Last month was really something.
I stepped down from the board of AIDS Alabama, gave my first crew interview, ended my relationship with my Little Brother, baked my first cake, had my bank account information compromised and gave my first solo interview.
This month, I have a lot on my plate: I have a final for a class I loathe, I launch JDakar.com, I graduate from college…and that’s just the stuff I can talk about right now!
How do I keep from being overwhelmed and under stress?
I practice yoga.
Although it seems like a hot new trend, yoga actually began more than 3,000 years ago in India. The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj, which means “to yoke”, “to control” or “to unite”. Common meanings include joining the mind, body, and spirit.
Yoga has many benefits: it can improve flexibility, strength, balance, and stamina. In addition to physical benefits, many people who practice yoga (like yours truly) say that it reduces anxiety and stress and improves mental clarity.
Here are a few tips for fitting in yoga and staying motivated:
Do what works for you.
Some people have more success working out in the morning before beginning their day; others find that a nighttime workout is the best way to unwind from the grueling demands of the day. Find what time works best for you, your schedule and your energy level by working out at different times of the day.
Consistency is key.
If you truly want to reap the benefits that yoga provides, you’ll have to do it consistently. Benefits like increased flexibility and stamina require a yoga workout done at least three or four times a week. Plus, it generally takes about three days a week for 4 to 6 weeks of regular exercise for your body to begin to release the endorphins that make it such an uplifting experience.
Set some goals.
Set goals to help stay focused on your workouts. Regardless of what you choose as your goal, be sure to reward yourself when you accomplish it!
If you’d like more information about yoga, one of my favorite magazines, Yoga Journal, is a great place to get started researching.
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed.
Thanks for visiting!
Peace and blessings,
J. Dakar
Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at 10:58 pm
[...] Continue Reading Posted on: Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at 11:58 pm Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. [...]
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 12:24 pm
A couple questions:
How long is a typical Yoga workout?
When you started, was it hard or did you find that it came easily?
Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 2:07 am
[...] example, this week I did yoga only once. I’m not sure if I had breakfast at all. And I haven’t been playing GTA IV [...]
Sunday, May 11, 2008 at 12:50 am
brran1 » It really depends, man. My AM yoga workout is about thirty minutes, if that. My iron yoga workout, which combines yoga and strength training by incorporating light weights, is about an hour and power yoga, which also focuses on strength, is about an hour, as well.
When I started, it came pretty easily because I’ve always been pretty flexible. Some yoga instructors, though, will tell you yoga is not about flexibility; it’s about vitality. The way I see it, flexibility is an incentive of yoga and if you aren’t flexible, you will be after practicing yoga.