Miley Cyrus Finds Stress Relief Through Yoga
Miley Cyrus photo courtesy Tricks Ware/Flickr
Last week, Miley Cyrus posted four videos on her Instagram account showing herself doing various yoga poses. The videos garnered a lot of interest — from thousands of likes from fans to New York Post coverage. These videos gave an inside peek into how one celebrity deals with the stress of a fast-paced life: “Gotta do yoga, not for my body but for my mind!” Miley wrote. “DO YOGA or GO CRAZY!”
That last statement is a bit extreme but Miley is on the right track. I strongly believe in the benefits of yoga for both body and mind, which is why I included it as part of my Women’s Health Body Clock Diet and why I have many yoga resources available resources available. Yoga is an essential part of total health and the L’ifestyle.
What can yoga do for you? Its potential benefits are impressive. Yoga can help back pain, may lower blood pressure and relieve anxiety and depression.
Some folks, though, are intimidated. They think of bodies twisting into all kinds of impossible shapes and believe they could never do that. But I believe almost anyone can do yoga. Check out this article from Lenny about plus-sized yoga master Jessamyn Stanley! Size doesn’t have to dictate what you can and can’t do.
And don’t feel you have to commit to an hour the first time. As I wrote in the Women’s Health Body Clock Diet, yoga can be done “in a flash.” Kathryn Budig, author of the Women’s Health Big Book of Yoga, spoke about this concept to me in my book, saying that even 5 or 10 minutes can make a difference to both mind and body: “The trick is to set an intention each time you roll out your mat. Before you start moving, decide how you want to feel after your practice — more relaxed, energized or stronger — then keep your intention in mind as you move.”
For more tips on how to incorporate yoga in your life, and exercises to practice, I strongly suggest purchasing Women’s Health Body Clock Diet and looking for classes that target beginners. If you are not ready for a class, then rent a DVD or find online yoga that’s appropriate for your skill level. The important thing is to just begin.
