Now is a stressful time and many of us are unsure how to handle these emotions. We may be using unhealthy coping mechanisms to find ways to help ourselves. This only creates further decrease in ability to stay confident and healthy during quarantine.
Now is the time to take care of our minds and bodies. Yoga and Tai Chi are two forms of body sequences that will help in our mental concentration. The mind-body connection creates an inner sense of peace and clarity. You can do it from wherever you are, anytime. Starting these habits during quarantine will solidify this stress-reducer into your life. After time to keep these habits in your routine, they will be part of your meditative life to build upon peace and clarity. Gratitude for being alive.
Yoga
“Exercises are like prose, whereas yoga is the poetry of movements. Once you understand the grammar of yoga; you can write your poetry of movements.” ― Yoga and Vipassana: An Integrated Life Style
Yoga’s philosophy comes from Hinduism. “Atman”, belief in the soul. Living creates have a soul and all part of the supreme soul connection. Achieve “Moksha”, salvation. Ends the cycle of rebirth so that you become one soul experiencing many lives and reflections on the universe.
Yoga is very related to meditation and by moving the body and breathe, trying to control your sweat and pain from balancing helps you overcome your pain and gives your the space to think. Thoughts and actions determine your current and future lives (past life reflections?) The om is Sanskrit to make the sacred sound of Om.
It is much different from jogging as you can see.
Some people say they get joggers “high”, but it has not created the same type of quiet reflection time that Yoga does. There is a different type of “high” which comes from intense balance of the muscles and mental focus. Moving and stretching also helps you focus on your inner awareness because the poses represent these
actions. Therefore, you come out relaxed and sretched out and calm with the endorphins to add to it.
“People always ask me, ‘Don’t you lift weights?’” says yoga expert Rodney Yee. “I sort of giggle to myself and say, ‘Yes — I lift my own body weight!’” When you do yoga poses, Yee explains, “You’re putting your body in positions and orientations that you ultimately have to support with your muscles. So you are lifting weights.”Does this guy, Rodney Yee-a yoga instructor who has been practicing for 30 years, look like he is just laying on the floor “stretching”? He has also written two books on Yoga; “Yoga, the Poetry of the Body” and “Moving Towards Balance”. His second book is described as; ” postures, meditation, and breath awareness designed to lead us toward the emotional and physical balance we all crave in life”.
Physical benefits
Could be your own anti-depressant! Being present in the moment can help with many mental illnesses when done along side drug therapy. Even get better sleep! It correlates to the level of GABA, a nerve regulating chemical in the brain that gets increased. This helps with your mood and anxiety/stress.
- increased flexibility
- increase overall heart health
- pumping blood throughout the body to supplying tissues with important nutrients
- lower blood pressure
- reduce insomnia
- increased muscle strength and tone
- improved respiration, energy and vitality
- maintaining a balanced metabolism
- weight reduction
- cardio and circulatory health
- improved athletic performance
- protection from injury
- reduce inflammation as well.
- lower risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer
Mental Benefits
- Body- and self-awareness the most important because it helps you detect other issues within your body and mind
- decrease the secretion of cortisol, the primary stress hormone
- Help cope with mental illness and regulate coping skills
- relieve back or neck pain
- help with sleep
- lower headaches,
- help with drug abuse
- concentration
- reaching a more positive outlook on life
- meditation
- breathing
- improve a person’s mental well-being.
- mental clarity
- calmness
- increases body awareness
- relieves chronic stress patterns
- relaxes the mind
- centers attention
- sharpens concentration
Tai Chi
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” ― Tao Te Ching
Tai Chi, Chinease. Yin and Yang, ‘quan’, means fist. Relation to martial parts because pushing hands (tui shou). Slowly. Martial Arts people think of physical kicking and body contact. Instead, it is slow relaxation and inner calm that is needed during stressful and intense times. It is a type of physical and mental self-defense.
Versions of the universe connecting and intertwining with the 5 elements metal water fire wood and earth. The flow between these, and the organs of the body connect to the universe to make your energy called qu (said like “chee”). Life force. When you have flow between all areas of your qu you can flow better which shows that your mind and body are more balanced and healthy. It is about balancing your energy.
Mental
- improvements in cognition.
- Better sleep
- mental concentration
- Distraction from hectif life
- Mind-body connection
- breathing coordinated with body and hand-eye helps with calm
- inner sense of peace
- creative and physical active way to improve mental and physical response to stress
- More specifically, tai chi may help improve memory and executive functioning skills like paying attention and carrying out complex tasks.
Physical
Regularly practicing tai chi can result in weight loss. One study tracked changes in weight in a group of adults practicing tai chi five times a week for 45 minutes. At the end of the 12 weeks, these adults lost a little over a pound without making any additional lifestyle changes.
When you get good the use of a small amount of energy can stop the high energy of an attacker.
“four ounces can deflect a thousand pounds.”
In addition, if you are doing the basic forms of relaxing Tai Chi it is safe for many people with physical conditions-arthritis, parkinsons, heart disease.
It can also…
- Delay the aging process
- Prolong life
- Increase flexibility
- Strengthens muscles/tendonds
- Lower heart disease risk
- Lower blood pressure
- Lower chnaces of arhritis
- Help with digestive disorders
- Help with skin diseases
Fall related-injuries leading cause of death from injury and disability in older adults. Hip fracture. One-half of all older adults hospitalized for hip fracture never regain former level of function. The slow deliberate movements, shifts of body weight, coordination help with many physical ailments.
- Help with depression
- Lower rates and recovery of cancer and other illnesses
- Reduce chances of falling
- Improve balance
- Icrease walking
- Drecrease cardiovascular disease
- Drecrease diabetes
- Decrease chronic illnesses
- Help with fibromyalgia
Caeli's Words 