We hope you find harmony and peace as you get into the Lotus Pose to celebrate International Day of Yoga on June 21st! International Day of Yoga exists thanks to United Nations (UN) resolution 69/131, which established this annual date to raise worldwide awareness about the many benefits of practicing yoga.
Adventure Fitness Athletic Club offers several yoga classes through the week at our Thornton gym. Please join instructor Dylan Livingston on:
- Tuesdays – 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Thursdays – 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Fridays – 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Saturdays – 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
- Saturday meditation – 12:00 noon to 12:30 p.m.
All fitness levels are welcome to join our yoga classes. Whether you’re just beginning or a professional athlete, there are modifications for every yoga pose so that you can explore your limits and improve over time.
Club members can register for our Yoga Classes on MINDBODY or you can check out our class schedule here. Non-members also can join for a $10 per-class fee.
The practice of yoga originated in India thousands of years ago. Many centuries later, yoga has become popular around the world as a way to promote mental and physical wellbeing through its deliberate movement, meditation, and breathing techniques. Yoga is also used as a way to alleviate chronic pain and heal from injuries.
How did International Day of Yoga begin?
On September 27, 2014, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the idea of “Yoga Day” during a speech at the opening of the 69th session of the UN General Assembly. “Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body, thought, and action,” he said. “Yoga is not just about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world, and nature.”
The draft resolution was endorsed by a record number of 175 member states and the first International Day of Yoga was celebrated on June 21, 2015.
The resolution also notes that it’s important for individuals and populations to make healthier choices and follow lifestyle patterns that foster good health. The UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) further advises member states to urge citizens become more physically active through yoga and other methods, since lack of exercise is one of the top 10 leading causes of death worldwide.
In 2021, the theme for International Day of Yoga is “Yoga for well-being,” and the celebration will place an emphasis on the holistic health of every person. On its website, the UN says that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, “The message of Yoga in promoting both the physical and mental well-being of humanity has never been more relevant.”
What is the history of yoga?
The practice of yoga can be traced back at least 5,000 years to northern India, but some experts believe that yoga could be up to 10,000 years old. The word “yoga” was first mentioned in ancient texts written in Sanskrit, the primary language of Hinduism. “Yoga” means to join, yoke, or unite, and the practice of yoga is intended to harmonize the mind, body, man, and nature. In ancient times, yoga was more of a philosophy of worship and meditation rather than a physical exercise.
Around 150 B.C., a sage named Patanjali wrote about the Eight Limbs of Yoga in a collection of truths called the Yoga Sutras. The Eight Limbs of Yoga are:
- Yama — our attitudes toward our environment
- Niyama — our attitudes toward ourselves
- Asana — the physical postures of yoga
- Pranayama — the breathing practices of yoga
- Pratyahara — a sense of restraint
- Dharana — concentration
- Dhyana — yoga meditation
- Samadhi — complete integration
The third limb, Asana, focuses on the physical postures of yoga that most of the world is familiar with today, although initially Asana was performed in a seated position. It would not be until the 1800s when Asana Yoga started to resemble the modern practice of yoga.
As yoga evolved through the years, it was influenced by many factors including bodybuilding in Europe and India’s royal family in the Mysore Palace. In the 1920s, a yoga master named Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (known as “the father of modern yoga”) developed a yoga style that improved strength and stamina. His teachings were highly influential and produced three students who shaped yoga into what it is today.
Several people can take credit for bringing yoga to the United States and expanding its appeal across the nation. As Americans embraced alternative forms of exercise and started to understand the importance of physical fitness, yoga increased in popularity, as well.
According to a national survey in 2017, one in seven adults practiced yoga in the last 12 months because of the many benefits it provides.
What are the benefits of taking yoga classes at our gym?
Although classical yoga incorporates other elements, today it typically emphasizes physical positions, meditation, and breathing techniques. There are many different styles of yoga, ranging from gentle movements to more physically demanding ones.
Are you brand new to yoga? A lifelong yogi? Somewhere in between? We urge you to try the yoga classes at AFAC gym because our instructor offers alternative poses that you can select based on your level of fitness and experience. We hope you will join us to learn the many benefits of yoga. Research has shown that yoga can:
- Promote physical fitness — Yoga can increase balance, flexibility, muscle strength, muscle tone, cardiovascular and circulatory health, athletic performance, and protection from injury.
- Promote self-healing and wellness — Yoga is a great tool for focusing on the body’s natural tendency to heal itself and stay well.
- Support good health habits — Yoga gets people into the habit of exercising regularly and can also encourage them to adopt a more nutritious diet.
- Improve mental and emotional health — Yoga has been shown to relieve stress and improve quality of sleep. Yoga can also help people manage the symptoms of anxiety and depression that are caused by various life situations. Overall, yoga helps you get in tune with your body and your inner self at the same time.
- Relieve neck and low-back pain — Yoga is one of the options recommended by the American College of Physicians to treat chronic low-back pain.
- Manage chronic pain and the symptoms of chronic disease — Yoga has been shown to treat a range of chronic conditions including headaches and osteoarthritis pain.
- Encourage people to make positive lifestyle changes — Yoga has helped people lose weight and quit smoking.
- Relieve the symptoms of menopause — In 2018, an evaluation of 13 studies of yoga found that it reduced the physical symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, as well as anxiety and depression.
- Be beneficial for children — Research has shown that yoga has several potential benefits for children, such as regulating their emotions, managing their anxiety, boosting their self-esteem, and improving their strength and flexibility.
You’ll Love Yoga at AFAC Gym
We can’t wait to see everyone at our yoga classes! They’re a great way to meet new people, relax, and get in shape. If you’d like to learn more about yoga or any of the other classes at our gym, please don’t hesitate to speak with a member of our staff. We’re excited to show you why we’re the best gym in Thornton. We also welcome you to contact our gym owner, Susan at 720-849-0245 or susan@adventurefitness.club for assistance.
To read more articles from Adventure Fitness Athletic Club, check out our Adventure Corner blogs by clicking here.
