yoga – UNC Healthy Heels

Workout Wednesday: Backyard Yoga: Your Guide to Ultimate Relaxation

December 2, 2015December 7, 2015uncchsmediaLeave a comment

Get ready to stretch, flex, and maintain inner peace – all at once! By doing yoga, you are taking part in a mind and body practice begun thousands of years ago. Numerous scientific studies tout the health and wellness benefits of practicing regular yoga. We wanted to see what all the hype was about, so we headed outside to get our yoga on! Unlike machines, weights, or a gym membership – doing yoga is free. You can do it almost anytime, anywhere.

Yoga requires very little equipment. In fact, most poses can be done with only a yoga mat. Yoga, as with any exercise regimen, should only be performed if you are well enough for physical exertion. Remember – you do not have to do anything you do not feel comfortable with! Check out the following popular poses, gathered from the web.

ss_FI0507WWFAL001 Downward Dog

1. Begin this pose on all fours, with your hands below shoulders, and knees under the hips.

2. Slowly move your hands forward and spread your fingers apart.

3. Move your body into a V-shape by curling your toes and pressing your head inward. Your knees should be bent slightly, with your feet shoulder-width apart.

ss_FI090106TRYIN002 Tree Pose

1. Stand on one leg and position the sole of the other foot inside the other thigh. Maintain a forward-facing body throughout.

2. When you have balanced yourself, bring your hands in front of you in a prayer pose.

3. As an alternate, extend your hands above your shoulders, reaching fingers to the sky.

ss_FI030106GINOW002 Cobra

1. Lie on the mat facing downwards. Place your thumbs directly underneath your shoulders. Extend your legs together behind you, with the tops of the feet on the ground.

2. Flex your pelvic muscles, tuck your hips inwards, and flex your glutes.

3. Raise your head and shoulders up and outwards into the cobra pose.

To take full advantage of yoga, perform these poses in a peaceful environment. Take your water bottle along, and sip regularly to stay hydrated. For an added bonus, practice deep breathing with 7 full counts on the inhalation. Stretch before and after doing these poses to keep your muscles supple and healthy.

Bring your yoga habit back to campus! Campus Rec offers several yoga class opportunities per week taught by trained fitness instructors. Check out the UNC Camps Rec Calendar and find a free class to attend!

Workout Wednesday blog posts are written by UNC Campus Recreation. Each Wednesday we swap blog posts with the Tar Heel Tone Up blog so that readers can view more diverse post topics that will benefit their health and wellness. Workout Wednesday blog posts can be found both here and on tarheeltoneup.com.

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: This is Why I Came to Love Yoga

September 23, 2015September 21, 2015uncchsmediaLeave a comment

This post was written by Emily Wheeler and is published as part of our blog exchange with Tar Heel Tone Up.

I fell in love with yoga two years ago when I attended my first yoga class on campus as a group fitness class through campus rec. The instructor had an obvious love for yoga, but also for teaching in general, which was fitting because she was an education major. I admit that I always imagined yoga classes as a place for meditative “hippie-types” who were disgusted by meat and loved to say “owmmm.” What I discovered instead is that yoga is powerful in a way that you never understand until one day, you allow yourself to let go of all of your notions, assumptions, and judgments about yoga and just let yourself sink into it with the real intention of discovering what it has to offer you. (I also learned that sometimes you can do yoga to hip hop/pop music if you’re just not in a very mellow mood that day.)

In yoga, I find that the amount of focus that it requires for me to think about my breath and the many sensations happening in my muscles allows me to let go of thinking about anything else. No matter how stressed I am or how caught up in the expectations of life I become, I can come back to remembering what really matters within an hour with yoga. Although it might sound strange, for me and many others, yoga is just as much a mental or spiritual experience as it is physical—it offers me the opportunity to step out of the world by reverting into my own body and my own mind. Yoga reminds me to be the best that I can be, to appreciate life and my body, and to do the things that make me happy.

I love that in a matter of months, doing yoga regularly drastically improved my strength and balance in a way that is still kind to my body. So often, other forms of exercise feel like they’re beating my body up and leave me with sore knees and aching muscles for days. Yoga, while it still leaves my upper body sore sometimes, feels much more gentle to my joints and muscles.

