What you can do to for yourself – part 5 of 10

Move your body in a new way – try some form of yoga. Just like eating your fruits and veggies, exercise should be an important part of your daily routine. Grandma’s words ring true. The FDA’s food pyramid even has a recommendation that we exercise at least 30 minutes per day. If your health care team is worth their weight in salt, they will discuss this with you. And, hopefully you talk with your children, parents, and loved ones about their need to be physically fit. With all of the positive influences available to us, it seems unlikely that any of us would not be physically active. However, anecdotal, personal and official evidence (like the obesity rate in the United States), point to a different reality. Yoga is a good form of exercise for most of us because it can be done by almost everyone with maximum aerobic and anaerobic benefits.

Yoga, which means union, is an integrated practice for improving the mind, body and inner spirit. The system of yoga was developed specifically to ensure that the whole body would function properly. One of the functions of yoga is to keep the body in proper physical shape (as a safe haven for the soul). The physical exercises in yoga are called asanas. They are nonviolent and provide gentle stretching that acts to lubricate the joints, muscles, ligaments tendons and other parts of the body. Asanas help to tone the nervous system, improve circulation, release tension, and increase flexibility. As a result, yoga probably provides the most complete form of exercise available. You can find out more about yoga, yoga schools and teacher certification through the American Yoga Association at www.americanyogaassociation.org