PROMOTING THE COMMUNITY
T o Yoga, or Not to Yoga, That is the Question T here are the obvious positive aspects of yoga, having a healthy and flexible body for instance. However, there are so many more benefits.
strength, stretch, and breath. Heart health, like high blood pressure or medically complicating weight issues are all helped by yoga. The last thing I want to touch on that is a huge advantage to yoga is the creation of connecting to community. Yoga studios often have a wide variety of people, all looking for different things from their yoga practice. I have seen amazing and heart-warming outreach from studios to students and from students to students. Don’t get me wrong on-line classes are great, but you cannot get truly efficient and safe posture assistance from on-line and you can not find the community to help support, push, and love you through the more difficult times. The military has seen the benefits, VA hospitals, educational institutions are seeing the benefits, national Institutes of Health and other large organizations are seeing it and are bringing it to the people they serve. There is increased scientific awareness and use of yoga’s value in health care. There are so many studies that show yoga’s benefits in arthritis, osteopenia, balance issues, oncology, women’s health, chronic pain and so much more. I am currently teaching at AM Yoga at 3132 State Street, Suite 200 Medford, Oregon 97504 (541) 414-0503, S.O.O.M at 1101 E Jackson St, Medford, OR 97504, and The Medford YMCA at 522 W 6th St, Medford, OR 97501. I teach a slow-moving long hold Hatha class and a yoga/touch class that is a mix of Yin yoga and body work deepening you softly and safely into stagnant yoga poses. I hope to see you at a studio!
The movements with breath increase blood flow and warm the muscles and the pose holds build strength and awareness, breathwork and meditation help with stress and anxiety. I am not a doctor, but I have seen the positive effects of yoga, and so have doctors, from the Mayo Clinic to my Chiropractor. You have probably heard that yoga promotes a longer and healthier life, and I think that is easy to nod and say “sure” to that and then move on, but let’s really think about what that might mean. The most common accidents that happen as we get older are simple falls, or have you gotten to the age where sneezing or twisting wrong becomes a worry, if you have strength, stretch, balance, and awareness these issues are far less likely to happen. Most of us have tried one or two yoga classes. But not all yoga classes are equal. As an instructor my main focus is safety and proper posture, that is not always the case. If you find a class that is not for you try a different one. There is always a fit out there, but you have to be willing to try, try, try again. My friends love to share with me bad experiences they have had; from whole classes falling on the floor trying to do hand stand, instructors that don’t seem to pay enough attention, confusing instructions. I truly believe your class is out there somewhere, if you look for it. The benefits are worth the effort to find a class for you. If you are looking for stress reduction, better mood, more energy, and better sleep yoga has been shown to help, with a safe and knowledgeable instructor. Parkinson’s is shown to be assisted by breath work. I have had the opportunity to see this with my own two eyes. People have come to my class and by the end their tremors look substantially better and their mobility is increased impressively. Arthritis is helped with strength and stretch. Autoimmune issues, which can create joint issues, are helped by; stress reduction,
AnnaMaria Candelaria Annamaria.candelaria@gmail.com @amcandelariayoga (Instagram) info@holisticpathforwellness.com soomyoga.com rvymca.org
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The Business Review | October 2023
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