Yoga – an access to having it all?
Want to be healthy, happy, fit, full of energy, excel at what you are doing and reach your goals? Try yoga. It works. According to Guinness World Records, the oldest yoga teacher in the world, Tao Porchon-Lynch, is 93 year old. Watch the short portrait of her and you will understand why I am so keen on yoga:
Yoga is fantastic. It has a positive impact of almost everything to do with body, mind and sprit. Since I started practising it by default in Islamabad about fifteen years ago I have never looked back. Start every morning with “pranayama” to be followed by 10-15 minutes of “asanas“. Naturally the “saluting the sun” posture is part of it since it’s the most beneficial asana there is.
From Islamabad to Mayfair
Once I had tried yoga with a Pakistani instructor in Islamabad I was hooked. Fortunately for me Frances Houlahan was teaching at Danceworks close to my office in Mayfair, London. So I trained with her on a regular basis. Swiftly noticed that after breathing deeply for an hour while doing the asanas stress was out the window. Felt like a million dollars and went back to the office full of energy.
Indian yoga instructors
In the Middle East I used to have mainly Indian instructors, both male and female. They taught me even more about pranayama and I learnt to do the breath of fire pranayama that I have do every morning.
While living in Riyadh I managed to get a sport injury that caused an inflamed a muscle that the best doctors in the Kingdom could not cure. The inflammation simply would not go away.
Ayurveda succeeded where medical science failed
Ayurvedic medicine is linked to yoga and use plants and massages to treat such sport injuries. Found a practitioner in Dubai and after a week of daily massages, smelling foully, taking a herbal supplement and having applications of plants and herbs on the inflamed muscle, I was cured. And it should be added that during half a year I paid a fortune for specialist treatments in Riyadh that didn’t work. The ayurvedic treatment however, that did cost a fraction of what the doctors charged, swiftly made the inflammation a thing of the past.
Difference between yoga and normal exercise
From looking at the video and the link above about the positive impact of yoga, I’m sure you have a good idea of what can be achieved. For those of you who don’t practice yoga, have you tried breathing deeply for an hour while you exercise? If you do you will notice a difference. Not only do you feel good like after normal exercise but also feel as if you have taken some kind of happiness drug.
It’s not for nothing that Tao Porchon-Lynch says the ancient eastern practice of yoga keeps her fit and healthy. At 93 a major reason she is still going strong is yoga. So if you feel run down, stressed and need a kick to improve all areas of your life, try yoga.
For some reason the majority of business people don’t find time for yoga. Have a feeling many businessmen regard it as suitable for women. Lamentable since they would be more successful if they found the time for yoga.
Do you believe yoga will improve your life? Maybe you practice yoga? If so, what benefits have you noticed? If not, how would you like to improve your life? Would you like to have more energy? Better health? Perform better at work? Get rid of aces and pain? Be happy? Start reaching your goals? Like Tao be still going strong at 93? Maybe it’s time for you to try yoga? Or do you have any other suggestions that can benefit you the way yoga do?
Video: AlJazeeraEnglish – You Tube
About Catarina AlexonNär Europa och USA brottas med ekonomiska problem kanske det är dags att fundera på nya marknader? Eller en omprioritering?
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Tags: an access to having it all, asanas, ayurveda, breath of fire pranayama, Danceworks, Frances Houlahan, Islamabad, London, Mayfair, pranayama, Riyadh, saluting the sun, Tao Porchon-Lynch, yoga
September 9th, 2012 at 13:47
Catarina: I will show this post to a friend who is very into yoga in a rational way. I have added a site URL to my guest blog post on meditation.
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September 9th, 2012 at 13:57
Thank you Lyceum.
September 9th, 2012 at 15:05
This so makes me want to get back to yoga. I do try to do at least ten minutes at home and that by itself works wonders.
September 9th, 2012 at 15:26
Yes Sandra it does, doesn't it.
September 9th, 2012 at 17:55
Catarina how timely. It actually dovetails to my post for tomorrow. I have never done yoga. I used to do pilates and I've been an avid exerciser (3 to 5 days a week) for YEARS. For now my breathing is through a program I took about 3 years ago when I learned a variety of ways to breath for stress relief. I love your post! Thanks.
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September 9th, 2012 at 19:05
Hi Catarina: You've made a very strong case for yoga. But I must tell you that as someone who works alone at my computer, I enjoy the social interaction that exercising at Curves or attending a Zumba class gives me. It's wonderful that there are many options for us to choose from and the key is to find the right one for us as you have done with yoga.
September 9th, 2012 at 19:37
I've actually tried a bit of yoga a few years ago. It was the only form of exercise my surgeon allowed me to do after going through a surgery on my spine. Even though I don't do it that often, it helped a lot in terms of helping me gain back my flexibility and deal with lower back pains (near where I had my surgery). I'm actually looking forward to heading off to my first yoga retreat next month. Hopefully work doesn't get in the way so I can go.
