become both
physically and mentally challenging; but only to the extent of what
an individual is able to readily do. In other words, ExTension
or Recovery Yoga teaches
you how to do what you can do…not
to do what you can’t do. These differences may seem subtle, but are
actually quite profound.
For example,
you don’t try to become
strong and flexible as what you might do by going to the gym. Conversely,
with ExTension or Recovery
Yoga, you learn how to exercise without forcing. In fact, if your yoga
exercises hurt, I’ll show you how to change them to eliminate
discomfort.
As you continue
to build upon your yoga foundations, strength and flexibility increases
which results in increased physical and emotional endurance. As your body
and mind slowly adapts and allows for more advanced exercises, your yoga
practice begins to affect how you think and feel.
As you begin to
control your body through your yoga, you discover that it becomes merely a
microcosm of your life. It then becomes natural to apply your increased
control, awareness and understanding to other aspects of your life;
including activities or habits you want to change or those that cause you
physical or emotional distress.
In fact,
anything that causes discomfort to your body or mind responds well to
yoga. For instance, yoga is a
great tool that helps you to lose weight, to reduce or stop smoking, to
cut back on excessive drinking, and even to reduce depression.
And because you
learn how to closely listen to the subtle messages your body gives you,
your capacity for listening and loving increases; both toward yourself and
others.
So,
even though yoga has no power, practicing it is as close as you can get to
a magical experience because I’ve yet to find another exercise system
that provides so much benefit from such little effort.
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