If youve done your downward dog yoga pose today, youre probably feeling more relaxed. Regardless of your level of yoga expertise, if youre practicing regularly, you can feel better from head to toe.

Yoga offers physical and mental health benefits for people of all ages. And, if youre going through an illness, recovering from surgery or living with a chronic condition, yoga can become an integral part of your treatment and potentially hasten healing.

A yoga therapist can work with patients and put together individualized plans that work together with their medical and surgical therapies. That way, yoga can support the healing process and help the person experience symptoms with more centeredness and less distress.

Slow movements and deep breathing increase blood flow and warm up muscles, while holding a pose can build strength.

Try it:Tree PoseBalance on one foot, while holding the other foot to your calf or above the knee (but never on the knee) at a right angle. Try to focus on one spot in front of you, while you balance for one minute.

Yoga is as good as basic stretching for easing pain and improving mobility in people with lower back pain. The American College of Physicians recommends yoga as a first-line treatment for chronic low back pain.

Try it:Cat-Cow PoseGet on all fours, placing your palms underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. First, inhale, as you let your stomach drop down toward the floor. Then, exhale, as you draw your navel toward your spine, arching your spine like a cat stretching.

Gentle yoga has been shown to ease some of the discomfort of tender, swollen joints for people with arthritis, according toa Johns Hopkins review of 11 recent studies.

Regular yoga practice may reduce levels of stress and body-wide inflammation, contributing tohealthier hearts.Several of the factors contributing to heart disease, including high blood pressure and excess weight, can also be addressed through yoga.

Try it:Downward Dog PoseGet on all fours, then tuck your toes under and bring your sitting bones up, so that you make a triangle shape. Keep a slight bend in your knees, while lengthening your spine and tailbone.

Research showsthat a consistent bedtime yoga routine can help you get in the right mindset and prepare your body to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Try It:Legs-Up-the-Wall PoseSit with your left side against a wall, then gently turn right and lift your legs up to rest against the wall, keeping your back on the floor and your sitting bones close to the wall. You can remain in this position for 5 to 15 minutes.

You may feel increased mental and physical energy, a boost in alertness and enthusiasm, and fewer negative feelings after getting into a routine of practicing yoga.

According to the National Institutes of Health, scientific evidence shows that yoga supports stress management, mental health, mindfulness, healthy eating, weight loss and quality sleep.

Try It:Corpse Pose (Savasana)Lie down with your limbs gently stretched out, away from the body, with your palms facing up. Try to clear your mind while breathing deeply. You can hold this pose for 5 to 15 minutes.

Participating in yoga classes can ease loneliness and provide an environment for group healing and support. Even during one-on-one sessions loneliness is reduced as one is acknowledged as a unique individual, being listened to and participating in the creation of a personalized yoga plan.

The U.S. military, the National Institutes of Health and other large organizations are listening to and incorporating scientific validation of yogas value in health care.

Numerous studies show yogas benefits in arthritis, osteopenia, balance issues, oncology, womens health, chronic pain and other specialties.

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9 Benefits of Yoga | Johns Hopkins Medicine

About 35 participants found out for themselves Sunday in Schon Park in Glen Carbon. A section of grass in the park's north end was cordoned off with an electric fence, and the goats were placed within while participants registered.

Anna Evans, of Alhambra, owns the goats with her husband. She registered participants and explained the rules to them, telling them that, for the next hour, to focus on themselves and consider the goats a form of "animal therapy."

After a quick prayer and a pep talk, she had advice for the group: put their hair up and leave their purses, jackets and shoes outside of the fence. She also asked if anyone had expensive yoga mats, because the goats may void themselves on the mats. A couple of people raised their hands, so she let them borrow cheaper substitutes. She also mentioned the goats like to snatch straws, sunglasses and earrings.

Before entering the pen, Evans told the group the goats' collective mood varies. They may be excited; they may be blas. On Sunday, the general goat mood appeared to be famished, as grazing and dining on pellet food were highlights.

Evans said she got the idea for goat yoga after attending a Columbia, Missouri, session in April 2021. On her way home, she texted her husband about it, telling him that was the first time in her life she was actually calm and composed for an hour.

She wanted to set up her own goat yoga class; he told her she was crazy. However, he secretly began researching it. Three months later, Goat Yoga of Southern Illinois kicked off (pun intended).

