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are a lot of benefits to hot yoga, but they just don’t provide the same functions as the kidney or liver, organs that exist to rid the body of bad toxins. In addition to these physical benefits, many yoga-goers boast mental perks from being in the hot room that are grounded in the practice of asceticism, a way to transcend suffering through intentional discomfort. Contemporary practitioners might think of this as an exercise inmind over matter, perseverance, or grit. The tried and true benefits of hot yoga rely on the poses as much as the heat. The most popular posture sequence in a hot yoga class is made up of 26 poses, and instructors usually have their students complete each pose twice. This specific series has been circulating for nearly half a century, starting with a yogi named BikramChoudhury, who was the household name in hot yoga in the U.S. until 2013, when two sexual assault lawsuits were waged against him. Since then, many practitioners of hot yoga are creating newways to continue the practice while distancing themselves from the infamy of the man who created it.
Some of these new sessions rely on traditional yoga sequences that are more than 5,000 years old, while others incorporate fun, original ideas like yoga with goats, cats, or beer. Yes, there are real classes where you can perfect your downward dog while hanging out with baby goats. Of course, in the classes that contain farm animals or alcohol, the temperatures are kept cool for safety reasons. The popularity of these nontraditional classes emphasizes the exponential growth in the yoga industry in the last decade. In fact, there are a slew of yoga Instagram influencers whose financial livelihoods depend on creating sponsored advertisements for thousands of followers. The trend has also captured the attention of many famous actors, politicians, andmusicians, including Ellen DeGeneres, Barack Obama, Jennifer Aniston, and MatthewMcConaughey. Yoga wasn’t intended to be an embarrassing or a painful experience, but as with any new activity, there is always a learning curve. Reaching your own nirvana takes time and repetition, and in some cases, beer and cute animals. If you tried a hot yoga class and were absolutely miserable,
you are not alone. The unpleasantness usually dissipates over time, but if you find that hot yoga isn’t for you, look up yoga classes with goats or cats instead; they might even smell better than all the sweat anyway.
New and Rediscovered Passions in Later Life A Guide to Picking a Post-Career Hobby
IS THERE A CAUSE YOU WANT TO SUPPORT?
Aside from financial concerns, the No. 1 question that most impending and recent retirees struggle to answer is how they will fill up all their time. While spending time with family and relaxing are priorities for most folks entering the post-career chapter of their lives, these aren’t enough to fill up the bulk of your newly acquired free time. Cultivating a hobby is a great use of your time at any age, but especially during retirement. As Dick Van Dyke once said, “To me, retirement means doing what you have fun doing.” Here are three questions to help you discover a hobby that’s right for you.
the canvas away to focus on your career. Perhaps you were once a chess fanatic, and today you find your board gathering dust from lack of use. Now is the perfect time to rediscover those once-beloved activities.
Volunteer work can be incredibly fulfilling, especially when you have the time and energy to devote to it. Many older adults find that giving back to the community adds meaning and purpose to their lives. The best way to figure out how to donate your time is to think about a cause dear to your heart. From there, find a reputable organization that supports said cause, and see what you can do to help. Retirement is the perfect opportunity to throw yourself head-first into something you’re passionate about. So what are you waiting for?
WHAT HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO DO?
Discovering new hobbies is just as rewarding as rekindling old ones. Have you ever heard about a pastime and thought, “I’d love to do that, if only I had the time”? Former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe opened a winery after retiring from football. While you probably don’t have the financial resources of a professional athlete, there’s nothing stopping you from pursuing a newfound passion at the same velocity as the footballs Bledsoe threw.
DO YOU HAVE A DORMANT PASSION?
Work has a tendency to put our other interests on the back burner. Maybe you painted for pleasure during college but put
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