If You Can Breathe, You Can Do Yoga!

Breathing

 We breathe 20,000+ breaths a day, but rarely do we breathe deeply and fill our lungs completely and exhale completely. This is a basic need of our bodies. Bodies that live on earth, continuously in an exchange with the atmosphere, breathing in the oxygen that sustains us.  
This is meant to be harmonious, but we often get out of sync and only use a small part of our lungs. 

Deep breathing is so essential to health. The lack of proper deep breathing is the main reason why our elderly are hunched over, contracted over the small area they allow air into the body.

If you can breathe you can do yoga. I say this often, because deep breaths are one of the two most important elements of Yoga, that and quieting the mind.: becoming more focused, and deepening ability of concentration. 

When controlling and deepening the breath people use and strengthen dozens of muscles in the torso, increasing blood flow and oxygen to the torso, the organs and the muscles along the spine.  

Persons who are confined to a wheelchair or have limited movement are the people who need yoga the most, to breathe better and be more in touch with (aware) the whole body. 

Unfortunately, most of the information and attitude of yoga has left people with the idea that you have to already be fit, lean and young to practice it. This is so not true, though it is important to find classes and instructors skilled at teaching to persons who are limited by disabilities, excess weight, or recovering from  illness or injury.