The couple own 29 Nigerian Dwarf Goats and brought 17 of them to Sunday's classes, one at 10 a.m. and the other at 11:45 a.m. She advised the group that two of 17 are "fainters," and she identified them by their colors and markings.

"They usually don't faint in a class but sometimes when someone pops out a mat, they'll faint," Evans said. "They come back, I promise."

The goats are not pets and, as such, are not subtle. They cough, belch, burp, urinate and defecate with no regard for what their temporary human companions think.

"They will pee and poop but pray for poop," Evans advised. "[Goat] pee is much more obnoxious."

She thanked the group for coming and ask if anyone had done goat yoga before; a few people raised their hands. Evans said this hour-long class is a no-judgement zone and if they felt like moving beyond a beginners' class or not doing any yoga moves, that's fine.

Surprisingly, Evans does not lead the classes. That task is handled by Simone de Villiers Meszaros who reiterated that the class was a beginners' class and, unlike one inside a building, is fairly unstructured and moves at a slower pace.

She said the feedback has been amazing over the past 15 months.

"Most of our classes have sold out," she said. "We've had nurses and military members that have had a hell of a time since COVID and they just need a break; they come in and let it all go."

She has a few more outdoor sessions scheduled through the end of this month, with possibly one planned in early November for Maryville, weather-permitting, but that will end the outdoor season for 2022. The next outdoor yoga sessions will not take place until at least mid-March 2023, again weather-permitting. Sometimes, there are winter classes indoors at the barn at Willoughby Farm in Collinsville or at the Hidden Lake Winery in Aviston, she said.

For more information on classes, visit Goat Yoga of Southern Illinois on Facebook.

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Couple from Alhambra provides goats to enhance outdoor yoga classes at Schon Park in Glen Carbon - The Edwardsville Intelligencer

Recently, I found myself on the floor of a well-appointed outdoor yoga studio in a trendy neighborhood of Los Angeles, panting as I contorted myself into what seemed like the hundredth in a series of chaturangas that wouldnt end. Everything ached, my face was bright red, and sweat dripped off my forehead onto the spare mat Id borrowed from my friend. Instead of losing myself in the act of physical movement, I was sharply aware of the seconds ticking by, wondering how many minutes it would take before the classand my distinct sensation of failurewould be over.

Theres nothing inherently wrong with sweating in a yoga class, although Ive chosen to move on from the timeworn if you dont sweat, its not exercise maxim. (Low-impact workouts are good for you!) The thing was, I was caught off-guard. That yoga class was my first in-person class since roughly November of 2019; Id gone to in-person yoga classes around Brooklyn fairly regularly in the Before Times, but the pandemic put an end to that. When the idea of in-person group exercise became feasible again, I still didnt want to do itby then, I was living in Austin, Texas, where cases were still frequently rising, and it never really seemed like a good time for me to begin sweating indoors with a bunch of other people again.

Over the past three years, Ive gotten used to doing yoga at home my own way, which tends to mean I strip down (why bother with a pinch-y sports bra or constricting yoga pants when its just me?), throw on a video (always the same one: Beginners Yoga with Adriene), shake out my mat (or, in a pinch, a towel) and work my way through the twenty-minute sequence with relative ease. My arms still tend to shake in downward dog, and I cant always stretch as fluidly as I want to, but even someone as physically self-critical as I am can see how much more comfortable Ive gotten with this yoga routine over the years.

Doing the at-home Yoga with Adriene video once or twice a week for so longat home, naked, often a little stoned, in hotel rooms and Airbnbs, alone and on trips with friends, to stretch after a long hike or to inject a little movement into an otherwise still dayhas, without my noticing, caused me to completely rewrite my relationship with yoga. When I went to classes before the pandemic, I was turned outward, constantly comparing my own form to those of the people around me; now, I think of yoga as something more personal, something I do to stretch the muscles in my legs and breathe a little deeper and remind myself that I have a body (which, as someone who lives with binge eating disorder, is something I tend to need reminding of now and again).

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My First In-Person Yoga Class Since 2019 Was AwfulAnd Maybe Thats Okay - Vogue

Parenting can be a tricky thing. While some learn with the way we tell them, some like to watch their parents do it and then learn. Gul Panags son Nihal is one of the kids who watches, observes and them learns. Gul Panag, who is a fitness enthusiast with many activities to her name, loves to include her son in her fitness expeditions as well. The actor loves her fitness routines with her son be it having a morning run behind Nihals tricycle or going for a cycling expedition in Ladakh. The actor is a strict follower of her own fitness routine and keeps sharing snippets from her fitness journey on her Instagram profile in order to motivate her fans to take up the same. Gul swears by high intensity workouts, cycling and yoga, and is often seen merging them to create a power-packed routine for herself to burn mega calories and stay in shape.

