(May 12, 2023) Scientific evidence shows that yoga supports stress management, mental health, mindfulness, healthy eating, weight loss and quality sleep. This is according to the National Institutes of Health. On this edition of the Beth Linder-Moss Podcast, Beth specifically describes all those benefits and how to get started with Yoga.
Yoga is not just a form of exercise but a holistic approach to wellness that works on the mind, body, and spirit. From reducing stress and anxiety to building strength and flexibility, yoga offers numerous benefits for people of all ages and fitness levels.
According to Beth, yoga helps to calm the mind and reduce stress and anxiety. The practice of breathing exercises and meditation during yoga helps to quiet the mind, relax the body, and reduce cortisol levels. Cortisol is associated with higher stress levels. Studies have shown that regular yoga practice can also alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and even PTSD.
Yoga can also help to improve focus, memory, and concentration. “Yoga helps to improve cognitive function, which leads to better decision-making, improved memory and concentration,” says Beth Linder-Moss.
Body Benefits of Yoga
The physical benefits of yoga are well known. Yoga helps to increase strength, flexibility, and balance. Practicing yoga regularly can help to tone muscles and improve overall body composition. Yoga also helps to reduce inflammation and improve digestion.
According to Beth, yoga is one of the best ways to stay fit and healthy, especially as we age. “Yoga is a low-impact exercise that can be practiced by people of all ages and fitness levels. The practice helps to maintain mobility and flexibility in the body, which is essential as we grow older.”
Spiritual Benefits of Yoga
Yoga is not just a physical practice but a spiritual one too. It helps to connect the mind, body, and spirit. Yoga philosophy talks about the interconnectedness of all things and encourages participants to live a life of compassion and kindness.
Beth believes practicing yoga can help to connect with our inner selves and find inner peace. “Yoga helps to inculcate a deep sense of awareness, concentration, and mindfulness. It helps to cultivate a sense of gratitude, compassion, and contentment,” she says.
Finally Beth says, “yoga is a practice that nourishes and sustains us, helping us to live better, healthier, and more fulfilling lives.”
As the U.S. prepares do deal with the feared Corona Virus, this potential crisis presents a great opportunity to be a source of strength and support for one another. Patti Garibay, Cofounder of American Heritage Girls, is available to discuss her wonderful organization and how they could help deal with fear and anxiety caused by COVID-19, as well as ways their members can serve others in this time of crisis.
Patti Garibay, Founder & Executive Director of American Heritage Girls (AHG)
Q&A:
Amidst the rapid-spreading Coronavirus, and the anxiety that it is causing so many, how does the American Heritage Girls Program (AHG) help girls overcome feelings of fear and anxiety?
The American Heritage Girls Program enables a girl to grow in her FAITH – in every sense of the word – instead of increasing in panic, fear, and anxiety. The AHG Program helps girls fortify and strengthen their faith as it pertains to believing and serving Christ, and being confident and assured that God cares and protects them. During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, AHG is equipping girls to act from a place of both faith and preparation, by adhering to the safety precautions and suggestions for disease prevention laid out by the CDC.
Girls today are experiencing heightened rates of diagnosed anxiety and depression disorders. How do you think information about the Coronavirus plays into their fears and disorders?
Information about the Coronavirus is accessible everywhere. It’s nearly impossible to step into your car without hearing the Coronavirus as the topic of the hour on every radio station or scroll through your social media newsfeed without seeing countless posts about it. Coronavirus conversations are in classrooms, the workplace, the grocery store. There is no escaping Coronavirus information. Because of the nature of how we consume information in today’s world, it’s easy to be overwhelmed and even bogged down with the information which can quickly lead to fear and terror. I believe the speed of information sharing about the Coronavirus is significantly contributing to the rise of anxiety we are seeing all around us.
How does AHG equip its adult volunteers to engage in informed and faith-filled conversations with Girl Members and families about safety precautions to protect against the Coronavirus?
AHG has an incredible team of staff members who work to support all of our ministry’s members. We are consistently monitoring how the Coronavirus could affect the everyday operations of Troops, and we have communicated to Troop leaders how to take the necessary preventative measures to stay safe while giving their Troops messages of faith and encouragement amidst this time of uncertainty. AHG leaders are calmly and carefully explaining any changes or adjustments to meetings and activities to girls and families. We are encouraging our leaders with scripture and diligently praying for them.
AHG’s mission is Building women of integrity through service to God, family, community, and country. With the rapid-spreading Coronavirus, what are the ways AHG Members reach out to help and serve others?
Prayer is the first and foremost way we are serving others during this time. AHG Members are praying for those currently ill with the disease and praying that others continue to be protected. Troops are also encouraged to think of ways to help support community efforts. In the coming weeks, I know we will be receiving stories of how girls and Troops have stepped up to be a beacon of light during this time.
What is the number one message you want girls and families to know in light of having faith and letting go of fear surrounding the Coronavirus?
I want families to know and believe in 2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV, that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Connect with your family by being fully present, limiting your media consumption, and maintaining as much routine as safely possible. We, as a community, will get through this in time. Join us in prayer for wisdom and the healing of all affected by COVID-19.
About Patti Garibay, Founder & Executive Director of American Heritage Girls (AHG)
Patti Garibay with her husband are co-founders of American Heritage Girls, a wholesome scouting alternative for girls. Patti is a featured speaker nationally on the topic raising Godly girls (RGG). Along with her blog posts, Patti is a popular guest on talk shows on relevant girl-centric topics ranging from body image to bullying.
In her upcoming autobiography, Patti gives readers a glimpse into her journey from the humble beginnings of American Heritage Girls around her kitchen table in Cincinnati, to where it is today, a formidable national organization offering a positive environment in a largely Godless culture.
Patti Garibay is a living tribute to traditional values of old, offering an alternative to a lonesome online world. In Patti’s word of American Heritage Girls, she delights in her mission to help raise Godly girls, helping girls make real friends, who really chat, who also happen to enjoy camping and other outdoor adventures in a real world.
