Yoga Retreat Near Asheville | The Horse Shoe Farm
Today, yoga is enjoyed all over the world, with a wide variety of different kinds of yoga practiced. You may have heard of hot yoga, which relies on a rigid lineup of postures performed in a room heated between 80°F-100°F. But did you know there are a wide variety of other kinds of yoga as well? In fact, there are 19 recognized forms of yoga, including:
Hatha yoga: Known for being a great entry point to yoga for beginners, hatha yoga focuses on the physical poses of yoga.
Vinyasa yoga: In this form of yoga, breath is combined with movement to create a “flow” or fluid movement from one pose to another.
Kundalini yoga: This method of yoga focuses on releasing the kundalini energy which purportedly lives in the lower spine, connecting core work with breathwork.
Iyengar yoga: Focusing on alignment and breathwork, this form of yoga is particularly beneficial for those with previous injuries that are working to reconnect with their body.
Ashtanga yoga: In this physically rigorous form of yoga, participants move through a series of sun salutations as well as floor postures and standing poses. “Ashtanga” translates from Sanskrit to “eight limb path;” this form of yoga is better for more advanced yogis.
Yin yoga: Focusing on the area where meditation and yoga overlap, yin yoga is all about slow, gentle movements with up to two minutes at each pose. Yin yoga is excellent for beginning yogis or folks recovering from an injury.
Is Yoga Good for You?
Ah, our favorite question. The short answer is yes, there is scientific evidence that yoga is good for you. Yoga supports the following healthy habits:
Spinal pain relief
Improving strength, flexibility, and balance
Reducing stress and blood pressure for a healthier heart
Improving sleep through increased relaxation
Arthritis pain relief
Reducing inflammation through increased blood flow
Stress and anxiety management
For any skeptics, there is an even longer list of scientifically-backed health benefits to yoga. This mind-body-spirit exercise is proven to work both on a physical level and emotional and cognitive levels as well for holistic health.
Does Meditation Really Work?
For areas of yoga that also incorporate meditation, like yin yoga, there may be folks wondering if meditation is right for them. The practice of meditation goes back thousands of years, so if you are new to meditation, understand there are millions of people who have come before you who have enjoyed its benefits. Here are some of the reasons why people love meditation:
Increased sense of calm or clarity of mind
Increased imagination
Increased positive thinking/decreased negative “chatter”
Builds stress-management skillset
Reframes your perspective on something
Focuses the mind on the present
Meditation is not only helpful for mental health, however; while it has been successfully used as part of a treatment plan to confront issues like anxiety, depression, and more, it also has a series of physical health benefits including lowered heart rate and blood pressure, relaxation of the muscles, and more. Some other conditions that meditating may benefit include:
Asthma
Chronic pain
Chronic tension headaches
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Heart disease
While meditation is not for everyone, it does take some practice to achieve results. If you try meditation once and experience no relief, it’s helpful to be willing to give it another try. Be mindful of your physiological and mental state by taking note of things like heart rate, breathing patterns, and overall feeling afterward. Most people who experience the benefits of meditating do so after weeks of regular practice..
Yoga and meditation are both ancient practices reaching back thousands of years, with modern-day science to back up their efficacy at stress reduction, blood pressure management, and more. What do you have to lose by practicing yoga?