ALSO READ: Spirits high: Inside Gul Panags cycling expedition to Ladakh

Gul, a day back, shared a set of pictures from her weekend fitness routine and that is giving us all the fitness inspo we need to get on our fitness journey right away, and also include our kids, while at it. The actor, in the pictures, can be seen positioned in the Wheel Pose, with little Nihal practising the same beside his mother. With the lush greenery in the backdrop, the mother-son duo can be seen taking on their workout routine in the lap of nature. In the second picture from the set, Nihal can be seen inspecting his mamas yoga routine while being under her back. They do as you do. Not as you say, Gul shared a parenting hack with her Instagram family with the pictures.

The Wheel Pose, also known as Chakrasana, comes with multiple health benefits. It helps in strengthening the arms, legs, spine, and abdomen. It also helps in stretching the shoulders and the core muscles. Regular practice of Chakrasana also helps in opening the chest and increasing flexibility in the spine.

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Gul Panag performing yoga with son Nihal is the cutest fitness inspo ever - Hindustan Times

The Yoga Wheel Pose is a challenging asana. Its a great way to open up the chest while strengthening the arms, legs, and core. Yoga Wheel Pose is also a good way alleviate pressure in the lower back or spine.

Are you ready for a wheel-y rad yoga pose to add to your practice? Enter: Wheel Pose (aka Upward Facing Bow Pose or Urdhva Dhanurasana). This challenging asana is great for strengthening your arms, legs, and and abs. It also has some impressive perks for your spine and back.

Heres a step-by-step guide on how to do the Wheel Pose, plus variations for beginners.

The Wheel Pose isnt normally considered beginner-friendly. So, take it easy and focus on proper form at every step. Heres how you do it:

Pro tip: Keep your outer thighs firm and turn your upper thighs inward as you lift. Also, be careful not to put stress on your neck.

Wheel Pose is a yoga asana (aka position). The yoga wheel is a hollow circular aid used for stretching and working on flexibility.

Heres how you can modify Wheel Pose to make it easier or more difficult.

If youre almost able to pull off a wheel pose but you need to cheat just a little youre in luck. Here are a few ways to make Wheel Pose a bit more beginner-friendly:

Once youve mastered the basic Wheel, there are lots of fun ways to make it more challenging. Here are some tips for advanced yogis:

Yoga offers beaucoup benefits for your mind and body. Wheel Pose might help:

You should always be safety conscious when practicing yoga. But a back-bending asana like Wheel Pose requires extra awareness. Here are some tips to help you prevent ouchies:

Youre prob not going to nail the wheel pose on your first day as a yogi. And thats OK! Here are six beginner-friendly asanas that offer similar perks.

GIF by Dima Bazak

Balasana, or childs pose, is a nice easy beginner yoga position. Its ideal for warming up, even if youre a complete noob:

GIF by Dima Bazak

Bhujangasana is a solid beginners backbend and an ideal gateway into yoga. Even regulars might want to polish their cobra. Heres how:

GIF by Dima Bazak.

Say hi to Setu Bandhasana. Its great for spine extension and activating your core:

GIF by Active Body. Creative Mind.

Ustrasana is a little more advanced, but its a good way to get yourself ready for the wheel pose:

Gif by Dima Bazak

Dhanurasana continues to step things up; another back bend that also works your chest:

GIF by Active Body. Creative Mind.

Lets round off with Catur Svanasana, a souped-up version of the downward dog thats sure to push the limits of your back extension:

Wheel pose is a challenging yoga move in its own right that pushes flexibility in the chest and back. An intermediate pose, its a fantastic gateway to some advanced positions. Just be sure to take your time and dont push past your limits. The moves (and their benefits) will open up when theyre ready to happen naturally.

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Yoga Wheel Pose: How To, Variations, and Alternatives - Greatist

If youre looking for a different type of experience on your yoga mat, you might want to give yin yoga a try. Unlike the fast-paced flow of power or vinyasa yoga, yin is all about slowing down, taking deep breaths, and holding poses for much longer than youre used to.

You can think of yin yoga as a passive type of practice, says Brandt Passalacqua, the founder, director, and lead teacher at Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy. The goal is to hold each pose, or asana, for three to five minutes and sometimes even longer. The extended time in the poses helps you stretch the connective tissues in your body, he says, like your ligaments, fascia, tendons, and joints.

