Attending weekly yoga classes can help you take charge of your health and happiness. A little goes a long way – 30 minutes of gentle yet effective movement can work wonders for your body. Consistent yoga practice offers many significant benefits – reduced stress, improved strength and flexibility, pain relief, increased energy, more positive attitude, and better quality sleep – these are just a few of our favorites!
Participating in weekly yoga classes can help establish a habit of physical activity that feels good for you, too. Whether you are working towards preventing or managing chronic diseases like diabetes or hypertension or simply maintaining a healthy lifestyle, this class can contribute to your recommended 150 minutes per week of physical activity. Regular yoga practice is also a great way to manage blood sugar levels and blood pressure, as both are affected by stress.
Often, the most difficult part of practicing yoga is simply showing up for yourself. If you are feeling unmotivated to practice, join our weekly yoga classes for accountability and support!
Ellie Lane, ©2021, Clemson Extension
Yoga has two limbs of importance for our stress response: asana, physical effort and poses, and pranayama, deep breathing and concentrated awareness of the breath. When you breathe deeply, the parasympathetic nervous system is signaled to activate your body’s rest and digest status. This activation helps you relax and relieve tension. Any physical effort made during your practice will provide benefits of reduced stress, as well. Being active enables you to focus attention on the present moment and encourages your body to release feel-good chemicals called endorphins that help calm the mind and promote a more positive perspective. Therefore, yoga is a helpful tool for reducing stress and increasing physical fitness.
Clemson Extension offers online, weekly yoga classes every Wednesday from 12:00 – 12:30 PM with Registered Yoga Teacher and Health Extension Agent Ellie Lane, RYT 200-HR. All levels are welcome, and beginners are strongly encouraged to join! Modifications are offered to complement all abilities, with the option to participate from a comfortable seat or standing. By participating in these weekly classes, you will learn to listen to your body’s cues to find what feels good, reduce stress, increase flexibility and physical activity, and cultivate a practice of gratitude to help shift your perspective.
If interested, register for upcoming classes here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-little-goes-a-long-way-weekly-yoga-for-every-body-tickets-138693376623. An email containing the Zoom link is always sent 1 hour before the start of class. Attending just one of our yoga classes provides you access to our entire library of prior recorded classes, too. You can watch these anytime you need a quick re-set to your day!
Participating in just one of our weekly yoga classes provides you with access to all prior recorded classes. Practice anytime, anywhere!
Ellie Lane, ©2021, Clemson Extension
Join us this week and see how far a little bit of yoga will take you!
If interested in additional programming offered through Clemson Extension to manage diabetes, visit: https://hgic.clemson.edu/know-diabetes-by-heart-kdbh/ or https://hgic.clemson.edu/health-extension-for-diabetes/.
If interested in additional programming offered through Clemson Extension to manage hypertension, visit: https://hgic.clemson.edu/hypertension-management-program-hmp/.
Sources
- Harvard Health Staff. (2020, July 7). Exercising to Relax – Harvard Health Publishing. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax.
- Mayo Clinic Staff. (2020, December 29). Yoga: Fight stress and find serenity. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/yoga/art-20044733.
