One Funky Mama - The Benefits of Yoga

It's hard to balance a chaotic schedule of work, kids and the often heard of, but seldom seen, time to yourself. Exercise programs are often the first thing cut from the "to do" list. But it is possible to maintain health- of the body and mind- with relatively little time and effort.

Yoga classes are often offered at gyms and community centers for a small charge (if not free) and take as few as 30 minutes to get you started on that path to fitness.Once you've gotten the basic positions mastered, you can start sneaking your yoga routine in at home or the office. Within a matter of weeks, you'll be seeing the results.

The most obvious benefit of practicing yoga is the increase in flexibility it provides. The positions tend to target the regions of the hamstrings, hips, shoulders and back. Therefore it's an excellent program for those who work at a computer all day or often carry heavy objects (yes, your toddler counts as a heavy object).

The stretching can help with alignment problems you have in any of the mentioned regions. The positions will also improve your strength and help you build lean muscles. Many of the poses require you to support your own body weight and the transition between actions is slow and purposeful.

Yoga can also improving your breathing. Obviously, you've already mastered the basics of breathing or you wouldn't be reading this. But there is more to it than "breathe in, breathe out". The meditative aspects of yoga draw your focus to the length and depth of your breath. By concentrating on the quality of your breathing, more oxygen will get pumped into your system. That will improve your overall vitality and can even alleviate some minor breathing problems that start in the sinuses.

All of the mental focusing you do on the inner workings and biology of your body during a yoga class will create a sense of calmness and relaxation. How often in life do you really get the chance to make it all about you on such a deep level? During that class, the only things you will have to think about is how your body is reacting to various positions and the clarity of your breath.

When you reemerge into your chaotic daily life, you'll still have to deal with messes, but you'll definitely have a more Zen- like approach.