This week, I attended a class at Stockton's TRLC for the second time this semester, and with the same teacher, Jason. I have always noticed how at most of the classes I have attended, the teacher always mentions some of the ways that yoga can alleviate pain and be beneficial for the body. For example, this week Jason told the class that the postures we were doing, such as coming in and out of a plank position, were building core strength. He also said that some stretches would alleviate back pain. However, Jason only talks about benefits that have to do with relieving aches and pains, and not how yoga can be beneficial for illness. Other teachers I have had talk more about mental health. At my yoga class with Stevie that I have attended several times before, she always mentions how practicing slow, deep breathing can be used to calm anxiety. She also talks about how some postures, like spinal twists, are massaging the connective tissue of the body. These messages that my teachers often tell the class about how yoga is beneficial for the body show that yoga is often seen as a healing and health-benefiting practice. After doing yoga, my muscles feel lose and like they have been stretched, and my mind is calm. However, I do not feel like my yoga practice so far is making me less prone to illness or physically healthier. For people who already suffer from some sort of illness, yoga may make them feel better or heal faster. However, since I started yoga healthy and free from any diseases or pains, it might be harder for me to see how it can make someone healthier. Although I can't personally see how doing yoga can heal someone, I can see how it can be very beneficial to people who suffer from mental illness, especially from anxiety disorders. Overall, I believe that yoga is beneficial for the mind and the muscles, but so far, these are the only two aspects of health that I can see yoga being beneficial for.
If I had to sum up our in-class Ashtanga practice in one word, I would say challenging. The fact that it was challenging made it an enjoyable class, because I like exercise that challenges me and forces me to work hard. The most difficult aspect of the class was getting into some of the poses because they required so much flexibility, and I am only moderately flexible. The class stretched my entire body, especially my legs, which made me feel good afterwards. One aspect of the class that made a community atmosphere was how the entire class was arranged in a circle, with all of us facing towards each other. This brought a sense of togetherness to the class because everyone was facing each other instead of being in rows towards the front of the room. Another aspect of the class that made it feel like a community was how the class would look at each other for help for some of the moves. Because of this, we weren't doing yoga individually, but rather looking to our neighbors to see how
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