Yin yoga is all about getting into the nooks and crannies of your body, which is why it focuses on bendy poses that work your joints through their full range of motion, like your spine, sacrum, hips, pelvis, or knees, Passalacqua says. A typical class includes staple moves like childs pose, butterfly, frog, pigeon basically all the best deep, stretchy asanas that you can perform while sitting or lying down.

Theres also a meditative aspect to yin yoga. You can expect to learn how to incorporate deep inhales and exhales while practicing these poses, Passalacqua tells Bustle. You might even do a guided meditation, he adds, which involves narrowing your concentration to the present moment or a single object or task, and experiencing it fully. Sounds relaxing, right?

Below, instructors break down everything you need to know about yin yoga and its benefits.

Whether you take a yin yoga class in person or online, you should go into it knowing that youre about to hold each pose for whatll probably feel like forever. According to Kate Lombardo, the yoga director at YogaRenew Teacher Training, youll spend some time getting ready to hold the poses before slowly moving through each one.

By giving yourself time to settle into each posture, it allows you to fully tap into and release all the layers of tightness in your body, she tells Bustle. While itll likely feel relaxing once you start to loosen up, dont be surprised if you feel tight or stiff at first. These are restful poses, but at the same time very engaging, so you may find yourself struggling to hold them for the first couple of times, Lombardo says.

Yin yoga teachers often recommend using a prop, Lombard adds, like a yoga block or blanket, so that its easier to find and hold a comfortable position. Finagle a block or towel into the right spot and you should be able to release a little deeper into the stretch and feel much better doing so.

Along with the poses listed above, Lombardo says you might also do a reclined butterfly, a supported fish pose, a dragonfly pose, saddle pose, caterpillar pose, and a legs-up-the-wall pose. And, of course, youll also do savasana, she says, aka the corpse pose where you fully relax on your back to soak up the practice. Depending on your teacher, you may also be led through a guided meditation as you move, as well as lots of deep breathing.

One of the main benefits of yin yoga is the way it effectively stretches your connective tissues, which are prone to stiffness. By holding deeper stretches, you can actually strengthen these tissues, Passalacqua says. This improves flexibility and reduces aches, pains, and stiffness in your joints.

By breathing deeply throughout your practice, you can also stimulate blood flow and improve your circulation, Passalacqua says. This is another reason why youre likely to leave class feeling a little less achy and in pain, and its why its a style of yoga recommended to those with arthritis, lower back pain, sciatica, and other similar conditions.

Of course, its easy to see how the low, slow, meditative nature of yin yoga would make it an amazing stress buster, Passalacqua notes. This type of yoga in particular is known to reduce stress, anxiety, and even depression, he says. Another perk is the boost in mental fortitude that comes from holding a pose for a lengthy period of time.

It gives you practice with leaning into discomfort rather than backing away, and helps you learn to breathe through it until you find a sense of ease on the other side, Lombardo says. It exemplifies that all moments, no matter how challenging they may be, are temporary and that you have the ability to face whatever it is that comes your way.

Those who are seeking a slower-paced, more relaxing type of yoga to help them de-stress would find yin yoga particularly appealing, Passalacqua says. Its also a great complement to fast-paced yang styles of yoga, like ashtanga, vinyasa, and power yoga, if youre looking to switch things up throughout your workout week.

To get the most benefit from yin yoga, Passalacqua recommends practicing it anywhere from once a week to once per day, depending on your needs. You always want to be careful about overdoing it with any type of exercising or stretching, he says. But because it is a more slow-paced and relaxing style of yoga, it can often be easier and safer to incorporate on a more frequent basis.

Studies referenced:

Berrueta, L. (2016). STRETCHING IMPACTS INFLAMMATION RESOLUTION IN CONNECTIVE TISSUE. Journal of cellular physiology, 231(7), 1621. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcp.25263

Daukantait, D. (2018). Five-week yin yoga-based interventions decreased plasma adrenomedullin and increased psychological health in stressed adults: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200518.

Russo, M. A. (2017). The physiological effects of slow breathing in the healthy human. Breathe, 13(4), 298-309. https://doi.org/10.1183/20734735.009817

Woodyard, C. (2011). Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life. Int J Yoga. doi: 10.4103/0973-6131.85485.

