Some may say I have slid over to the dark side by leaving the boxing behind to try something of a more gentle nature. No more banging of the heavy weights or deep grunts replaced by the soft music and the calm voice of the instructor as she leads us through our “yoga practice.” But after a bit of research I took on a six week challenge to see what impact yoga could have on my current health challenges. And the impact has been impressive. Here are the most noticeable changes over the past 5 weeks.
1. Sleep! Yes I could now sleep through the whole night with one little trip to the washroom sometime during the night. But not waking up every hour anymore or simply going to the couch when returning to sleep was impossible. This was almost immediate but needed a few more classes before I could bet on it consistently.
2. Balance! Standing on one foot with the leg stretched out back was something I only did with the wall beside me to hold on to. But I’m getting better and will soon take a spot in the class not up against the wall.
3. Breathing! I have always been a shallow breather for what ever reason, but the emphasis on proper breathing caught my attention. I now apply the same techniques while walking or any other activity.
4. Posture! On my last visit to my chiropractor, she remarked how much better my posture was with an obvious loosening in my lower back.
5. Energy! Just have more energy and flexibility with less PD symptoms in general.
Will do more research on how to make yoga more accessible to the PD Community.
