Today, when we say “I do Yoga!” this means that we regularly practice a variety of yoga postures, either at home or in a yoga class.

Yoga postures and poses were originally meant to prepare the body for long periods of sitting meditation. It is much easier to sit cross-legged after the body has been warmed-up and stretched. 

Today, yoga poses are practiced as a way to become physically fit, strong and healthy.   Yoga exercises offer a way to stretch muscles after other types of physical activities that create muscle tension or fatigue such as running or biking. Yoga exercises also help to release mental stress and tension while increasing concentration.

Therefore, yoga practice has physical and mental benefits. Yoga poses also increase our body connections, raise our self-awareness and can be used as a practice for self-exploration. In other words, you are simply checking in with yourself when you are practicing yoga. You could ask yourself: How is my energy today? Am I feeling positive or negative, high or low? Do I feel tense or tired?

 The better we connect with our bodies, the more self-aware we become and the more we are able to thrive in our lives. However, there are some circumstances under which you should avoid doing certain yoga postures. For example, you should not do so-called twisting poses when you are pregnant. 

Some yoga poses are physically challenging, while some yoga poses look quite simple. The good news is that  yoga practice is completely self-regulated. So, when you attend a yoga class, you can do a yoga  pose to the extent that you feel comfortable. Whatever your teacher is instructing, you do not have to follow everything they say or what others are doing in the class. Most importantly, don’t push your body too hard trying to get into a Yoga pose!

Remember if a pose is uncomfortable you should not do it. Simply take a short break, and join the rest of the class whenever you feel ready. Rather than doing every pose perfectly, focus on exploring and discovering your body and your self-awareness.