Namaste.
Ancient philosophy meeting physical exercise. Poses. Being one with the divine.
The practice of yoga – from Hatha yoga, a system of physical techniques deeply rooted in Indian philosophy – has been catching the attention of health buffs, the health-conscious ones who want to have a healthier lifestyle.
In the West, for instance, where fast food lifestyle is all the rage – worsened by Netflix, abetted by super-sized meals – cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and diabetes are in the rise. Fad diets and trends flourished, from keto, low-carb, or even intermittent fasting.
And then the exercises.
The pandemic has merely created a sphere that the health-conscious can flex their muscles – literally – through exercise. Some walked; others rode on bicycles.
Kris Panes did – and is still doing – yoga.
THE LOVE AFFAIR WITH YOGA
“It just started from just doing Pilates a few years back as for my regular workout,” she tells DNX.
She was following fitness Youtuber Casey Ho and found a video of the influencer practicing a headstand for improving balance.
That sparked her interest to try inversions and since then she was hooked.
“From there, I discovered different variations of yoga poses and practiced it on my own,” she says.
Her love affair with yoga started since end of March, or right just about the time when the city was placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine.
“I challenged myself to do one yoga pose every day for 15 days, starting with beginner poses to advanced ones,” she reveals.
She was, at that time, practicing yoga flows from Youtubers at random.
Now, she has an Instagram channel, doing yoga challenges.
BENEFITS OF YOGA
Kris swears by a lot of benefits doing yoga, one of which is relieving stress.
“Staying at home, yoga helped me to find a safe space and enjoy the quarantine,” she says.
Practicing yoga has also improved her health.
Since she started exercising, she has had “better sleep, clearer skin and more energy”.
“It promotes healthy blood circulation and respiration,” Kris says, adding, “Yoga also improves strength, balance, flexibility- things you didn’t know your body was capable of.”
