Heart & Soul

For a better walk, slow down and stretch out with yoga

There isn’t much bad I can say about yoga. It builds strength and flexibility to complement your walking, running or cycling workout. Deep breathing tells your stressed-out body that counters the “fight-or-flight” reflex.

We’ve got solutions to any excuse:

“I’m not flexible enough.”
Yeah, and you must work on your tan before going to the beach and get in shape before going to the gym. There’s a yoga form for everyone, from the deep breathing and spiritual emphasis of kundalini yoga to the forms favored by gym rats like ashtanga (power) or Bikram (hot) yoga. And within each form the moves can be scaled to your ability. Chairs, cushions, blocks, belts and other adaptations can help you get into poses until you no longer need props.

“Isn’t it against my Christian principles?”
The Christians I know say that yoga’s meditation and centering enhances their walk with Christ. Nobody’s worshiping false gods or gurus. It’s about being present in a moment, focusing on the breath and awakening the body with movement.

“I don’t have yoga clothes, a yoga mat and other yoga accessories.”
Recent marketing efforts notwithstanding, yoga is a simple practice; all you need is your body. A towel works when a mat isn’t handy. Loose, comfortable clothes are best for doing yoga. And even if you aren’t a member of a gym where yoga is taught, there are plenty of books and DVDS at the library and other resources online.

“I don’t know where to find a class.”
Many places will allow you at least one free class. And many communities now have free, donation-only and low-cost classes. A yoga class may be as close as your local park. In Birmingham, Alabama, one instructor leads free yoga classes in Kelly Ingram Park on Sundays at 8 a.m. The park was dedicated as “a place of revolution and reconciliation” when Birmingham Civil Rights Institute opened in 1992 across the street. It’s a black spiritual center if ever there was one. And Nashville, Tennessee’s Centennial Park offers Wednesdays from 6 to 7 p.m. The class is free; a $10 donation is suggested.