You Should Do Yoga

I have been thinking about a post I read on a Facebook group this week.  Someone with RA was told that they should do Yoga.

I’ve been thinking this week.  I have taken the corporate offered Yoga class for the last year and a half and I’ve been thinking about how much Yoga has really helped me.  With my retarded wrist, I’m finding myself having to adapt poses more and more and more, but I’m still really enjoying the classes.

I think everyone should take up yoga no matter what condition they are in.

THAT said… I also think that one of the BEST things I learned in Yoga and what I think EVERYONE should learn to do is breathe.  I don’t care how much you hurt, how stiff and sore and twisted and angry and whatever you are, if you are not dead, you are breathing and breathing is something that we can always use to our advantage.

Everyone thinks Yoga… extreme flexibility… incredible balance… all that skinny little person thing that makes you ache to watch.

Pranayama–
Breathing is a vital element of hatha yoga. Practicing yoga breathing, or breath control in yogic terms is called pranayama. The word “Pranayama” can be broken into two parts: Prana means life force and Yama means control. By conscious control of the breath, you can create a proper rhythm of slow, deep breathing.

If you can’t sit cross legged… sit in a chair (or my favorite, find a comfortable-ish way to lay down and relax… I TOTALLY love corpse pose and Legs Up The Wall).

Put one hand on your chest.  Put the other hand on your tummy.  Breathe to fill your lungs so your chest hand rises… then fill your tummy (abdominal breathing) so your tummy hand raises.

You can just inhale as deeply as you can for a count of (aim for 8) as many as you can and then try to SLOWLY exhale to the same count… making your inhales and exhales an even number of numbers…

THIS is yoga too.  And breathing is something everyone can do.

If you have breathing problems, inhale as deeply as you can and exhale as deeply as you can.

Breathing is something we do without thinking.  Breathing thoughtfully is something that can calm your mind, lower your stress, and helps focus your thoughts away from what is stressing you out and helps relax away the bad feelings.

I highly recommend reading this article and the next time someone pisses you off by suggesting you just take a yoga class or something and you will be fine, remember, breathing (pranayama) is yoga too, and this deep calming breathing might just keep you from decking the idiot!!!