Yoga is also a type of exercise that I can do at any time of day: it’s a great way to start off my morning or I can do it late at night without worrying about needing time to calm down before I can sleep. I like to attend classes or use online videos because I like the guidance of an instructor talking in the background the entire time. At the very end of every yoga class I’ve ever attended, you end in savasana, also called “corpse pose” or “final resting pose.” In this position, you are laying flat on your back as you try to progressively relax every muscle in your body to find total release. It is always amazing to me how much tension I hold in all of my muscles without realizing it until I actively focus on relaxing them. I even notice a lot of tension in my face as I try to relax (which could explain why sometimes people think I’m angry when I’m really just focused on something.)

I love yoga because after an hour of intentionally focusing on my breathing and movement, I can melt into the floor in savasana and it feels like pure peace. No matter how frustrating my day has been or how exhausted I am, I can let all of that tension go for a few minutes and finally feel like me again. It’s a feeling of such relaxation and relief that I can’t even put it into words, but it makes the entire class or video worth it, even after I was tempted to quit multiple times within a single hour. If you’ve never tried yoga, all of these descriptions may sound nearly comical, but if you try it with an open mind one day, you may discover, as I did, that yoga isn’t what you expected at all.

International Day of Peace!

September 22, 2015September 23, 2015uncchsmediaLeave a comment

Student Wellness partnered with the Carolina Meditation Club and other student groups yesterday to celebrate the International Day of Peace with yoga, meditation, herbal tea, and art. Check out pictures below of how Carolina students understand and promote peace within themselves, their communities, and the world!

Find your photo on Facebook and tag yourself here!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.941232829271998.1073741836.121129647948991&type=1&l=b73128cd5f

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: Debunking Five Myths About Yoga in Celebration of National Yoga Month!

September 16, 2015September 17, 2015uncchsmediaLeave a comment

This blog post was written by Emily Wheeler and is published as a part of our blog exchange with Campus Rec blog Tar Heel Tone-Up.

September is National Yoga Month! Not every form of exercise gets its own month of recognition, but yoga is not just any old exercise class. Yoga is simultaneous exercise of the body and mind and has the incredible ability to bring many people peace, direction, and balance in their lives. Many people have plenty of misconceptions about yoga, depending on what they have seen or heard about it. Here are five myths that I’ve heard plenty of people repeat about yoga:

Yoga is boring; it isn’t real exercise

First of all, there are various types of yoga that range from slow and meditative to quick-paced power classes that will have you sweating in minutes. A nice thing about yoga is that you can find what you’re looking for, and some people come to yoga for exercise and some do not. Some individuals really enjoy the slow-paced classes as more of a mental experience than a physical form of exercise, and for those people, it’s not boring at all—it serves a purpose. Others really enjoy higher intensity yoga and some even use it exclusively as exercise, and there are plenty of classes to serve that purpose as well.

I have a friend who is an avid swimmer and claimed that he didn’t think yoga was “real exercise” once, so I invited him to a power yoga class with me and he was literally dripping sweat onto his mat halfway through the class. He started coming to that class regularly to improve his strength and flexibility in between swim practices.

You can only do yoga if you can afford to attend classes at an expensive studio

It is certainly true that practicing yoga in a privately owned studio can be expensive, but yoga doesn’t have to be exclusive to a certain few who can afford it. Yoga can be done at home on a mat in your living room using a DVD or countless online videos as guidance. Some people even begin to practice yoga on their own without any instruction after gaining enough experience. If you like the feeling of community and encouragement that comes from doing a class together with others, UNC Campus Recreation offers free group fitness yoga classes to all students and employees with memberships every week. You can even do yoga outside for a fun new experience and some literal fresh air.

1661845_10153147338550669_2689680907106087107_n — This photo was taken on August 29 at a free outdoor yoga class that was held in the Forest Theater on Country Club Road, on the border of UNC’s campus. The class was offered by Franklin Street Yoga Center, and in honor of National Yoga Month, they are offering a free week of yoga during the month of September for any group, club, or organization that is interested. You can contact them directly to take advantage of this amazing opportunity!

Yoga is for hippies

First of all, what does that even mean? “Hippie” is a word from the 70’s in my mind. Yoga is for people who want something that will help them to improve their health (mental and physical), physical strength, focus, and that gives them an opportunity to step away from the stress of everyday life. From the many people I have met at yoga classes, yoga is for men, women, teachers, physicians, fitness instructors, that kid you met at the bus stop yesterday, stay-at-home moms, and ridiculously busy college students. To me, yoga is for absolutely everyone who is willing to try it.

