Answer To Your Fitness Questions" />Yoga: Strength And Flexibility
April 19, 2008
Flexibility comes as a result of the strength work. Yoga teaches you to be hot before you stretch. Stretching increases flexibility and strength. Once yoga practice begins, strength and flexibility reach new levels of refinement. One way to build strength is through the standing postures, in other words, strength, not gravity, develops flexibility.
When you practice the postures regularly, you will begin to see a difference in strength. Until you are strong enough, there are many postures that you may have to do in a modified form. Hang in there, continue to practice, working hard on getting the postures that you can and that you will see results in, then you will begin to notice that you are able to do those postures better, and with out modification.
Breathing is an absolute must while practicing yoga.  A tendency for most beginners practicing yoga is that they just forget to breathe at times. Breathing is especially important while holding an intense pose. Many times you won’t even realize it, but you may be holding your breath making it much harder to hold the pose. Make sure your aware always reminding yourself and to be careful, no backward breathing (shoulders raised and stomach sucking in). One way of breathing that has really assisted me is active exhalation, focusing on the exhale and forgetting about the inhale. It seems I am able to work harder and focus better when practicing active exhalation. Breathing is one of the most vital components to yoga, it assists in focusing on the posture you are doing at that moment. Another word for this practice of active exhalation and intense focus on breathing is “ujjayi.” You can use it on most anything that your trying to focus with.
Women can use “ujjayi” to assist them in childbirth. As far as what to do when you are pregnant, nothing can be more wonderful for your heart, head, and body while carrying a child than doing yoga. Many many reports of women who have been students and gone on to be mothers have said they used “ujjayi” breathing while giving birth because it totally surpasses all the other breathing techniques commonly taught.  Try it, practice it, and do it, you will see the extreme difference in your practice immediately.
Another major and vital part of yoga is heat…lots and lots of heat.  You have to be hot to stretch. Many people are backwards and stretch first while they are cold and then try to get hot exercising. Be careful! Injuries are much more likely if you follow this approach. You will be very surprised as to what you can do when you get super hot and to really start stretching. Just remember “even iron will bend if you get it hot enough.”Â
Within the world of Yoga, there are many that fake being and looking flexible. They round the back and strain a lot to look flexible. This rounding the back and straining to get the head to the knees is dangerous and not the correct way to practice. If you want to be flexible, work on the postures that will increase your flexibility, and don’t be afraid to use a modified approach–Listen to your body! I would think most people do yoga to feel better and to become strong and flexible, not look it.  So do it the right way always, shortcuts because you may feel inadequate or embarrassed will never get you the results you are looking for.Â
Many people will have amazing results in strength, flexibility, energy, range of motion, etc. However, others may not have as great of results, it all depends on the person. Most often men will see results much quicker than women in the practice of yoga because they are naturally much less flexible.  The more you practice the better you will come, pretty soon you will be attempting and doing poses you had never thought of doing. I believe that yoga is the best way to build strength, flexibility, balance, and to increase your range of motion.Â
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