Yoga + Body + Mind

By María Jose Barón Valverde (3^rd semester Hotel administration student, level 4 English)

Currently, more than a simple trend, practicing yoga has become a lifestyle that can be seen as mystical, maybe because it belongs to a far-away traditional culture very different from our current western world. Nonetheless, with the diverse types of yoga that exist today, anyone can do it.

Doing yoga can be a good idea since it has been shown to bring both physical and emotional benefits. One can say that doing yoga improves people’s brain skills, given that it encourages mental relaxation and changes our feelings. Besides, yoga methods generate positive effects for health problems, so it lets people achieve a necessary balance between soul and body. Each semester at Externado brings you a lot of work and stress, and yoga can help you to survive university life. It is important to dedicate time to yourself, so you can do some exercises at home or, if you prefer, at the university. If you are a beginner, you can follow these steps to enjoy the experience.

1-     Find a calm and well-lit place

2-     Turn off all gadgets

3-     Make sure you have time

4-     Be in a quiet place

5-     Wear comfortable clothes and get a mat

Here are some “asanas” (special postures) to practice yoga.

Goat: with your face down, stretch out your legs. Fold your arms and rest them on the floor. Raising your chest, keep your legs on the floor and lift your chin (for 30 secs).

Tree: stand up with straight legs and put your hands together over your head, folding your elbows. Lift up one leg and rest your sole on the opposite thigh (for 30 secs).

Triangle: spread your legs and raise your arms to shoulder-level. Inhale and forward until you can touch your feet with your fingers. Then repeat on the other side (for 30 secs).