Sources:

Brandt Passalacqua, founder, director, and lead teacher at Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy

Kate Lombardo, yoga director at YogaRenew Teacher Training

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Yin Yoga's Benefits Prove The Practice Is Both Chill & Effective - Bustle

Sir Paul McCartney takes yoga to a different level with his breath-taking post displaying his yoga abilities and making it look effortless.

Recently, Paul took to Instagram Friday to showcase his incredible flexibility, nailing a headstand which he made look super easy as he lifted both of her legs using her core strength, with not a wobble or fall in sight.

The Beatles legend, 80, showcased the impressive move while claiming it was his 'show-off moment' when working out at the gym.

In the snap, the singer used a yoga mat for comfort and was joined by his Old English Sheepdog Rose, who looked on unimpressed.

The rocker donned a white t-shirt for the work out which he teamed with dark shorts and colourful Nike trainers.

He wrote: 'The headstand is my show-off moment when I'm in the gym... I was once told by a yoga teacher that it keeps you young.

But this isn't the first time the singer has posted a jaw-dropping yoga post either; In August the Hey Jude hitmaker shared a snap of himself in another yoga pose alongside his late brother-in-law, who died from cancer.

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Paul McCartney is taking yoga to the next level in jaw-dropping post - The News International

In a recent Dark Devotional for Sick Pilgrim, I commented on how Catholic Answers, where I worked for two decades as a staff apologist, seems to be busying itself with re-creating all of the content Id contributed over the years I worked there and that they have since chosen to scrub from their site.

After that devotional was published, I wondered if I had perhaps overreacted. Perhaps I was reading too much into an innocent string of entirely isolated coincidences, I thought. I went back and re-read what Id written several times, wondering if I should ask the editors to remove it from the blog after all.

Despite my feelings about Catholic Answers, I have no desire to be unfair to them.

Then I received a promotional email spotlighting a new essay on Catholic Answers web site. After clearing my throat of the tea that suddenly went down the wrong pipe, I went back and re-read what Id written for Sick Pilgrim earlier that month.

At first I thought it was a coincidence when some of the saints I wrote about got new treatments. After all, the lives of say, St. Valentine and St. Maria Goretti, can be inspiration for many writers. Then other topics started to recur. Still, I reminded myself that Im not the only person with something to say about how conversion can be painful.

Nonetheless, the other day I blinked when I saw that the apostolates pro-life guru re-created a response to a science-fiction novelists thought experiment of a few years ago, in which the writer asked pro-lifers whether theyd save a small child or a canister of embryos from a fire. My original response had been written not long after the writers Twitter thread exploded on social media, bringing claims that hed silenced pro-lifers with an unanswerable argument. The essay I wrote was one of the most well-received essays I wrote for Catholic Answers and plugged a necessary hole in the apostolates resources.

This time, theyd published an article on whether Catholics should take up yoga.

The Catholic Answers article for which Im best known is The Trouble with Yoga. It ran in the print magazine in 2012 and was re-published to the web site. At the time, there was an almost complete absence of mainstream Catholic analysis of yoga and how the Church viewed Christian participation. What small notice had been taken of yoga in Catholic circles came mainly from Johnnette Benkovics Women of Grace, and their take relied heavily on Fundamentalist Protestant demagoguery linking yoga to devil worship.

Writing the article was difficult for me. Other than some stretching in front of a television to a yoga DVD, I didnt have direct experience with yoga. I had to research the topic extensively. In learning about yoga and determining what the Church thought about Eastern spirituality, I drew upon books written about yoga by practitioners and from Church documents such as the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Congregation (now Dicastery) for the Doctrine of the Faiths Some Aspects of Christian Meditation, and the Vatican II document Nostra Aetate. Since I dont have formal training in philosophy, I discussed the philosophical aspects I needed to cover with my director, Tim Staples. Jimmy Akin, Catholic Answers senior apologist, read and commented on the first draft. Akins suggestions were incorporated into the final draft.

In case anyone might think the article was just an emotional outburst from an unqualified female apologist.

After its publication, the article was circulated widely on the Internet. Not only was it consistently recommended in Catholic online discussions of yoga, but it was cited as an orthodox expression of Church teaching on the subject in books and even in court documents. When commenting to Facebook friends on yet another citation Id found in a book, I once joked that if Im ever canonized Ill be named the patron saint of yoga.

So, naturally, the loss of that article left a hole that had to be filled in Catholic Answers apologetics offerings.

