Judith Valerie has been teaching yoga for 30 years. Since 1990, she has been offering classes in Raleigh at Judith Valerie Yoga. judithvalerieyoga.com
Yoga is a time-honored practice that eases many of the issues of aging. Through stretching, moving and breathing, yoga helps keep our bodies as healthy and strong as possible. Adding a yoga class to your life, with a professional yoga teacher to guide you, can improve the quality of your life.
Judith Valerie is striking a Warrior yoga pose.
Here are five reasons to start yoga:
Posture
Yoga re-sculpts and strengthens your body. Poses such as Mountain, Seated Cobra and Warrior II elongate the spine, expand the chest and help you stand taller. Yoga posture improves the functioning of your back muscles and internal organs. It helps reverse rounded shoulders. Good posture helps you feel and look younger.
Balance
Balancing poses improve your stability, agility and confidence. Stork, Tree and Triangle strengthen feet, ankles, legs, hips and spine. Balance poses speed up communication from the muscles to your brain. You are less likely to fall and fracture a bone.
Bone Strength
Strengthening your bones is vital as you age. Many yoga poses cause the muscles to pull on the bones and build bone density. Strong bones help you stay active and guard against osteoporosis. Recommended poses include Extended Table, Plank, the Warrior Series, Tree and Triangle.
Flexibility
Yoga poses increase your flexibility and freedom of movement. They lubricate the joints, release tension from tight muscles and increase mobility. Yoga can reduce stiffness, aches and pains. Cat, Leg Stretches, Hip Stretches, Sphinx and Gentle Twists all increase flexibility.
Stress Relief and Peace
Yoga is a number one stress buster. As you move into different positions you breathe more deeply and focus inwardly. “Feel-good” hormones flood the body and brain. Stress-creating hormones are reduced. Down Dog and Forward Bends increase circulation to the brain, improve memory and may even help prevent dementia. Relaxation flows through the body. Peace and calm soothe the brain. A fresh sparkle of gratitude and aliveness can fill your whole being! Yoga is the most effective way I know to help us age with grace.