Talking Yoga with Sheri
Meet Sheri, she is sweet, beautiful as well as strong and flexible not only because she does yoga but in life in general. Sheri and I have been going to yoga for years now and there’s no denying it, she’s good and she’s passionate about it. In fact, she likes it so much she recently became a certified yoga instructor. And since she’s the expert I thought it’d be fun to ask her a few questions about yoga.
Q: How long have you been practicing yoga?
A: I started practicing yoga about 5 years ago when my youngest daughter started preschool and I had a morning to myself to try something new! It wasn’t very long and I was hooked. My lower back pain was gone, I noticed a big difference in my lung capacity and breathing when running and I just felt stronger all around. Through the years I’ve gone through different stages of how often a week I can practice but I know yoga is something I will continue doing!
Q: They say yoga is so good for you…can you list the top 5 to 10 benefits?
A: Yoga has many benefits that help improve your body, mind and spirit. Some important yoga benefits are increased strength and muscle tone, increased flexibility, injury healing and prevention, pain relief, improved circulation, deeper breathing, better balance, stress and anxiety relief, improved sleep, concentration and determination, as well as a healthy, well aligned spine!
Q: Who can practice yoga? What is too old? Too young?
A: Yoga is for everybody; brand new or experienced, physically fit or dealing with injuries and disabilities, young or old and everyone in between! There are such a variety of yoga classes offered, such as kids yoga, yoga therapy, chair yoga, power yoga, restorative yoga, hot yoga etc…, there truly is something for everybody. You just need to think about your body, mobility and what interests you the most and then proceed slowly. It can be hard work but it should never be too painful so just make sure you always listen to your body.
Q: What do you love about yoga?
A: I love that there is always more to learn, somewhere deeper to go in the posture. There is always something more challenging to work towards which keeps it exciting for me. I love the way I feel after a class but most of all I love that I can work out in my bare feet ☺ !!
Q: There are so many different styles of yoga. Which ones do you prefer and why?
A: I enjoy the variety of a Vinyasa flow class or the depth of a Yin class but I keep coming back to Hot Yoga as a favorite. I love going to practice in a hot room especially through the cold, wet, winter months! The heat and humidity help my body to relax so I can get deeper into the postures and sweating feels great for my skin. I appreciate the balance and sequence of the postures for keeping my spine healthy and properly aligned.
Q: You just became a certified yoga instructor…what kind of yoga instructor are you?
A: I was able to take a Level 1, 200 hr Teacher Training program with Fireshaper Hot Yoga this past summer while I was living in New Jersey. I was taught the basics of Hot Yoga as well as how to teach Fireshapers “Ignite” 75 minute posture series. I have been getting some practice teaching friends and family and hope to develop my teaching skills more and more in the coming years ☺.
Q: What are some tips for pre or post yoga?
A: If you have any health or injury concerns it is a good idea to talk to your doctor before you begin. Make sure you are well hydrated before class, especially a hot yoga class, and replenish your body with water and possibly electrolytes after class as well.
Q: What are some must have yoga products or what do you need to get started?
A: For Hot Yoga, all you need is some lightweight, stretchy workout wear, a yoga mat, towel (to lay on and absorb all that sweat ☺), and a bottle of water. Some yoga classes will use props, such as a strap or a block, to help you achieve proper alignment in the postures but they will usually have them available at the studio.
Q: Tell us something about yoga we didn’t know?
A: You may not know that many professional sports teams are now requiring their athletes to practice yoga because it has been proven to be so helpful in preventing injuries!
