Having taught Yoga for over 30 years (very part time alongside a main job and now as a proper part time job)
I am rather prejudiced!
It is a complete treatment for mind, body and spirit.
It helps you to gain/regain flexibility- particularly in the spine.
It helps you to learn/re-learn how to breathe correctly, the meditative aspect helps to calm you and all in all it helps your body to work properly and efficiently.
Mind and body influence one another so that's why it's a complete package!
As I said on above post now in my pensionable years teach 6 Yoga classes a week. Shall go on until the students are better than I am (!) but hopefully for a few more years, my body is so used to it!
Really helpful Yogasun, many thanks. I was toying with the idea of just buying a mat and ' throwing ' me body about at home with no tuition, but it sounds more complicated than I thought, what with the breathing properly and so on. Do you think I would be better off going to classes ?
Yes but there's no harm just reading about it to give you a good idea what it's all about.
There will be bound to be some good teachers locally and then you can go from there. Good luck!
I would thoroughly recommend it for all the reasons Yogasun says. Its good for all ages and levels of fitness.
Classes are great in showing you how to do the exercises as well as the breathing, which can all be practiced at home .
I have also tried a couple of dvd's but found the classes much much better.
Yoga is the best activity I every took up. Its benefits are far reaching.
I recommend starting out in a class. Firstly it helps motivation to do it in a group. On your own you won't realise when you are not doing the postures right and will develop bad habits.