I wasnt surprised that the apostolate chose to feature a new article on yoga. Hey, bitter as I am, I do recognize that its a topic Catholics ask about. If my oeuvre had to be flushed down the memory hole (which I dispute, but what was done was done), and if the question is still being asked, then its not unreasonable to tap someone else to provide an answer.

Lets take a look at the New and Improved Catholic Answers Apologetics Answer to Yoga then, shall we?

The essay was written by Alexander Frank, whose biography stated that he converted to the Catholic faith in 2019 from Kashmiri Shaivism, a sophisticated form of yoga. He converted to Catholicism from yoga?

I did a quick skim of Kashmiri Shaivism, which I will admit Id never heard of before reading Mr. Franks bio. According to Professor Wikipediaa tenured but doddering veteran of academia, who can be helpful but not entirely trustedKS, as Ill call it to guard against typos, encompasses both a philosophy and a yogic practice. Not being at all familiar with KS, I cant critique it, but will simply a raise question mark over the idea of converting from a spiritual/physical exercise to a religious tradition. In doing so, Frank seemed to suggest that his preferred form of yoga (there are many) is itself a religion.

And, for the hell of it, Ill point out that Mr. Frank didnt bother to distinguish between his favorite form of yoga and other yogic disciplines in his essay.

Moving on, Frank restated his credentials as a reformed yoga guru at the top of his essay, just so you know he has Experience on his side. Of course, Experience isnt always the most reliable teacher. In Shedding Baggage, another of my essays since scrubbed from Catholic Answers web site, I noted that sometimes Experience can create bias that makes the expert incapable of objectivity. Catholics may remember the Harry Potter brouhaha of the early aughts. A startling number of the Christian (and Catholic) writers blasting J.K. Rowlings fantasy series as satanic occultism were themselves converts from the occult who fancied themselves Experts on literary fantasy magic because of their experience with witchcraft and the New Age.

Space prevents me from taking apart this essay line by line, however entertaining that might be, so Ill limit myself to a few observations on the differences between my 2012 essay on yoga and this new Catholic Answers Answer.

Bodily postures. Frank and I both discussed the controversy over whether moving the body into certain poses involves the practitioner in forms of non-Christian worship. Frank suggested that postures have specific intrinsic meaning and that they aim to awaken kundalini, energies of the soul, associated with the Hindu gods.

In my own essay, I wrote, This assertion shades into superstition, ascribing magical effects to a physical action based solely upon its external performance (cf. CCC 2111) and used the example of the Christian prayer posture of kneeling to distinguish between action and intention. A kneeler could be praying, yes. Or he could be weeding his garden, rooting for lost change under the sofa, or proposing marriage. Many of the postures in yoga are complicated and hard to imagine having other uses. But Tadasana, commonly called Mountain pose, looks very similar to an officer standing at attention. Whats the major difference? The yoga practitioner is moving his body into alignment from the top of the head to the heels of the feet. The officer is awaiting orders.

My description of Tadasanas purpose is rather vanilla compared to Franks descriptions of the poses he chose to spotlight. Warrior pose imitate[s] the sequence of the murder [of Shivas father-in-law]. Two poses Frank doesnt otherwise describe were named for Hindu gods, Frank said, and they used their occult powers to commit theft, adultery, fraud, rape by deceit, corpse desecration, the murder of Matsyendras son, and cross-dressing. He said Goddess pose invokes the dark goddess Kali, known for making clothes out of the body parts of slain enemies. Yoga devotees sacrifice children to her in India to this day.

Gee. And I thought Women of Graces critique from back in the day was overwrought.

Prayer techniques. One of the significant critiques I offered about yoga and its compatibility with Christian spirituality was that its a technique used to bring the practitioner into contact with the divine. I quoted the Doctrine for the Faiths Aspects document, which noted that Christian prayer flees from impersonal techniques or from concentrating on oneself. I also commented, For the Christian, prayer is an unmerited gift. There is effort involved, but no specific technique will ensure us a productive result.

Meanwhile, Frank contended that yoga turns its practitioners into idol worshippers, even devil worshippers. If you think Im exaggerating, well, take the floor, Mr. Frank.

It should be uncontroversial to say that the system that gave rise to yoga, including the poses, honors Hindu gods and aims to spiritually yoke the practitioner to them. Meanwhile, Scripture tells us that all the gods of the Gentiles are idols (Ps. 96:5older translations read devils instead of idols), and the Church takes a strong stance against idolatry (Exod. 20:1-4; CCC 2110). It is unlikely that many Catholics would rush to a gym to perform the Baal lunge, yet the idols or devils of Hindu spiritual practice get a shrug of the shoulders.

