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Kaylan Huff
George M. Sean
English 1010D-03
8 November 2015
Benefits of Yoga
When looking for the definition of yoga, it is described as A Hindu spiritual and ascetic
discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of
specific bodily postures, is widely practiced for health and relaxation. Yoga is an activity that
almost everybody can do, and it can be performed with or without an instructor. There is no age
limit to be a yogi. The only requirements needed are tight exercise clothes, a yoga mat, a water
bottle, and a towel. Usually yoga is performed at a studio, however it can easily be performed in
most environments. There are many benefits from yoga, and they are found in different yoga
types such as Hot Yoga, Meditation, Vinyasa, and Yin Yoga.
If you are wanting an intense workout that will make you sweat and push you to your
limits, hot yoga might be something to look into. Hot yoga is a class that is held in a room that
has been heated to 37 degrees celsius or more. It is best to practice hot yoga at a studio that offers
this kind of heat. When going into a hot yoga class it is suggested to drink a lot of water before,
during, and after the class because it is important to stay hydrated in the heat. The main benefit
from hot yoga stated in an article written by Meredith Dault, The benefits of hot yoga.
Meredith states, The one thats touted most often is detoxification: heavy sweating is said to
help flush toxins from the skin. The heat not only makes a person sweat more, yet it helps the
muscles relax and warm up so a person can go deeper into a posture and be safe at the same time.
Hot yoga will help develop strength, flexibility, tone, and will give a great cardiovascular

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workout. Meredith Dault also states, According to Isabelle Lambert, director of Tula Yoga Spa
in Toronto, Working in a heated room also elevates the heart rate, which makes the body work
harder. Hot yoga can be practiced with many different styles of yoga like Vinyasa, Pilates,
Meditation, and Yin Yoga. All of these styles will bring a great level of difficulty already, and the
heat will help intensify your workout. Remember the great thing about yoga is that it isnt
competitive. Whether you are at a studio or on your own, you are there to better yourself,
therefore only do what your capable of. Hot yoga is not the only form of yoga that helps the body
and mind.
Another important form of yoga is meditation. Meditation is a form that trains the mind
to induce a state of deep peace, and it occurs when the mind is silent, calm, and relaxed.
Meditation can be performed by anyone willing to put their mind to it. The only requirement is
your body, yet it is optional to have an instructor. There are thousands of studies that have proven
meditation will help reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and will help improve tasks that are both
physical and mental. An article written by Giovanni Dienstmann, Scientific Benefits Of
Meditation-76 Things You Might Be Missing Out On, states a study that showed how
meditation helped students perform better on their testing.
A study led by Katherine MacLean of the University of California
demonstrated that even with only 20 minutes a day of meditation
practice, students were able to improve their performance on tests
of cognitive skill, in some cases doing 10 times better than the
group that did not meditate. (paragraph 2)
Meditation is a mind-body connection that will help anyone have a greater perspective of their
lives. It is easy to get overwhelmed or caught up on a situation. With the practice of meditation

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and other forms of yoga, people will be able to connect with their inner selves, and can live a
happier and easier life.
Another style of yoga that will help benefit the body is Vinyasa yoga. From an article
written by Beth Rifkin, What Are the Benefits of Vinyasa Yoga? it describes Vinyasa as A
flowing style of yoga that links the breath with movement. The focus is on the inhale and exhale
as you move from one pose to the next. Vinyasa can be performed by any age. The requirements
for Vinyasa yoga are a yoga mat, comfortable exercise clothes that are easy to move around in, a
water bottle, a towel, and an instructor(optional). However, if you are a beginner, it is easiest to
attend a class at a studio rather than by yourself. Taking Vinyasa classes will help strengthen,
tone, and lean your body. It is expected to leave the Vinyasa class feeling empowered and at
peace. Vinyasa offers a constant flow between movements that is tied to the breath, and it allows
your oxygen to loosen and fuel muscles which helps your flexibility. Many of the movements
will challenge your body to its limits strengthening the core and building lean muscle. This class
focuses on the breath for about 60 to 90 minutes, and will help calm the mind. An article written
by Vanessa M. Villate, Yoga for College Students: An Empowering Form of Movement and
Connection, states how the breath of yoga can help relieve stress and make you feel
empowered. Vanessa states, The most often cited way in which students breath changed was in
terms of helping them be more relaxed and calm for example, one student wrote, I have learned
that when I am worried, stressed, or angry that I can concentrate on my breathing and it helps to
calm me. There are many types of yoga that help reduce stress and anxiety other than Vinyasa
Yoga.
Yin Yoga focuses on the opposite and complementary principles in nature. Yin is the
negative, dark, and feminine; Yang is the positive, bright, and masculine. When bringing Yin-

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Yang into yoga, Yin would be considered the connective tissue, ligaments and tendons, and Yang
would be the muscles and blood. Yin yoga consists of a series of long-held floor poses that work
mostly on the lower part of the body. According to an article, The benefits of Yin Yoga, written
by Esther Ekhart, she explains how Yin yoga helps better the body. Different Yin yoga poses
stimulate and remove blocks in the myofascial meridians in the body. This has the effect of
balancing the bodys internal organs and systems. One of the main benefits of Yin yoga comes
from the stillness and long holds. The different poses in Yin yoga are being held for about five
minutes each, therefore the muscles have time to react, strengthen, and build long and lean
muscles. These long holds also help the mind become clear making a persons energy positive
and happy. The only materials needed for Yin yoga are exercise clothes, a yoga mat, a water
bottle, and a towel. If you generally have a constant running mind that you want to shut off,
consider looking into Yin yoga.
There are many benefits from yoga, and they are found in different yoga types such as
Hot Yoga, Meditation, Vinyasa, and Yin Yoga. Yoga offers many benefits for the mind and body,
and can help a person become positive, content, and happy in their life. Anyone over the age of
about five can participate in yoga, however it is up to them to go out and try it. The only
requirements needed is a yoga mat, a water bottle, a towel, exercise clothes, and yourself. In the
article written by Ginny Graves, Yoga is Medicine it states Yoga is a natural medicine for
treating any type of illness including cancer, heart disease, and chronic pain. Yoga can be
thought of as an everyday vitamin, something to make you stronger and healthier, however
remember it does not taste good!

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Work Cited

Graves, Ginny. Yoga is Medicine. Prevention 67.10 (2015): 88-129. Health Source-Consumer
Edition. Web. 8 Nov. 2015.

Villate, Vanessa M. Yoga For College Students: An Empowering Form Of Movement and
Connection. Physical Educator 72.1 (2015):44-66 Health Source-Consumer Edition. Web. 8
Nov. 2015.

Dault, Meredith. The benefits of hot yoga. Best Health Magazine. (2015) Readers Digest
Magazines, Ltd. Web. 8 Nov. 2015.

Dienstmann, Giovanni. Scientific Benefits Of Meditation-76 Things You Might Be Missing Out
On. Live and Dare. (2015) Web. 8 Nov. 2015.

Rifkin, Beth. What Are the Benefits of Vinyasa Yoga? Driven by Demand Media. (2015)
Livestrong foundation. Web. 8 Nov. 2015.

Ekhart, Esther. The benefits of Yin Yoga. Frismedia. (2014) Ekhart Yoga-yoga online. Web. 8
Nov. 2015.