For several years, I had a subscription to Men’s Health Magazine. Each month, I noticed a steady increase in the amount of yoga prescribed in the many workouts they provide for their readers. It didn’t matter if the workout used one’s body weight or lifting heavy objects for resistance training, an exercise variation would bear the mark of yoga’s influence. The widening recognition of just how incredible yoga is for the body, and the mind, grows exponentially.
I just finished listening to an episode of the Tim Ferris Podcast featuring six time Mr. Olympian bodybuilder Dorian Yates. After being forced into retirement from injuries at the peak of his career, Mr. Yates now practices yoga as part of his regular workout regime.
I’ve practiced yoga on and off for nearly two decades with varying levels of consistency and intensity which is a bullshit way to say that I still struggle to incorporate yoga as a regular practice. I’m adding it in a little bit at a time more and more regularly. It takes surprisingly little yoga to see the benefits. Yoga balances out the body, increases mobility and flexibility, and strengthens often over-looked and forgotten muscles. And that’s just the physical stuff.
Find the balance though. A while back after a full year of dedicated yoga practice, I took a few months off during which I concentrated on weight training. When I returned to yoga, the extra strength I gained immediately improved my yoga practice, shooting me through a few plateaus I had been stuck at in certain postures.
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve heard with yoga is this. Do only so much so you’ll want to do it again tomorrow. Don’t burn yourself out straight out of the gate.
Namaste. Now go do a downward dog for a minute. And do it again tomorrow.
flyingarsenal 