Yoga practice is getting more and more mainstream.  While some may have never tried it because of pre-conceived notions about what it is, many have tried it at least once while others are perfecting their handstand scorpion pose.  For some people, yoga is their main form of exercise and for others (professional athletes like LeBron James, Tom Brady and Victor Cruz), it is just part of the way they keep their entire body in pristine condition.

yoga class

For those familiar with Yoga, it is pretty easy to gather what the obvious benefits of a regular practice include.  Benefits like:

  • Increased flexibility (helping prevent injuries)
  • Improved muscle tone
  • Increased vitality and energy
  • Better circulatory health
  • Stress reduction

But did you know some of these unexpected benefits that can help you personally…and in a meeting:

  • Build your patience (with yourself and others)!
  • Improve your clarity- whether needing better concentration, stimulating your creativity or helping to sharpen your personal intuition…yoga is the way to find your third eye!
  • Decrease the signs of depression- One study shows that it can help lower incidences of depression by up to 50% after three months of steady practice.

yoga poses

Knowing we are in full swing of yoga month, we wanted to highlight some of the amazing challenges out there in case you want to take the next steps beyond unrolling your mat and doing a few cat/cows.

  • Challenge yourself to a 30 day challenge. There are a few resources like DoYouYoga which has a free 30 day challenge with short videos to help.  Or Yoga International offers either a 21-day or 30-day challenge with different levels of commitment.  The purpose of committing to a 30-day challenge is to really commit to yourself.  It is so easy to find the time for others and we tend to put ourselves last.  This simple practice can help shift that mindset and prove how rewarding it is (even if just 10 minutes a day).
  • Do a partner yoga challenge. Whether discovering yoga with a romantic partner or a friend…yoga is sometimes better with two.  It is amazing how partner yoga changes your practice and provides a unique level of support.  The stretches feel different, you find new abilities grow your practice.  This practice also has a unique way of bringing two people closer together (even if it is learning to lean on your office mate in a new way).
  • Push your own yoga practice outside of the yoga studio with these amazing apps gathered by Healthline Magazine:
    • Down Dog (4.9/5 stars): Choose from different yoga instructor (voices) to find the practice that is right for you. The app features more than 30,000 configurations to find just the right choice.
    • Find What Feels Good: Yoga with Adriene (5 starts on iPhone): Adriene is a Austin, TX based yogi who has a huge following in an online yoga community. There are over 100 hours of streaming yoga videos with a variation of intensity and practices to explore.
    • Asana Rebel (4.5 stars) is the perfect app if you want to use Yoga as your form of exercise. This app combines yoga poses with exercise reps…get ready to work!

 

The beauty of yoga is that it is a great practice for people at ALL levels. Some will say that even lying on your mat and practicing your breathing is a perfect yoga practice…sweet, sweet Savasana! Meet Hospitality offers options to incorporate yoga session into your meeting with Meet Breathes. Contact a member of our team to learn more about an outdoor yoga event in midtown at Meet on Broadway.