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September 10th, 2012 at 05:21
I did yoga many years ago but haven't since. A friend and business colleague is a yoga fanatic and also teaches it, although it's not her principle occupation. I know that yoga would be beneficial but this may sound silly but I don't know if I would have the patience for it. One thing I love to do and stick with is walking. I find that walking helps to clear my mind and makes me feel better physically.
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September 10th, 2012 at 10:25
Thank you Pat. Pilates is great as well and there is one Pilates exercise I do daily to keep the inner abdomen strong. As you know that's crucial. But the breating in yoga is what does the trick when it comes to rejuvenating our bodies and minds.
September 10th, 2012 at 10:25
Glad you are happy with the exercises you do Doreen.
September 10th, 2012 at 10:26
You will enjoy it Adeline. Once you master the breathing techniques you will find it invaluable, Adeline.
September 10th, 2012 at 10:28
Jeannette, walking is great and I walk a lot. Always have. However, it's the breathing in yoga that makes it so special and rejuvenates our bodies and minds. It's like taking a drug and makes you feel on top of the world, no matter how stressed you were before. So it's worth while taking the time to try it. You will not regret it.
September 10th, 2012 at 10:37
I can't speak for yoga as I've never tried it, but am at the gym every morning when it opens. I find this a great start to my working day as it lifts my energy levels and my mood, even on those dark European mornings…
September 10th, 2012 at 10:45
Good idea Guy. For some reason it seems it's mainly Indian businessmen who practice yoga. In the West you seldom find a man in a yoga class. However in Dubai there are plenty of Indian men who are into it. Maybe it would be a good idea to try. The breathing is what makes the difference between normal exercise and yoga.
September 10th, 2012 at 13:35
I have often thought about yoga but have never tried it. There appears to be different kinds of yoga and since I don't know enough about it to even speak intelligently about it, I never get anywhere. I would most definitely need a teacher if I were going to attempt something like this. My body would need A LOT of training just to get nimble enough to even begin yoga. Maybe I will look in to it further after reading your post.
September 10th, 2012 at 14:02
Catarina, I am a big fan of yoga. I first tried a class as a teen, and if you know a few poses, you know them for life. The poses and breathing come in very handy in times of stress.
I do find some teachers are much better than others. My favorite teacher, unfortunately for me, moved away. There is someone here who says she teaches yoga, but I see she specializes in aerobic type dancing, and I am convinced she does not know what she is talking about when it comes to yoga. Some poorly-trained instructors can actually be dangerous if they push someone incorrectly.
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September 10th, 2012 at 16:01
Glad you agree with me Leora. The best instructors I have come across are Indian. Frances in London is fantastic and had her own television program but the Indians really master pranayama so I only learnt that about 5 years ago.
September 10th, 2012 at 16:04
Do give it a try, Cheryl. But if I were you I would stay away from Bikram Yoga which is done in a room heated up like a steam room. Personally didn't like that at all. Can't understand why since yoga was developed in the Himalayas thousands of years ago. It's cool in the mountains, so why it should be done in a heated room makes no sense to me. Hatha yoga is the most common version in classes and it's great
Am sure you will benefit from the breathing exercises. We all do. By the way I did yoga in Dubai with a twisted ancle.
September 10th, 2012 at 23:29
I haven't tried yoga but a friend does it regularly and has mentioned the breathing benefits as well. I occasionally do Pilates which I like. After reading this I should give yoga a go. Thanks for the information Catarina.
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September 11th, 2012 at 00:21
It's funny, I have had a moment this week where I have not had the best attitude about just about everything. That is partly due to not having a very good diet in the last week and not exercising as I should… sigh! There are really no short cuts. I have never done Yoga but have been seriously thinking about the benefits as you mentioned about. I know what you mean about the breathing. When I take the time (yes, I should do it more often), it's amazing how I feel. I walk every day and do light weight as well. If I added yoga to my routine I could see where it could do wonders for me and how I feel about life.
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September 11th, 2012 at 03:52
I did Yoga years ago, but fell out of the habit. I've been thinking about giving it a go again since it would probably help with my mildly annoying arthritis. Enough can't be said for the mind/body connection. Thanks for a post that's making me think about trying it again.
September 11th, 2012 at 09:33
Glad my article inspired you, Jeri. Go for it. As you know it works!
September 11th, 2012 at 09:34
Yes Susan, yoga would do wonders for you, and everybody else for that matter. You will not regret starting.
September 11th, 2012 at 09:35
Do Susan! Have personally done a lot of Pilates as well and that's great. Do one Pilates exercise every day. But the breathing in yoga is what makes the difference.
September 11th, 2012 at 15:21
I also did a Bikram Yoga class, but I had already learned proper poses from yoga teachers who have had almost a lifetime of doing yoga, otherwise I believe I would have been injured as the Bikram Yoga instructor moved us quickly through poses without ever asking people what their level of practice and knowledge was. I didn't realize the room was heated, however, until I was leaving because it was 90 degrees at 9 a.m. that day and the class was at 9:30. I thought it was simply un-air-conditioned. So, do start out with a teacher who is taking new students, who has been teaching for a long time and can start you with breathing, and find one with whom you feel compatible. This is for Geek Girl, adding onto what Catarina said.
