For those of us who regularly practice yoga, we know how much it benefits the body and the soul and how extending our practice can improve our well-being. If you haven’t dipped your toe into the yoga waters yet, you may be surprised to find out just how much it can change your life for the better.
Either way, we wanted to connect with you and share some of the lesser known benefits of yoga and to introduce some new ways of building on your current practice.
Totally natural and incredibly beautiful
Yoga isn't just about physical exercise, it’s about the soul too. Technically, the word “yoga” means ‘to unite’ or ‘mental peace’ depending on which Sanskrit root of the word ‘Yoga’ we focus on.
Practicing yoga brings the body and the mind together in expressions of peace and harmony whilst strengthening and purifying. Your practice should help you to feel connected and at peace with your world. Yoga helps to rekindle our intimate connection to nature, the Earth and the Universe.
As any yogi will share with you, the sense of calm, rejuvenation and presence you receive after practice can set you up with amazing positive vibes for your day. In harmony with this, it’s important to surround yourself with natural elements for your practice.
After all, yoga is based in nature. Many yoga poses (called asanas) are named after animals - think downward dog, baby cobra etc - or reflect the beauty of the world around us - think lotus pose, tree pose and so on.
The benefits of a natural practice
When you connect to the world around you through your practice, it can be as humbling as it is elevating. Yoga, as we’ve established, is about that connection with nature, observing your part in the world and understanding how we can both add to and share in its energy.
If that’s not motivation enough, yoga is a totally amazing way to tone, stretch and strengthen our bodies. Here are some of the biggest physical benefits to incorporating yoga into your exercise routine:
- Increased flexibility
- Increased muscle strength and tone
- Improved breathing, energy and vitality
- Maintaining a balanced metabolism
- Weight reduction
- Cardio and circulatory health
- Improved athletic performance
- Joint and muscle strengthening
Key points in your practice
Your yoga practice is an entirely personal endeavor. As you’ve probably heard too, there are so many different styles and types of yoga. From hatha to yin, from vinyasa to bikram, each style represents differences in pace, temperature, flow and the difficulty of poses. It’s important to find the right balance for your body and mind and to bring in the right amount of shavasana (meditation) for you too.
Building on the natural aspects of yoga
Traditional yoga was performed with little more than a loin cloth and a patch of earth for grounding!
Of course now, with yoga being such a popular form of exercise, a whole industry has sprung up around it and our desire to support our practice with products is ever-growing.
It is true to say that not all yoga products are created equally though. It’s important to make sure that the supports you are using are safe and allow you to practice without worrying about their performance.
For us at Fitkyt, we wanted to create a series of yoga products which would enhance our practice and continue a connection to nature. That’s why our yoga mats, blocks and wheels are made from cork bark.
When yoga is based on nature, surround your practice with natural products
Creating a great energy to practice your yoga relies on having equipment you feel comfortable with. Our yoga products are made using sustainable practices. Cork comes from the outer bark of the Cork Oak Tree. These beautiful trees grow and thrive - living up to 300 years! They are not cut down to harvest cork, rather, the bark is harvested sustainably.
It’s just another way that you can further enjoy your practice, peaceful in the knowledge that you are contributing positively to the world around you.