Owning a nice yoga mat is important. It’s there to make your yoga workout more enjoyable, making you secure when doing difficult poses. So it is safe to say that a good quality yoga mat is an investment. Like all good investments one needs to take good care of it otherwise it will lose its value. Having the mat as one investment isn’t enough. It is best to treat that investment by not carrying around exposed to the elements but protected in its own bag. A yoga mat bag is the answer and unlike in past years where the pickings were slim, today there are many manufacturers putting out quality, stylish mat bags that are so attractive some even can be used as an everyday tote. Bags come in various shapes, styles and colors. Buy solid or floral, quilted or canvas, there are yoga mat bags for different tastes. So the next time you lug your mat to a yoga class under your arms think how much more convenient a mat bag would make your life.
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Not all mats are created equal. Take Pilates mats. They tend to be thicker giving you more padding. Pilates mat workouts consists of a lot of rolling exercises. A padded exercise mat helps protect the body especially the hips. Thicker mats are more comfortable which helps when doing a Pilates mat class. Yoga mats on the other hand are made differently. A quality yoga mat has a stickiness factor to it. When practicing yoga a stable mat which doesn’t allow slippage gives the yogi more security. Therefore, yoga mats are thinner. They are made for you to feel the floor, to be more grounded. Regardless if you do yoga or Pilates it is important to own your own mat. The idea of someone’s sweat on a shared mat isn’t too appealing. Buy one for yourself. It’s an investment toward your health. Trends come and trends go. What roll yoga plays in the trend game of 2010 is yet to be determined, but chances are yoga will only become more popular. One reason why it will see an increase in the participation of our aging population. As Americans grow old they look for an exercise plan that is low-impact. Pilates does it and so does yoga. Another thing today that is worth mentioning is that yoga doesn’t have the stigma of being only for the “earthy crunchy people” Those fond days are long gone. Yoga today is mainstream. In most department stores you can find yoga clothes. Online fitness stores have a section dedicated to yoga supplies. More and more yoga studios are opening up in the community. And YMCA’s of the world have made it a point to hold yoga classes. After school programs for children in elementary schools are being offered yoga. Kids love it. To them it’s social. Doing the exercises gives kid’s better concentration skills and helps keep their stress level down. Yes, 2010 will once again be a year of yoga. Just a quick note here to those who enjoy a good documentary film. Enlighten Up takes you through a journey of yoga cynic and journalist Nick Rosen as he investigates the ancient discipline. Nick travels take him various places throughout the U.S. as well as India. Accompanied by documentary filmmaker Kate Churchill who fully supports the ideals of yoga as having a profound impact on one’s life. Nick meets a variety of yogis and gurus who he spends time with looking for answers that he can hold true to. But along the way he discovers many different views on yoga’s purpose to mankind. Nick is no observer. He takes classes both private and with groups. In the beginning Nick struggles with certain poses, but as he gets stronger we see him meet these new challenges with more certainty. Yes his commitment to the practice makes him physically stronger but his journey does eventually end. To find out how it all shakes out rent the film and enjoy. What’s up with teenagers these days? To be able to focus on tasks seems to be taking a toll on our youth. So what’s a mother to do? Kid’s stress levels are on the rise along with the demands of social life and school work. Maybe it’s time to put a little yoga fitness into your teenager’s social calendar. Yoga helps teens develop confidence and inner peace. Teens who practice yoga find that their concentration becomes more acute. With the pressure of maintaining good grades and college acceptance a priority, teens who do yoga have an advantage of developing better memory skills. And yoga helps them gain a more positive self image outlook that goes a long way toward their social network. Yoga increases one’s energy levels. This along with a stronger immune system makes the body fit and toned which helps teens be able to handle the stress and drama that effects so many of them. Teens develop better posture along with better moods. And what mother wouldn’t welcome that? Let’s face it, seniors do have more time on their hands these days. Whether by choice of retirement or by attrition due to the bleak job market, seniors are getting in shape doing yoga. And for good reason. Yoga exercises keep seniors feeling more alive and vibrant. Aging has a way to cause havoc with our bodies. Muscles get tighter. Bone density decreases. Seniors may see their blood pressure rise along with diabetes and heart disease. Along with a slow down in the metabolism, losing unwanted weight becomes more difficult. Yet there is hope for seniors that are willing to face old age or should I say attack it with a can do attitude. Seniors looking to stay fit should seek out yoga classes. Finding them from message boards at the local grocery store or in the local paper are a good way to get started. If you are a member of a senior community see if you can bring in a yoga instructor to conduct group classes with your closest friends. Yoga has the benefit of being a social event too in the same ways as a cocktail party. A yoga instructor will work with the group at a safe level to start. Eventually you’ll end up doing harder poses as you gain strength. Then watch your energy pick up. Staying healthy at any age is important and as we get older it becomes vitally important. Staying physically and mentally strong may help in fighting off certain diseases like dementia and certain cancers. Commit to a life of preventative health now and chances are you’ll be helping your body fight fat and heart disease later in life. Strength training keeps your bones as well as muscles strong. It’s never too late to start! You can strength train at any age. Making time for activities like cycling, tennis and golf are just some of the ways to have fun and stay socially connected with friends. Happiness goes a long way as an immunity booster. Stay happy by staying active. Your kid is turning 3 years old and set to enter pre-school, but when you ask what will my child do for exercise, the teacher points to the outside playground. Yikes! You’re feeling a little stressed. You’ve been so busy teaching your daughter the ABC’s and the colors of the rainbow you forgot to allow her time developing her muscles and now you are nervous she’ll hurt herself. The past summer you had the chance to sign her up at the local gym schools but somehow it was forgotten. Then you hear about the after school yoga program for young children. You find out that yoga if done properly is a great alternative to the gymnastics your daughter would have learned if she attended summer gym school. Yoga helps with stress and allows children to socialize through exercise. It requires practice like team sports as well as discipline. It helps little yogis to improve their motor skills and concentration and helps with their breathing. But most of all for young children yoga is just plain fun. And as they learn to stretch and become in tune with their bodies, those playground monkey bars won’t be such an insurmountable task to accomplish. And just maybe yoga would benefit mom as well. There are mommy and child yoga classes. Check with your community in which you live and join a class. It’s a wonderful thing to share in exercise with your child. It reinforces good habits. In a world that at times seems to be out of balance it’s no wonder that our own bodies our affected by the everyday stress and strain life has to offer. One of benefits of doing yoga is the problems of imbalance and asymmetry can be corrected. Yoga helps maintain symmetry in our bodies allowing your own body to deal with the pain so often associated with imbalance. Practicing yoga helps you develop strength and become more flexible. You will find yourself with better concentration to help you sort out problems that crop up so frequently in these times. You will gain better coordination and this will help you with the normal movements you put your body through each and every day. Try inspirational Yoga DVDs to set your body in relaxation mode. Listening and working out with the mediation music and getting into yoga poses with your instructor is a wonderful way to shut off the noise of the world. Staying in balance is staying in shape. Yoga gives you this and much more. I walked by my daughter’s room the other day to catch a glimpse of her doing Yoga. She is only 6 year’s old, but she already sees the benefit of having a regular yoga practice. Her school offered yoga as an after school activity and for two straight weeks, she did yoga every day at her summer camp. She loves that it is solitary and that she is good at it, both appealing attributes for her. Yoga has become so popular, even mainstream, that kids view it as a fun way to de-stress and workout. My daughter is hopefully building a yoga practice for life, something she’ll take with her everywhere her life brings her. She is even teaching her 3 year-old sister to do sun salutations. Now that’s a scene! Cute and reaffirming that my children are building a foundation for health and wellness. |
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