| In Part II of this series, I argued that yoga is the perfect | | | | yoga can be a beautiful, solo endeavor. |
| antidote for economic hard times. As modern yoga | | | | If you are a beginner, avoid power, vinyasa, or |
| masters Iyengar and Bhajan state, yoga was created | | | | Ashtanga yoga videos/DVDs unless they are |
| over 5,000 years ago to help the everyday individual | | | | beginning level. These styles move very quickly or are |
| "satisfy all human needs" in the face of "hardship and | | | | rigorous, and not every beginner enjoys that or |
| suffering" and the challenges of "making a living, raising | | | | benefits from that speed and effort. If you already |
| a family, and finding meaning and purpose." Yoga is | | | | know yoga, though, these styles can create a vigorous |
| perfect for tough times since it is tough: tried, true, | | | | home practice that when practiced regularly can easily |
| deep, modifiable, and life-transforming. | | | | eliminate the need for a fitness center membership. |
| In this article, we will look at breathing exercise | | | | If you want to attend an inexpensive yoga class, start |
| (pranayama) and physical exercise (asana), two of | | | | with your local YMCA. I teach at mine, and my |
| yoga's eight major areas of wellness, so you can | | | | students pay just $4.00 per class; there is no studio in |
| create and develop a yoga practice during days when | | | | my city that comes close to meeting that deal. Your |
| time and money might be scarcities. We'll start with | | | | local recreation department is also a good place to |
| breathing and move onto the physical exercises. | | | | look for inexpensive yoga. My city's program offers |
| 1) Breathing Exercise (pranayama): | | | | yoga for about $6 per class. |
| Save yourself energy and make yourself feel stronger | | | | Search online using your town/city/neighborhood and |
| and more relaxed by practicing yoga breathing. | | | | 'yoga' as keywords. You will find many experienced, |
| First, exercise without breath control is not worth doing. | | | | registered yoga instructors not affiliated with a yoga |
| It is a waste of energy to huff and puff through a | | | | studio who often offer 'donation' (pay what you can) |
| workout, but we often do because we are | | | | classes. Talk to teachers in advance about their |
| encouraged to push, compete, and strain while we | | | | donation classes to determine if they would agree to |
| engage in athletic-based movement (e.g., running, | | | | receive smaller donations from you for awhile. |
| basketball). What's worse, many of us are 'top' or | | | | Got a special skill or talent? Talk with independent |
| chest breathers, utilizing only one-third of our lungs' | | | | yoga instructors about trading your talent and time for |
| capacity, and since typical athlete-focus exercise | | | | free yoga instruction. |
| systems do not teach us to feed our moving muscles | | | | Finally, find out if there is Yoga Alliance-recognized |
| and joints with great amounts of oxygen, many | | | | teacher training in your area. If there is, talk to the |
| traditional exercise systems do little for our health and | | | | trainers about classes their trainees might teach, which |
| in fact over time often wear the body down. | | | | might be offered at a reduced rate. |
| When practiced with mindful breathing, on the other | | | | B. If you are short on time: |
| hand, yoga gives back as much energy as it uses, and | | | | Yoga is perfect for those with little time on their hands. |
| this is one of yoga's greatest noted benefits. As yoga | | | | A few minutes of deep breathing and classic poses |
| master Bikram Choudhury states, "Yoga is a gas | | | | can alter your look, your outlook, and your health. |
| station." You do not burn up energy when you practice, | | | | If you have very little time to exercise, try this |
| but rather gain it. Yoga makes you incredibly | | | | 15-minute sequence (13 minutes of poses plus 2 |
| fuel-efficient, which is of course highly economical. | | | | minutes for between-pose preparation and breaks). |
| The best news is that pranayama costs nothing. It only | | | | Use yoga breathing and take breaks when necessary. |
| takes time and repetition. To get the most out of your | | | | -Mountain: 1 minute |
| poses, and your life, practice long, deep breathing | | | | -Downward Facing Dog: 1 minute |
| (yoga breathing) often. Inhale and exhale exclusively | | | | -Triangle: 1 minute each side |
| through the nose, filling and emptying the lungs with a | | | | -Downward Facing Dog: 1 minute |
| relaxed chest and back and an active, soft belly. I | | | | -Tree: 30 seconds each side |
| provide a link at the end of this article to a video | | | | -Upward Boat: 30 seconds |
| demonstrating this ancient, healing breathing technique | | | | -Cobra: 30 seconds |
| that is the backbone, if you will, of yoga. Eventually, you | | | | -Seated Forward Bend: 1 minute |
| will be a deep breather automatically, even when your | | | | -Shoulder Pose: 1 minute |
| heart rate is very high from physical exercise. | | | | -Reclined Twist: 1 minute each side |
| 2) Physical Exercise (asana): | | | | -Relaxation: 3 minutes (use natural breathing here) |
| Whether you are short on money or time (or both) | | | | Are you strapped for time and need/want fast results |
| these days, here are some ways to get the most out | | | | from yoga? Try hot yoga. By adding heat to your |
| of yogic physical exercise. We'll first look at yoga for | | | | practice room with an energy-efficient space heater, |
| those short on money and then to yoga for those | | | | or by wearing stretchy, water-wicking layers to keep |
| short on time. | | | | your body's heat close to you, your muscles and joints |
| A. If you are short on money: | | | | get stronger and more flexible faster: heat boosts |
| I do not wish to put any yoga studio out of business, | | | | results. If you have cash to spare, take a hot classical |
| but the good news in hard economic times is that | | | | yoga class (minimum temperature should be 90 |
| yoga need not be expensive, and classes are not the | | | | degrees). |
| only place where you can learn and practice. I | | | | Engaging a Yoga Alliance-registered instructor for a |
| practiced yoga in my home on and off for three years | | | | private one-hour session can help you make the most |
| before taking a class, my only investment a $15.00 | | | | of your exercise time. Many yoga instructors teach |
| mat. Develop or deepen a regular home yoga practice. | | | | privately. Ask your instructor to consult with you |
| There are many tools to help you. | | | | before your session about your physical exercise |
| The greatest tool is the library. I first learned yoga by | | | | goals so that your hour instruction is tailored just for |
| borrowing yoga books and videos/DVDs from my | | | | you. Ask your instructor to provide you with thorough |
| local library, and you can do the same, even if you are | | | | notes and handouts to help you practice on your own. |
| an advanced practitioner. Make it part of your practice | | | | A private yoga session averages about $70/hour here |
| to track borrowed materials' due dates to avoid | | | | in the Midwest. |
| overdue fines. | | | | In the next article, we will explore more limbs of yoga |
| Other tools for learning yoga poses are Yoga Journal's | | | | that greatly benefit us, specifically in the emotional and |
| website and free downloads of many high-quality | | | | mental realms. After all, in addition to being short on |
| yoga class video podcasts featuring many great | | | | time and money during a serious recession, we |
| teachers. Research your virtual teachers and try many | | | | humans can also find ourselves short on confidence, |
| out, and trust that you know enough yoga, and that | | | | patience, and even sleep. Yoga can be your recession |
| they are knowledgeable enough, to provide you with a | | | | remedy in these regards, too. |
| good home yoga practice. When practiced mindfully, | | | | |