On this ongoing international week of yoga, let's debunk some common misconceptions about yoga.
Over 300 million people are involved in yoga worldwide. To acknowledge and promote the importance of this ancient exercise form, June 21 is considered as international yoga day. The word ‘Yoga’ comes from ‘yuj,’ which means ‘joining’. Basically, it is believed that yoga joins our body, mind and soul. When this joining happens, the true personality of sny human being emerges. However, with modern scientific research, it has been proved that yoga can provide a lot of benefits. With popularity, grows the misconceptions. Following are some yoga concepts that you should never believe.
Fact: Yoga is a complete science-backed system. Many people describe this as a gentle workout. However, this is not true. There are various forms of yoga which can help treating disease, and even build muscle. Overall, regular practicing can build your body strength.
Fact: Funny, isn't it? Yoga is for all. There is no discrimination for doing yoga based on gender. However, there are several forms of yoga which are specially designed for women.
Fact: Many people believe that yoga can never help in building muscle, but, few research studies have confirmed that yoga can build strong body muscles. The best part about yoga is you can utilise a very little space to build strong muscular and flexible body. Some of the strength-building yoga steps are Tree Pose, Warrior Pose, Horse Pose, Boat Pose, Side Plank, and Handstand.
Fact: No, not at all! Yoga can make your body more flexible. This concept might have come after looking at those influencers on social media. You might feel doing complicated yoga is a daunting task. However, it is not. It needs little bit practice and patience. Even if you are not flexible at the beginning, regular practice can make you that.
Fact: This is probably the funniest misconception among all. Performing yoga is not at all costly. You just need to buy yoga mat and comfortable dress. That's all! You may take classes from trainers or get learning tips from various apps.
Fact: This is probably the worst mistake if you are not following the breathing techniques properly. A lot is dependent on breathing. Thus, it becomes tough to follow for a beginner. This is not an optional thing, breathing techniques are purely scientific and mandatory. As yoga is all about the union of body, mind and soul, breathing plays a crucial role in achieving that.
Fact: Undoubtedly, Yoga is one of the best forms of building your core strength, body awareness, as well as muscle activation. The purpose of strength training varies from people to people. Majority if them, want to keep their body in a good working condition. So, it's not only about streching, it's beyond that.
So, don't believe on these misconceptions and perform yoga regularly.