Respect for non-Christian religions. Which leads us right into my final point. When writing my article, one of the highest concerns I had was to correct for a certain disrespect for non-Christians that Catholic critics of yoga had picked up from Fundamentalist Protestant controversialists. Since Vatican II, the Church has been very measured in its critique of non-Christian religions, always seeking to show respect for persons, even while offering explanations of doctrinal differences. Popes and bishops have taken their cue from Nostra Aetate, the Councils document on the Churchs relationship with non-Christian religions.

In Nostra Aetate, the Council said of Hinduism: Men contemplate the divine mystery and express it through an inexhaustible abundance of myths and through searching philosophical inquiry. They seek freedom from the anguish of our human condition either through ascetical practices or profound meditation or a flight to God with love and trust (NA 2).

This used to be the approach Catholic Answers took in explaining and promoting the Catholic faith. While defending Catholic distinctives, staff apologists were expected to be temperate in their critique of non-Catholics. The apostolate prided itself on giving well-researched answers in a calm, gentle fashion, free of demagoguery. Whether we always succeeded is up for debate, but that was the goal.

These days, Catholic Answers prefers to allow its writers to describe followers of a major world religion as honoring murderous gods, to warn ominously of opening ourselves up to yogas spiritual beliefs, to engage in demagoguery by recounting gruesome details of Hindu legends.*

If this is what Catholic apologetics has become, perhaps its just as well that Catholic apologetics is no longer my day job.

=====

*See the footnote in Alexander Franks essay. I can only suppose Mr. Frank, as a baby convert, has yet to familiarize himself with some of the gruesome details of Catholic hagiography, such as saints murdering their spouses killers, confiscating the property of non-Christians, and acting as satanic priests. Not to mention the martyrs who were skinned, shot full of arrows, had their eyes plucked out, their hands mutilated, and their breasts chopped off.

(Image: Woman sitting, meditating; iStock / Used with license.)

Excerpt from:
Catholic Answers and the Trouble with Yoga - Patheos

Asanas used in yoga can improve balance, increase physical flexibility and deliver a wide range of health benefits. (PHOTO: Arab News)

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia The Saudi Yoga Committee, in cooperation with the Saudi Universities Sports Federation (SUSF), on Monday organized a virtual introductory lecture for all university representatives across the Kingdom, according to reports.

The initiative under the title Yoga for University Students of Both Genders attempts to spread awareness and motivate its practice as a lifestyle for all segments of society.

The event coincided with the arrival of the first yoga delegation to the Kingdom from the Asian Yogasana Sports Federation in India for the qualification course for the first Saudi batch of Yoga Referees, as Saudi Gazette wrote.

The course is hosted by the Ministry of Sports in cooperation with the Saudi Yoga Committee to train Saudi yoga referees in the Kingdom.

Introducing yoga and yogasana to Saudi universities as an added campuses practice, the lecture aimed to strengthen students mental and physical health, providing advanced and professional level training to prepare youth for local and international competition.

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It also shed the light on the system of professional yogasana competitions within the university sports and the university league, as local media wrote. The lecture motivated the youth to join sustainable and professional yoga training.

According to the report, the lecture included several main axes, including the most important of which are the definition and basics of traditional yoga, and the benefits of yoga for health and physical well-being in the youth years.

Nouf Almarwaai, President of the Saudi Yoga Committee, explained that the committee seeks to achieve its vision of spreading yoga on a large scale within Saudi society, providing youths the opportunity to nurture physical and mental health.

She added that the committee seeks to increase the number of practitioners and build yoga teams that participate in local and regional yoga championships. The Kingdom excels at the Arab level in yoga, and citizens and residents practice it and at the same time teach yoga as a profession.

See the article here:
SYC Introduces Yoga to Saudi Universities - The Khaama Press News Agency - The Khaama Press News Agency

Whenever someone worked overtime, it was common to hear beaming superiors react by showering the person with compliments about his willingness to sacrifice his personal time, and lauding him for his positive work ethic.

On the flipside, it was rare to hear of bosses who encourage me and my colleagues to take more days off, even after periods of immensely high workload.

That was the situation four years ago when I first started work providing patient care in the healthcare sector.

Over time, I realised it has become ingrained in me that someone who prioritises work and continues to work beyond normal working hours is considered a good worker.

