YOGA - great for the mind, great for the body
Yoga - it's becoming a bit more mainstream these days, with Yoga classes you can take on YouTube in the comfort of your own home and cute personalised yoga mats. But far from being a fad - Yoga has some amazing benefits for not just your body but also your mind, and trust me, you don't have to be super fit and flexible to do it. What is Yoga? Yoga originated in ancient India and focuses on strength, flexibility, breathing, and most importantly - being in touch with your body. It can take many different forms, styles and can be anything from a simple stretching pose to a more complicated one.
What are the benefits?
Other than increasing your flexibility and strength, yoga can be really great for practicing mindfulness and lifting your mood. Yoga is all about being calm, and coupled with the deep breathing, it can have amazing effects on your overall well being.
How do I get started?
As yoga is becoming increasingly more popular, it probably isn't hard to find a yoga class in your area. But you don't even have to leave your house if you don't want to, or can't because of your caring role. Just simply find a quiet space and a soft floor (or buy a mat if you can) and begin with some YouTube videos. What types of yoga can I do? Yoga with Adriene on YouTube (my personal favourite) has tons of yoga practices for all abilities. You can do yoga for specific areas of your body you'd like to work on, yoga to help you sleep, yoga to help you wake up in the morning, yoga in your chair...and more! Once you start, you'll realise just how much yoga you can fit in to your days. The great thing about yoga is that it really does give you that space and time to breathe, relax and connect with your body. You might not realise how tense your body is until you start yoga, and how much better you feel afterwards. Try some today and see how you feel afterwards! Remember - always stay safe when following youtube videos and be mindful of the space around you. If a pose is hurting you, stop. Find some advice on yoga on the NHS website here.