Yoga For Balance And Agility

by Jeff
(Colorado)

I have always had good strength and have weight trained for years, but I really lack balance and agility. What would you recommend to help me improve these?

Answer
As per your submission you seem to be in good shape and health. You can start with simple hatha yoga exercises and yoga breathing.

With yoga practice you can get feeling of balance and peace of mind which is not possible from any other exercise. You have to keep following in mind in case you want to start yoga:

Learn Correct Breathing.
Correct breathing involves your breathing habits while doing yoga asanas, yoga breathing and at other times when you are not doing yoga. Concentrating on breath while doing yoga poses and pranayama will improve your concentration and relax the body.

Yoga Improves Agility. Yoga practice will make your muscles flexible. As your awareness increases, your muscles are strengthened and relaxed, improving your body's ability to move freely.

Yoga practice will improve your flexibility, your ease of motion and prevent injuries. It is not advisable to straightaway attempt advanced poses. Even if you have good athletic ability and can do any pose, it is advisable to start gradually with simple poses and gradually attempt difficult poses. However, in this case your progress will be much faster.


Yoga Balances the Body. Yoga brings balance and harmony throughout a person’s body and mind. Yoga does not believe in balance by force but by self awareness and intelligence. Left and right brains, left and right side of your body, breathing through left and right nostril needs to be balanced. Yoga practice brings about balance of both sides of body and to our breathing. For example, an asana is to be performed equally well both for left and right side of our body. Even when you are doing asanas for left side of body, awareness and proper positioning is required for left side of body and all other organs.

In yoga the asanas are not acting on a single part of the body, but body as a whole is getting affected. Even if you are stretching a single limb, awareness should be felt in all of the body. Balance in doing these asanas will improve your self awareness and make you more balanced in thinking too. Correct balance is to live in the moment, without worrying about past or future. Leave everything and enjoy the asana while doing yoga.

You can attempt Garudasana, Natarajasana, Tadasana, Trikonasana, Sarvanghasana, Shirshasana and Pada Angushthasana for further improving balance and agility.

Yoga can do wonders to your self awareness, concentration and power to stay focussed.

Just give it a try, strongly recommended!

Regards
Daljit