You have to be thin and flexible to do yoga

Movies, TV shows, and magazines have this great ability to convince people that only tall, thin, impossibly beautiful women do yoga. However, if you walk into a real yoga class you find real people: people of all shapes and sizes and ages and backgrounds who have come to practice yoga for any of a huge variety of reasons. Most REAL people are not very flexible when they start doing yoga. That flexibility comes and improves with a significant amount of time and practice. You also don’t need to fall into a specific body type category to be fantastic at yoga. And the good news is, you don’t actually have to be fantastic at yoga at all! Real yoga classes are made of real people who shake and wobble and fall down and try again.

Only women do yoga

I think there are plenty of reasons why you usually see more women in yoga classes than men: many men feel that to be “manly” they should exercise in a weight room, or that yoga will be considered “feminine” by other men, or simply because women have been shown to pay more attention to their physical and mental health needs than men. However, I did say that there are typically less men than women in yoga classes, but there are not zero men. There are plenty of men who have had the courage to try yoga and have realized that it really is for everyone, and I personally admire the many men who are far more advanced at yoga than me.

If you’ve never tried it before, I encourage you to try yoga without any preconceived notions and an openness to a new experience. You might find yourself on the way to reaching a little haven of peace, health, and balance that you never even know you need in your life until you find it.

Backyard Yoga: Your Guide to Ultimate Relaxation

June 4, 2014Natalie RichLeave a comment

ss_FI0507WWFAL001 Downward Dog

1. Begin this pose on all fours, with your hands below shoulders, and knees under the hips.

2. Slowly move your hands forward and spread your fingers apart.

3. Move your body into a V-shape by curling your toes and pressing your head inward. Your knees should be bent slightly, with your feet shoulder-width apart.

ss_FI090106TRYIN002 Tree Pose

1. Stand on one leg and position the sole of the other foot inside the other thigh. Maintain a forward-facing body throughout.

2. When you have balanced yourself, bring your hands in front of you in a prayer pose.

3. As an alternate, extend your hands above your shoulders, reaching fingers to the sky.

ss_FI030106GINOW002 Cobra

1. Lie on the mat facing downwards. Place your thumbs directly underneath your shoulders. Extend your legs together behind you, with the tops of the feet on the ground.

2. Flex your pelvic muscles, tuck your hips inwards, and flex your glutes.

3. Raise your head and shoulders up and outwards into the cobra pose.

Workout Wednesday: Yoga – What You Need to Know

October 2, 2013October 8, 2013uncchsmediaLeave a comment

People who are unfamiliar with the virtues of yoga view it in several different ways. Some look upon the activity with disdain and only see the “yogi” sitting on the ground doing nothing. Others consider yoga an activity only for women, the “weak”, or the elderly. And then there are those who think that yoga is wishy-washy spiritual nonsense. All of these views are misconceptions – dead wrong. In fact, yoga has been scientifically proven to increase flexibility, increase circulation, lower blood pressure, increase serotonin levels, lower cholesterol and much more. When done correctly, it can be argued that there are no negative effects of yoga on the body.

There are literally thousands of testimonials to the healing power of yoga. Check out this video to see a war veteran who went from physically disabled to fit using yoga:

Yoga includes a variety of different kinds of movements – ranging from very low exertion to outright difficult. The key is to select movements that best suit your level of fitness and personal goals. Do some personal research to decide which kind of yoga is best for you.

So what does this mean for you? Yoga can be a great addition to your healthy lifestyle, and it’s very easy to start. Yoga can be done at any time of the day- morning, afternoon, or evening. Personally, I find that yoga is a great morning routine, as it helps me wake up and find inner peace before going out into the world.

Here are some tips for the beginner yogi:

Wear comfortable clothing that is light and fitted.
There is no reason to feel nervous. Everyone has a first time.
Bring a water bottle and a towel.
If you feel overwhelmed or tired, it’s ok to lie down for a moment.
Give it your all – fully focus on the movements and leave your outside troubles at the door.
Remember that everyone is at a different point in his or her own fitness journey, so don’t compare yourself to the abilities of those around you. Yoga is not a competition, but rather a personal experience.

