benefits of yoga
(Excerpts taken from YOGA For Every Athlete| • “One of the remarkable advantages of yoga is several training tasks can be achieved simultaneously because of the synthesis of mind and body. …Yoga always rejuvenates and re-energizes the body. Keep practicing and you will improve your sports performance and the quality of your life." | • “Because yoga affects both mind and body, learning and practicing yoga will simultaneously achieve several training tasks, ...significant in terms of optimum use of training time. With just ten (10) minutes of your daily training practice, you can achieve an integrated mind-body effect." | |||
| • “One characteristic of yoga exercises is the slow, fluid, harmonious, and controlled movement, and the coordination of movement with the breath, concentration, and body awareness. This requires focus, introspection, experiencing and feeling the muscles.
• “Mind is the master of the senses, and breath is the master of the mind.” |
• “Yoga is the most effective means to accomplishing attention-concentration relaxation (a mental skill) while stretching and warming-up (or cooling down), which increases flexibility and body awareness. Yoga concentration is a “transition” to the concentration required for performance. Incorporating yoga into your cool-down routine will also speed up the recovery process after training or competition." | |||
| • “(An athlete’s) demanding training schedule (not to mention prolonged preparation and extensive competition), puts tremendous pressure on the nervous system. A consistent yoga pracitce will develop the ability to“switch-off” any physical and/or mental stress." | • “Yoga prevents over-training while providing variety and fun in a training program. Yoga balances the training load with “active rest." Yoga restores energy, physical and mental equilibrium and develops the mind-body connection." | |||