Last week I wrote about a Harvard study which reported that “people who practiced yoga improved two markers of frailty — walking speed and the ability to get up from a chair — compared with people who didn't practice yoga.”

Frailty was defined as “a loss of function, strength, stamina, and overall health and fitness that increases the risk of falls, hospitalizations, and early death.”

Now that my brain is starting to recover from COVID fog, I’ve been able to organize my thoughts a bit better. Here is why I believe that yoga, in particular, helps us build and maintain confidence in our body, even as we age, or recover from illness and injury:

Use it or lose it- you know the saying. If you stop doing a certain activity or movement, your ability and confidence to do it declines. Getting up from a chair (or the ground) easily, is a good example. Carrying heavy grocery bags is another.
Mind-body awareness. Yoga is especially good at getting us to bring our awareness to what we feel, mentally and physically. From that awareness we can then choose what we need most in that moment.
Whole body movement. I work to ensure we use as many of the joints, muscles, and connective tissue as possible in each class, which I believe keeps us mobile.
Breath work. Mindful breathing supports our structure, stamina, and mental health.

If you want to practice yoga with me, I provide many options, including group classes or 1-on-1 sessions via Zoom or in-person, and video recordings.

Be Well,

Eva