Here are 8 great poses for yoga beginners.

There are several yoga classes available free to UNC students through Campus Rec! Here is the schedule for Ram’s Head Recreation Center.

Workout Wednesday blog posts are written by UNC Campus Recreation staff members. Each Wednesday we’ll be swapping blog posts with the Tarheel Tone Up blog so that our readers can view more diverse post topics that will benefit their health and wellness. Wednesday blog posts can be found both here and on tarheeltoneup.com.

Workout Wednesdays: Get Your Yoga On!

September 11, 2013September 10, 2013Sara StahlmanLeave a comment

Men, don’t let the title deter you—this is for you and the ladies alike.

I’m sure I’m not that much different from many of you when I say that when I came to school last year, I had never done yoga and I was pretty skeptical. I never really thought of it as a workout, and the picture of a woman sitting crisscross-applesauce style with her thumb and forefingers pinched together humming “Owmmmmm” was stuck in my mind. Why should I, or anyone for that matter, do yoga?

I was walking across the lower quad on a Friday afternoon, finally done with class for the day and ready to be back in my dorm. I usually try to go to the gym for an hour every day, but as I walked, the weight of a long week and a heavy backpack pulling on my stiff shoulders were convincing me that I didn’t want to do anything except nap until dinner time. Back in my dorm room, I realized that I somehow couldn’t sleep and I flipped through the group fitness schedule just to see if there was any class that I considered “easy” going on that day. At 4pm, I found myself barefoot, sitting on a mat, about to put my yoga pants to their proper use for the first time. An hour later, I walked back to my room smiling, no longer feeling so exhausted and with my shoulders feeling better than they had for days, and suddenly I understood yoga.

Today I went to the Week of Welcome yoga class at the SRC because my stomach was bothering me yesterday and I didn’t quite feel up to fitness machines and fast music. I just wanted to stretch and give my body a chance to move, and I must say it worked like a charm! Each yoga instructor has their own technique, style, and approach to yoga: some are closer to the “owmmmming” meditation end of the spectrum and some are closer to pilates, which is more intense in its movements and purposes for toning and sculpting the body. I personally prefer somewhere in the middle, and today at the SRC, that is exactly what I got. There were over a hundred people, non-distracting but peppy music played in the background, and an enthusiastic instructor, winding her way through the rows of downward dogs, tall planks, and shaky first-time stances (including my own.) The stances were traditional, but the transitions were quick and fluid, forcing concentration and continued effort from the body and mind simultaneously. For me the time went by quickly, and as I put away my mat I was pleased to see the number of guys there who had come to participate. Yoga doesn’t discriminate against age or gender.

Two of the many great benefits of yoga are that it gives you the chance to use your body in a way that challenges and stretches, but it does not constantly push you to that pain point of intense cardio where your mind is tied up in the fight for endurance and the pride of finishing that last mile. Even as I concentrate on the motions and on my balance, the pace is enough to allow my mind to wander to other things and just think about my day and confront things that have been running through my mind.

Another great benefit that I enjoy is that yoga helps me to release the tension that tends to build up in my muscles over time, and if I come sore or achy, I leave feeling looser—much like the feeling you get after foam rolling muscle knots, if anyone has ever had that experience. One of the stances that I particularly liked today was called Chatush Padasana, and yes, I had to look that up. It is basically a variation on the typical back-bridge stretch, and it really helped to loosen up my shoulder and back muscles and offered a great stretch to sore abs, hamstrings, and hips.

This “Power Yoga” that I experienced today will be taught on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 8am at Ram’s Head Rec, and there are plenty of other yoga instructors with other times at Ram’s Head Recreation Center:

Mindful Yoga: Tuesday 5:15-6:30pm (RHRC)
Social Justice Yoga: Thursday 12:15-1pm (RHRC)
Yoga: Monday 5-6pm (RHRC), Wednesday 8-9pm (RHRC), Thursday and Friday 4-5pm (RHRC)
Yogalates: Monday 12:15-1pm (RHRC)

I’d encourage you to take the chance to experience the change of pace and the benefits of yoga for your own body, whether in a class or in your dorm room with the help of a YouTube video, because you might find that your expectations were far too low or simply different from reality. Everyone needs to take a little extra time now and then to breathe, stretch, and relax.

So, as you always finish in yoga: Namaste.