What's New in the World of Yoga:

"The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in."
~ B.K.S. Iyengar

Finding peace with your body can be an arduous journey through self doubt, fear of failure, and the need for acceptance. As a society, we are often unkind and can make narrow-minded assumptions about people who are carrying extra weight. We often hear "Oh, they're just lazy" or "they just can't stop eating."

But the reality is that for people living with added weight, the problem didn't just happen to them overnight. Often, a lack of true self-awareness, as well as a range of deep-seated emotional or physical traumas can play a role in weight gain. Gaining weight can be a gradual occurrence, and many people are adept at self-denial and won't admit that there's a problem until it's out of control.

How can yoga help? For a start, it can boost our self-esteem by giving us a better view of our true selves and nurturing the idea of our body as a sacred temple. Certainly, a regular yoga practice can help tone and elongate stressed muscles, which in turn will enhance agility and flexibility. In general, yoga can also help to stimulate the digestion and enhance the thyroid for improved metabolism and whole body circulation.

But where it truly begins to make a positive difference is at its most basic concept - the balance between mind, body and spirit. As we sit in quiet meditation, listening to the simple act of our breath filling and releasing through our bodies, our mind's eye is turned inward. And from this simple act, we are gifted with the opportunity to reconnect to the possibility of a more positive view of ourselves.

In his book "Peaceful Weight Loss Through Yoga", author Brandt Bhanu Passalacqua offers a personal account of how he practiced yoga in order to find the self-awareness he needed to change his relationship with his body. On his website, Brandt shares his experience with us, saying "Awareness of more subtle aspects of my health and nature continue to reveal themselves to me. A taste of peace can affect your entire self. Developing regular practice gave me that. That is how I lost the weight."

For people who constantly struggle with weight gain, yoga is an excellent way to not only lose weight but also acquire self-esteem and awareness of your mind, body, and spirit.

Updates from the Blog:

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These days, more and more adults are going through the stress of caring for their aging parents. And when their parents suffer from dementia or Alzheimer's, there can be an added stress and strain on the caregiver.
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