Guides @ UF: HSCL Wellness: Yoga Awareness Month

History and Benefits of the Yoga Practice

Yoga Awareness Month:

About: National Yoga Awareness Month was created by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) in collaboration with the Office of Research Services (ORS) to raise awareness of the benefits of yoga for mental and physical well-being, reduced stress, and increased longevity. (nationaltoday.com)

Lunch Time Yoga Session Event:

History of the Yogic Practice:

Yoga is an ancient and complex practice, rooted in Indian philosophy. It began as a spiritual practice but has become popular as a way of promoting physical and mental well-being. Although classical yoga also includes other elements, yoga as practiced in the United States typically emphasizes physical postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation (dyana). There are many different yoga styles, ranging from gentle practices to physically demanding ones. Differences in the types of yoga used in research studies may affect study results. This makes it challenging to evaluate research on the health effects of yoga. Yoga and two practices of Chinese origin, which are both tai-chi or qi-gong, and are sometimes called “meditative movement” practices. All three practices include both meditative elements and physical ones. (NCCIH)

Benefits of Practicing Yoga:

Scholarly research highlights that yoga offers benefits for physical health, including improved strength, flexibility, balance, and cardiovascular health, as well as potential pain relief for conditions like back pain and arthritis. It also demonstrates mental health benefits, with studies showing reduced stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, along with enhanced cognitive functions like attention and processing speed. Yoga's positive impact on the central nervous system and its role in promoting healthy aging and overall well-being are also supported by scientific evidence.

Journals

Yoga for Beginners - Yoga with Adriene

Books

Types of Yoga

Anusara
Based on the belief that we’re all filled with an intrinsic goodness, Anusara seeks to use the physical practice of yoga to help students open their hearts, experience grace, and let their inner goodness shine through. Classes, which are specifically sequenced by the teacher to explore one of Friend's Universal Principles of Alignment, are rigorous for the body and the mind.
Ashtanga
Ashtanga is based on ancient yoga teachings, but it was popularized and brought to the West by K. Pattabhi Jois (pronounced "pah-tah-bee joyce") in the 1970s. It's a rigorous style of yoga that follows a specific sequence of postures and is similar to vinyasa yoga, as each style links every movement to a breath. The difference is that Ashtanga always performs the exact same poses in the exact same order.
Bikram
About 30 years ago, Bikram Choudhury developed this school of yoga where classes are held in artificially heated rooms. In a Bikram class, you will sweat like never before as you work your way through a series of 26 poses. Like Ashtanga, a Bikram class always follows the same sequence, although a Bikram sequence is different from an ashtanga sequence. Bikram is somewhat controversial, as Choudhury trademarked his sequence and has sued studios who call themselves Bikram, but don't teach the poses exactly the way he says they should. It’s also wildly popular, making it one of the easiest classes to find.
Hatha
Hatha yoga is a generic term that refers to any type of yoga that teaches physical postures. Nearly every type of yoga class taught in the West is Hatha yoga. When a class is marketed as Hatha, it generally means that you will get a gentle introduction to the most basic yoga postures. You probably won't work up a sweat in a hatha yoga class, but you should end up leaving class feeling longer, looser, and more relaxed.
Hot Yoga
Largely the same thing as Bikram. Generally, the only difference between Bikram and hot yoga is that the hot yoga studio deviates from Bikram's sequence in some small way, and so they must call themselves by another name. The room will be heated and you will sweat buckets, so check out our mats and accessories specifically designed for hot yoga classes.
Iyengar
Iyengar yoga was developed and popularized by B.K.S. Iyengar (pronounced "eye-yen-gar"). Iyengar is a very meticulous style of yoga, with utmost attention paid to finding the proper alignment in a pose. In order to help each student find the proper alignment, an Iyengar studio will stock a wide array of yoga props — blocks, blankets, straps, chairs and bolsters are all common. There isn't a lot of jumping around in Iyengar classes, so you won't get your heart rate up, but you'll be amazed to discover how physically and mentally challenging it is to stay put.
Restorative
Restorative yoga is a delicious way to relax and soothe frayed nerves. Also described as yin yoga, restorative classes use bolsters, blankets, and blocks to prop students into passive poses so the body can experience the benefits of a pose without having to exert any effort. A good restorative class is more rejuvenating than a nap.
Vinyasa
Vinyasa (pronounced "vin-yah-sah") is a Sanskrit word for a phrase that roughly translates as "to place in a special way," referring—in hatha yoga—to a sequence of poses. Many ask "is vinyasa yoga hard?", but you would pleased to know that vinyasa yoga classes are known for their fluid, movement-intensive practices. Vinyasa yoga teachers sequence their classes to smoothly transition from pose to pose, with the intention of linking breath to movement, and often play music to keep things lively. The intensity of the practice is similar to Ashtanga, but no two vinyasa yoga classes are the same.