Exciting News!!

Nipissing Family Program Yoga Mondays

Joel and April would like to annnounce that yoga for beginners class is available to all family members every Monday evening. We will begin the class by offering a beginners lesson from a local yoga teacher. She will continue to train April who will then take over the class. We are hoping many of you will make use of the many stress reducing benefits yoga provides.  Our expected start date will be around the middle of March 2010.

For more information please contact April at 494 4774 x 226

Yoga for Stress Relief:

Dating back over 5000 years, yoga is the oldest defined practice of self development. The methods of classical yoga include ethical disciplines, physical postures, breathing control and meditation. Traditionally an Eastern practice, it’s now becoming popular in the West. In fact, many companies, especially in Britain, are seeing the benefit of yoga, recognizing that relaxed workers are healthier and more creative, and are sponsoring yoga fitness programs.
Overview of Yoga:


Many of the popular techniques found to reduce stress derive from yoga:

controlled breathing

meditation

physical movement

mental imagery

stretching

Yoga, which derives its name from the word, “yoke”—to bring together—does just that, bringing together the mind, body and spirit. But whether you use yoga for spiritual transformation or for stress management and physical well-being, the benefits are numerous.



Yoga’s Effects On the Body:

The following is only a partial list of yoga’s benefits:

reduced stress

sound sleep

reduced cortisol levels

improvement of many medical conditions

allergy and asthma symptom relief

lower blood pressure

smoking cessation help

lower heart rate

spiritual growth

sense of well-being

reduced anxiety and muscle tension

increased strength and flexibility

slowed aging process

Yoga’s benefits are so numerous, it gives a high payoff for the amount of effort involved.



What’s Involved With Yoga?:

The practice of yoga involves stretching the body and forming different poses, while keeping breathing slow and controlled. The body becomes relaxed and energized at the same time. There are various styles of yoga, some moving through the poses more quickly, almost like an aerobic workout, and other styles relaxing deeply into each pose. Some have a more spiritual angle, while others are used purely as a form of exercise.

What Are The Benefits Of Yoga?:

Virtually everyone can see physical benefits from yoga, and its practice can also give psychological benefits, such as stress reduction and a sense of well-being, and spiritual benefits, such as a feeling of connectedness with God or Spirit, or a feeling of transcendence. Certain poses can be done just about anywhere and a yoga program can go for hours or minutes, depending on one’s schedule.


How Does It Compare To Other Stress Reduction Methods?:

As yoga combines several techniques used for stress reduction, it can be said to provide the combined benefits of breathing exercises, stretching exercises, fitness programs, meditation practice, and guided imagery, in one technique. However, for those with great physical limitations, simple breathing exercises, meditation or guided imagery might be a preferable option and provide similar benefits. Yoga also requires more effort and commitment than taking pills or herbs for stress reduction.