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Stress reduction and physical training This yoga fits very well
Some people want to relax with it, others use it for physical exercise: Yoga has also become enormously popular in Germany in recent years. For newcomers it is often not easy to choose the right yoga for them. Some education about the different styles can help.
Mental relaxation or physical training
In recent years, yoga has become increasingly popular in Western countries. Even some kindergarten children relax with yoga. The relaxation exercises are completed to reduce stress or for physical exercise. It is healthy in any case. Yoga is not only recommended for stress, but also for back pain, for headaches or neck tension. In addition, yoga improves concentration and can strengthen the immune system. However, yoga is not the same as yoga. It is often difficult for new entrants to find out which form is better for them. In a message from the news agency dpa is given an overview.
It can take a while to find the individually fitting yoga form. (Image: AntonioDiaz / fotolia.com) Huge offer of different schools
"Yes, the range of yoga schools is large and confusing," said the chief physician at Immanuel Hospital Berlin, Professor Andreas Michalsen. "In practice, however, it is especially important that the teachers observe the body exercises precisely, correct them individually and make sure that there are no bad postures or excessive demands that could lead to injury." Those who are members of the Professional Association of Yoga Teachers in Germany (BDY) or whose course is subsidized by the health insurance companies, guarantee a qualified education. The psychologist Holger Cramer from the Department of Naturopathy and Integrative Medicine at the University of Duisburg-Essen, who researches on yoga, added: "In the case of mental disorders or physical illness, it is also advisable that the teacher has a basic psychological or medical education or at least experience with the respective clinical picture. "
How to find the right course
But the question remains which yoga actually suits one. "That also depends on my needs," says Angelika Beßler, CEO of the BDY. "Do I want to relax in the first place or work on my mobility and gain strength? It is also important to try out whether I am open to the yoga philosophy or would like to limit myself to physical exercises and relaxation techniques. "In addition, pragmatic reasons play a role:" Am I the right time and place for the class, are incense sticks or Indian deities disturbing me as a decoration? To find a suitable course, you have to know what you want or do not want. Here is an overview:
The mother of all forms of yoga
Hatha yoga is the most common form in this country. In the mother of all western yoga styles, the individual positions (asanas) such as dog or cobra are accompanied by a mindful perception of the body. This focus and meditative dimension can be further enhanced by breathing exercises (pranayama) practiced with certain hand postures (mudras) and the singing of syllables (mantras) such as ohms. Great for beginners is the rather gentle Vini Yoga, which adapts the exercises to the needs and abilities of the individual - and not vice versa. "It consists of smaller sequences of body positions that are carried by the breath," explained the yoga teacher Beßler, "therefore Vini yoga is well suited for beginners or physically disabled people. With that, older people can start well too. "
Concentration and endurance
The "Meditation in Action" by the Indian yoga teacher B.K.S Iyengar works a lot with static postures, extensions, twists, regenerative postures and reversal positions. With his method, blocks, straps or pads help to take and feel the positions. This is good for concentration and stamina, among other things. If you prefer to exhaust yourself or are impatient, you should look for more dynamic styles. In the Ashtanga Yoga, the exercise plan is fixed, mobility, strength and energy grow with the continuous practice. However, this method, such as Power Yoga, which also sets the pace for Western music, is not necessarily suitable for patients with musculoskeletal or cardiovascular disease, Cramer warned. Aerial yoga, also called anti-gravity, is a quite spectacular, exotic yoga variation. Their big topic is letting go and trust. Power and agility are trained with yoga postures in a cloth floating from the ceiling. In the Bikram Yoga, 26 different yoga exercises are practiced at room temperatures of 36 to 40 degrees Celsius. In young, healthy people it can increase physical fitness and replace the classic fitness training. "Bikram yoga is rather less suitable for weakened or elderly people because of the increased loss of fluid and hence electrolyte," says Cramer. Another, still very young form is the so-called SUP-Yoga, which is practiced on a floating stand-up paddleboard. Many who have tried it, believe that this yoga in nature has its special appeal on the water. (Ad)