Although the work is meaningful, what drained my soul and increased my levels of stress and irritability was the fact that I had to work on most weekends, as well as the 28-hour overnight calls that are common in the industry.

To make things worse, I do not own a separate work phone and use the same contact number for both personal and work uses, which has become a constant regret.

There were many occasions when I had to attend to a question about work from a colleague late at night, probing for clarity on patients conditions and plans. This sometimes interrupted the rest that I needed to recharge for the next day.

I cant count the number of nightmares that Ive had involving myself swamped with many patients waiting to be admitted, only to wake up while drenched in cold sweat.

Working to the bone in such a way, I unknowingly began to neglect myself as well as my social relationships, and my physical and mental health suffered.

Initially, I coped by bottling up my feelings, since many other colleagues are working just as hard as me, with working hours as long as mine. I felt that I should not complain about the situation which I could not change.

But occasionally, I would rant about my exhaustion to my friends, especially those who were patient enough to lend a listening ear.

At that point, the mental and physical drain made me feel that I was probably burnt out. I felt like a candle melting under the immense workload and hours placed on me, with no hope of putting out the fire.

Some of my friends noticed it too when I missed certain gatherings that I used to join. I was in no mood to go out and have fun.

What changed for me was when I came across a speech by Kevin OLeary, a Canadian businessman and panellist on the television show Shark Tank. It was called Why I Dont Believe in Hiring Workaholics, which he posted onto his Facebook.

According to OLeary, the life of a workaholic leads to burnout. This is why he always asks someone what he or she does in their spare time before hiring them, because successful people need a balanced life to work optimally.

I was surprised at first that a capitalist and investor like him would value work-life balance over sheer hard work, but I began to understand why self-care was so important to reach success.

With a newfound understanding of the perils of a workaholic life, I began to try to find a balance in my life from May to August.

One of my friends, who is passionate about the concept of mindfulness, recommended me to try yoga as a way to find wellness and balance in both mind and body.

Some of my other close friends, on the other hand, did not believe that I could stick to a yoga routine, as they thought my fast-paced lifestyle was simply antithetical to a yogic life.

Not knowing how yoga could help me, I was nevertheless determined to put in effort to turn my burnout around and seek a more mindful lifestyle.

I was quickly drawn to aerial yoga after some research, due to its visual appeal and diverse shapes. This is a form of yoga that uses fabrics suspended in air to perform yoga routines.

For over two months, I trained and practised doing backbends, poses, inversions and drops from a silk fabric or a trapeze. Sometimes, I even did back-to-back classes on the same day.

Once I started, there was no turning back.

Although I was initially a sceptic, I started to discover several life lessons from my yoga classes.

For example, aerial hanging postures, such as the Inverted Buddha pose, showed me how to attain a sense of healing and inner peace as the action of dangling upside down somehow calmed and cleared my mind.

My theory is that because such a posture encouraged me to not focus my surroundings, lest I lose my balance. Instead, I would close my eyes, focus on myself as well as every breath I took.

It was a revelation that I needed, at a time when I was so concerned about how people might frown upon the burnout and exhaustion I was undergoing.

This introspection has allowed me to have a better relationship with myself, as well as engage in more positive self-talk instead of being distracted by the cacophony of the outside world.

I was also taught another heartstopping yoga move, which involves falling some distance after releasing my grip on the fabric, and allowing the fabric to catch me safely later on.

Known as the Goddess Drop, this routine taught me to let go instead of attempting to over-control parts of my life that are less than perfect. I didnt need to always be in control of every little thing, but to let life take its course instead.

If I was less prepared for a conference presentation at work for example, thanks to the Goddess Drop, I now adopt a better done than perfect perspective, rather than fault myself for not achieving the epitome of perfection.

Most importantly, aerial yoga taught me that it is perfectly fine to make myself a priority.

I learnt that taking care of ones health is paramount. As the saying goes, we cannot pour from an empty cup.

While work is important, I now realise that overworking is shortsighted and leads to deep-seated unhappiness and an unhealthy body.

In the future, I hope to continue to strike a mindful balance between work and life, and perhaps take up aerial yoga teacher training, explore new routines and postures in an enjoyable way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alvona Loh Zi Hui is a junior doctor who works at a public hospital in Singapore.

Read more from the original source:
Gen Y Speaks: Burnt out and stressed, I turned to yoga to stretch away my workaholic life - TODAY