Have you ever tried yoga? Have you heard about the latest news and studies on the pros and cons of yoga? Are you curious if yoga is right for you?
I have to confess, I am a yogi.
But I’m not writing this blog today trying to weigh all the scientific and medical evidence for and against yoga. There are many medical professionals and yoga experts; I’m not one of them. Nor am I writing a personal appeal urging you to practice yoga because I have found it highly beneficial and desirable for myself. But I am writing about whether yoga is for you.
This is not the first time I’ve blogged about yoga. You can check previous yoga posts. But I want to write about it again because it’s recently become a hot topic of chitchats during cocktail parties and social dinners I attended from coast to coast, continent (Asia) to continent (North America) over the past few months.
Some of the common questions, comments, and criticisms of yoga during these cocktail parties go like this:
“So, Mable – you look very fit. What do you do?”
“Thanks, I try to do yoga every day and drink lots of water.”
“Yoga – yoga is very bad. But you do look very healthy.” “Yoga causes all kinds of injuries. You shouldn’t do it anymore.”
“Yoga is to blame for causing damage to internal organs. Haven’t you heard?”
“Yoga is unnatural – people go into all kinds of twists and headstands. A friend of mine recently had a horrible accident, injuring her spinal cord. Never do headstands!”
Yes, all these comments may have valid basis and yoga can be dangerous. But yoga can also be your friend. I personally think that yoga is for you if you truly understand the real meaning of yoga.
As I’ve come to realize – at its core – yoga is about union of the mind and body. Yoga purifies the body and clarifies the mind. Yoga yokes the mind and body by requiring the mind to be still and strong, while the body is moving through or holding still a series of slow and difficult poses that demand opposite forces (yin-yang) be applied simultaneously – through breathing. Breathing is key to resolving these conflicts, releasing tensions, and re-aligning the yin-yang energies of the mind and body.
I’ve also come to see how people can get injured or go overboard when their attitude is impatient, their mindset competitive, and their motive self-promotional.
To me – yoga is not designed as competitive sport or a performing art.
Yoga is not designed for someone who wants to lose weight fast, or wants a yoga butt fast, or wants to show off one’s ability to do headstands without proper preparation or training.
Yoga is also not designed for someone who has not mastered proper breathing technique, and blindly pushing one’s limit, ignoring important body messages that signal one’s body is not ready for certain poses.
To me – yoga is a lifestyle, a key to health and well-being.
Since ChinaPersonified.com was launched in July, I’ve decided to manage the stress of running a media start-up with yoga practice every morning – even if it’s just fifteen minutes. That daily ritual is combined with two to three yoga classes every week – whenever I’m in New York.
As a result, I’ve discovered enormous benefits in my overall state of physical fitness, emotional and mental wellness. I’ve developed a stronger body, firmer skin, greater flexibility, a clearer mental focus, a faster reflex and rebound from all the travels and running-around, as well as work related stress and setbacks of the day. So, yoga has become a relief tool – a go-to base for relaxation, reinvigoration, re-alignment between mind and body.
So now think about it: is yoga for you?
在这里，我必须承认：我是一个“瑜伽控”。
我写这篇博客并不是要列举科学或医学上对于瑜伽利与弊的讨论，
其实这并不是我第一次写博客讨论瑜伽。
“啊，Mable, 你看起来真苗条。你怎么做到的？”
“谢谢。我只是每天都练瑜伽并且补充大量的水分。”
“瑜伽。。。瑜伽很不好。虽然你看起来很健康。
“练瑜伽是会损害人体内部器官的。你没听说吗？”
“瑜伽太不自然了。它迫使人们摆出扭曲的动作和倒立。
是的，以上这些所有的论断都有可能是成立的，
所以我意识到：瑜伽的核心思想在于神与形的统一。
我同时也看到了当人们不耐烦或急于求成时受伤的例子。对我来讲，
瑜伽也同样不适合那些想要快速减肥的人，
瑜伽也也不适合那些没有掌握呼吸技巧的人，
当华人格化的网站在7月正式上线时，
我于是慢慢发现了瑜伽为我身体，情绪及精神健康带来的巨大帮助。
那么现在想一下：瑜伽到底适不适合你？