Finding Your Inner Peace with Yoga

Those who seek inner peace often find it by practicing yoga. Yoga is a discipline that focuses on reversing the outward flow of energy inward. Below are a few of the most popular types of yoga to try this fall. Combining physical, mental, and spiritual energy doesn’t come easy to most, so make sure you are ready by visiting your local Foothills Sports Medicine location for a physical therapy evaluation.
Hatha
Hatha is a wise first step down your path to inner peace. It is a simple, and yet general term that refers to any type of yoga that teaches physical postures. In class, you will receive a gentle introduction to the basic yoga postures such as tree, pigeon, and warrior pose. You will also learn how consciously controlling your breathing impacts your emotional state.
lyengar
This is a type of therapeutic yoga that is all about building strength and stamina through proper body alignment in a pose. To help find proper alignment, props like blocks, chairs, and straps are commonly used. lyengar (lowercase l) is especially helpful for those suffering from an injury. Holding poses for extended periods while adjusting through the posture sequences can bring balance to your daily life. Practicing will not raise your heart rate much, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
Hot Yoga
Some people like it hot, some people like it really hot, and lucky for those people there is hot yoga.  Hot yoga is performed in a room heated to 100° with 40% humidity. Heat is believed to loosen the muscles and promote greater flexibility, whereas the humidity helps to detoxify. Each of the poses carried out are smooth and linked together. Remember to hydrate before class, and pay attention to your own limits so you don’t over stretch.
Ashtanga
Ashtanga is the oldest and hardest yoga style on this list with its established series of six strenuous sequences. Each pose movement is carried out in rapid succession, changing as you breathe in and out; keeping up with yourself is what makes this difficult. There are 75 poses, and takes 1.5 to 2 hours to complete. If you can master this advanced and well-structured yoga, you can call yourself a master!
The world of yoga can be arduous and immense, but is definitely worth exploring. There are various types of yoga out there with different levels of difficulty, but for many, the aspect of meditation is their main motivation. If you find yourself overwhelmed or overworked with yoga, come to Foothills Sports Medicine Physical Therapy for a physical therapy evaluation. We can help you succeed with your new workout, and learn more about your physicality in the process!