National Yoga Month

Every month seems to have its theme, and in this case, September is National Yoga Month. It’s also National Coupon Month and Mold Awareness Month, among such other notable events as Labor Day and Patriot Day. But Yoga is likely the only one recognized as an official health observance.

Yoga Month is about much more than Yoga alone. The purpose is to raise awareness about healthy living and taking responsibility for your own health. Yoga is a great way to learn about your body and it also helps reduce stress, increase flexibility, and improve brain function. Plus, anyone who practices yoga or has even taken a single class can tell you it makes you feel good and alert all day. Yoga, as most of us know, aims to unite the mind, body, and spirit.

Yogis view the mind and the body as one, and believe that given the right tools and taken to the right environment; the mind can find harmony and heal itself. This is why Yoga is considered therapeutic. It helps you become more aware of your body’s posture, alignment and patterns of movement. This leads to more energy, a happier outlook and a more relaxed way of dealing with life’s every day stresses. For those of us who can’t get a wonderful massage every day, yoga provides a kind of internal massage for our organs and gets us back in touch with ourselves. Yoga is a science that has been practiced for thousands of years. The ancient teachings talk about the health benefits that are now being acknowledged by modern medicine. Yoga, combined with healthy eating and regular sleep patterns, will do wonders to reduce stress and make you more productive in everyday life.

So in celebration of September as National Yoga Month, breath a little slower, stretch a little longer, and give your body some much deserved love by practicing a little yoga this month, and always.

– Maggie Palmer