If you’ve been feeling tight lately, maybe it’s time you took your downward-facing dog for a walk. “I need yoga,” confesses dedicated yogi and instructor Sondra Loring of the Sadhana Center for Yoga and Meditation in Hudson. She describes the body as a metaphor, observing that “when the body is more flexible, the mind is more flexible. And when joints open, when space opens in the body, it can also open in the mind.” To engage your body in the thousands-of-years-old practice of yoga is to connect yourself to the richness of its history and to the vast spaces within and outside of you. From aching joints to overworked brains, many people avoid yoga for the same reasons that should be inspiring them to try it. Cautious and, if necessary, assisted movement through yogic asanas can help alleviate ankle, hip, knee, and shoulder problems. Twisting the body and breathing deeply increases the flow of blood through the organs, helping the body to refresh and heal itself. Attending a class can boost confidence and a sense of community by allowing an individual to feel the motivating energy and unique challenge of participation in a group practice. The benefits of balance, stamina, and (especially) patience are self-evident. As Loring advises, “Yoga can offer tools to help people integrate and live well in an especially difficult time.”
This article appears in November 2008.
