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Sivananda Yoga 3/8

Our in class Sivananda yoga practice was probably my favorite practice so far. Although some postures, like the headstand, were too difficult, others, like the sun salutation, were easy but got my heart pumping. I liked the repetitiveness of the class, like how we went through the same sequence of postures for 20 or 30 times. I also liked how we never held the postures for too long, moving quickly from one to the next. Regarding the effect of yoga on the west, I think that yoga has provided people with a unique form of fitness. Yoga is different than other forms of fitness because it often doesn't promote heavy sweating or intensity, but rather slow stretching and strength building that is not supposed to be intense. It also differs from other types of fitness because yoga promotes overall health, not just physical health. We know this because of the many breathing, meditative, and relaxation exercises that are often taught in yoga classes that emphasize mental well-being. I think that this has been very beneficial to the west, and especially in areas where life is very fast-paced. Yoga allows people to slow down and to calm their minds. Because of this, I think yoga has been more beneficial to the west than other types of fitness that have become popular, such as zumba and pilates.

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