Yoga is a practice that has been around for 5,000 years. Although many regard Yoga as just another form of exercise, it’s really a much more comprehensive practice that integrates mental, physical and spiritual elements.
In fact, it is said the physical positions of yoga represent only about 10 percent of its value, and the other 90 percent lies in the mental and spiritual growth that happens on the mat.
Yoga can be regarded as a form of meditation that demands your full attention and participation. The Yoga positions (asanas) are tools for helping you learn new ways of moving and new ways of responding to your body and mind, which can be extended into other areas of your life.
The health benefits of Yoga are many. It strengthens and tones your body, increases circulation and oxygenation, energizes you in the morning and helps you unwind in the evening.
People report the disappearance of aches and pains, better immunity, improved sleep, lowered blood pressure, improved digestion, and faster healing when they do Yoga.
Most people also feel more grounded, and many report increased compassion for others as a direct result of the compassion learned on the mat.
That said, from a purely physical standpoint, Yoga is excellent for your core and compliments other parts of your overall exercise program, such as interval and strength training. It strengthens your back, pelvis, shoulders, and spine—and of course helps cut and reveal those six-pack abs!
Yoga Positions to Flatten Your Abs
Are you tired of the same old crunches and curls? Try some Yoga poses for a change. You can train your abs while training your mind. Simple, controlled Yoga exercises such as leg lifts, boat pose, plank pose, and “cobra” build abdominal strength while at the same time strengthening the opposing muscle groups in your back. You will also experience benefits with your balance and breathing.
Slideshows in Women’s Health and Huffington Post offer some additional Yoga postures for abdominal muscles.
One of the more important principles of Yoga is ahimsa, which is Sanskrit for “nonviolence.”3 This refers not only to physical violence, but also to the violence of words or thoughts. Set aside the “no pain no gain” principle—Yoga should never be painful.
Ahimsa means treating your body (and your mind) with compassion and respect, as opposed to forcing it to do what you want it to do. If you can’t do a full Yoga pose, then just take a comfortable position that “moves in the direction” of the pose. Have patience. Forcing your body into submission will only increase your chances of injury and make it a very unpleasant experience.
