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In this fast paced world, it is easy to get overwhelmed and stressed out. Often our lives are so busy that we need to remember how to relax! In yoga it is important not to overwork yourself, but to find the balance between effort and ease and relax into a pose. Many of the deep stretches in yoga allow us to ease into a tight muscle and use the breath to release the tension. A yoga class will usually end with a deep relaxation pose, called savasana.
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The attention to breath and physical alignment (especially in balancing poses) develops concentration, requiring us to put aside the stresses of the day and focus on the present moment. Focusing on the present can be strengthened through meditation, another discipline of yoga. Though the physical yoga poses can be called a moving meditation, they can also prepare one for sitting meditation, a challenging but immensely satisfying practice that develops focus, acceptance, and self-awareness. Meditation involves picking an object of concentration, usually the breath, and calmly and gently re-directing our attention to it when the mind wanders.
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