September 11th, 2012 at 15:32
Hi, Diane here – from Ohio area near Yellow Springs Ohio, and my yoga instructors have been practicing yoga almost all their lives, and are a couple, tho he will say that he always has come back to yoga, he is all-into it now. They study with their teachers in northern California and in Greek (where they recently moved after a lifetime) and teach part-time in Yellow Springs and the other part-time in the Virgin Islands on their boat. She is an RN and he is a PhD in aeronautical sensors. There are several men in their yoga classes (one appears to be a police man!). When I had a rotator cuff injury prior to moving for a year to NC, my medical doctor x-rayed it and told me I had beginning stages of degenerative arthritis (I was 47 at the time) as well as an injury to it. He gave me prednazone (spelling?) which I turned out to be allergic to, and not much more. I sought someone in the Raleigh North Carolina area (Durham (Duke University) and Chapel Hill (Univ. of NC) are also there) for 9 months before I found a Physical Therapist (PT) who knew yoga. The connection came through my yoga teachers in Ohio who had a dear friend and yoga teacher in Chapel Hill who also studied with their yoga teacher from California (who moved that year to Greece). I went to her class, which was above the PT, it turned out, and within a month working with the PT, who understood yoga, the pain was gone and I had full use of my arm. I knew to look for a PT with a background in yoga because one of the founders of Yoga Journal in the U.S. had come to Yellow Springs (an annual workshop) and done a teachers and a students workshop. She (Judith Lasater) is a physical therapist who teaches yoga. Yoga has been wonderful for me as I have been aging (my yoga instructors are at least 10-15 years older than I am, and their yoga teachers are older than they by perhaps another 10 years, it is hard to say) as it has its own way of lubricating the joints and keeping me limber and injury-free (my injury came from working in the gym). My teachers are Patricia Schneider and Andrew Junker, and theirs are Angela and Victor. But I did search for six months before I found them. When the yoga teacher touches your heart and your soul, you will know that you are home.
September 11th, 2012 at 18:08
Love your story Diana and am glas you have the same kind of fantastic experience with yoga as I have. Also pleased to note men in Ohio seem to be doing yoga.
September 11th, 2012 at 18:16
Interesting Diane. When I tried doing Bikram yoga in Dubai it done quickly as in Ohio. On the other hand when I did hatha yoga clases in Dubai with Indian instructors we moved really quickly and I loved that.
Did you like the heat in Bikram yoga Diane. I didn't for many reasons one being that it shouldn't be necessary to have a shower and wash your hair every time you do yoga.
September 12th, 2012 at 00:53
Catarina, lovely post. I think you mentioned once that you do yoga, but this post shows just how much you are passionate about it. Why not a whole blog just on that? Anyway, this one was really good. One of my personal faves.
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September 12th, 2012 at 01:27
Great post Catarina. I love that you are so passionate about yoga. I enjoy it too although I don't practice it daily. Instead, I enjoy alternating yoga with aerobic exercise and strength training. Maybe I have commitment issues!
September 12th, 2012 at 13:25
Glad you, like me, are a fan of yoga, Charlotte.
September 12th, 2012 at 13:26
Glad you liked my article Bethany. If you haven't yet tried yoga, do. You will not regret it since t
September 12th, 2012 at 18:16
Wonderful post, I'm starting Yoga again in October I made it a goal to do 3 mornings a week to get back in shape and re-connect. I love it just haven't had time for a while to join a class unless I get up at 6am… and for one they don't have classes here that early and secondly…. that isn't happening! lol
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September 12th, 2012 at 18:38
Great Claire!!
September 14th, 2012 at 14:41
Hello Catarina, i enjoyed your article about yoga. From what i see you have compared different types of instructors. I heard that yoga can be helpful in diminish the bad energies. Is that true?
September 14th, 2012 at 16:26
Yes Radu it helps eliminate bad energies i.e. negativity.
September 19th, 2012 at 03:47
Catarina,
Thank you for sharing your experiences with yoga and for providing the link to that great video of the 93-year-old yoga teacher. I am also a yoga teacher (not quite that elderly, however:-). The benefits of yoga are many–for relaxation, for aerobic conditioning , for improved flexibility and balance and for learning to listen to your inner voice with greater clarity. I get immense joy when my students say that I've helped them in some way. It's true that there are many styles of yoga and teachers take different approaches. So if you go to a class and it doesn't feel right to you, don't give up–try another teacher. Bottom line: be good to yourself. This is one of my favorite quotes, although I don't know who said it: If your compassion doesn't include yourself, it is incomplete!
September 19th, 2012 at 09:21
Gald you agree with me Ellen.
November 29th, 2012 at 20:01
I did tried it.. But kind'a don't have much time due to work… I'll go back when I am not that pre-occupied.
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November 30th, 2012 at 11:16
Do Rayzel because it's worth your time.