Muscles for Yoga

As many of you have experienced, regular yoga practice can transform your body and mind. I myself spent 2011 only practicing yoga, with a little light strength training (leg lifts, 1 kilo weight curls for the arms etc) 3 times a week, and I was able to lose 6 kilograms and keep them off. That is because yoga quickens your metabolism while also developing your inner muscles.

Those who have been practicing yoga for a while might find that they come to a standstill in their practice. They feel that they cannot do certain poses, like headstand or arm balances, usually because they do not have enough strength. You might want to try adding another aspect to your workout routine. Pilates is a great way to strengthen core muscles (those around the waist and lower back). A friend gave me exercise rubber bands, and I have found a variety of exercises to do with them. The video below, and others from Yo dona, show how to use a rubber band for a variety of exercises. Her videos are in Spanish, but even if you can't understand the language I assure that you can learn a lot from the video.