Is Yoga Paleo?

Is Yoga Paleo?

With the Paleo trend it really is starting to hit mainstream. More more people are becoming interested in it. More more people are trying it and more more people are converting to it

With the Paleo way it’s kind of like a primal way. So when  you think of primal and Paleo kind of think of the caveman. So you think of hunting and gathering their food for survival. So in that way it kind of becomes a special kind of way of life for these people who are following the paleo diet.

Maybe a little bit more hard core or heavy then other types of diets. So a lot of people think of Paleo people as hardcore fitness people—-Lifting weights, doing burpees, flipping tires, slamming med balls, yelling and screaming during their workouts—— that’s primal baby!

But I kind of would like to push that image to the side because I truly believe that Paleo is one of the top 2 ways to eat— for health and overall performance in workouts, sports, career, and life.

So the typical Paleo advocate is going to scare people off with their all or nothing type of mindset. And it doesn’t have to be that way.

Do you have to lift weights to be on Paleo? No….

Do you have to run prowler sprints? No……

Do you have to assert your judgment on people who aren’t paleo? No……..

Well, in that case, everybody can technically be Paleo… or do the Paleo diet. I always throw it out to at least try it for 30-days. The ones who can’t, or won’t are usually the ones addicted to carbs (bread, gluten, and sugar to be exact)….. but on Paleo I still eat ‘pancakes’ every week 🙂

Behold! My Paleo Pumpkin Coconut Pancakes! And YES- they are as delicious as they look 🙂

So if everybody can technically be Paleo, then…..I ask you— Is Yoga Paleo?

Yoga is known for stress relief, relaxation, mindful movement with the breath, awareness—— all wrapped in with different poses and postures that help to cleanse the body. Increases in strength, flexibility, mobility, stability, balance, and coordination are usually the result of consistent routine.

There are different kinds of Yoga. From Ashtanga to Bikram to Hatha To Vinyasa to Improvement Warrior Yoga (my own personal spin). Some types and classes are harder and some are easier.

But the thing of it is, at least in my opinion, it’s about the stress relief and the movement. It isn’t ‘hardcore’ like the definition of hardcore would be. Although I guess you could be a ‘hardcore yogi’ 🙂

Hell in a cell- That’s hardcore

If you would of approached me even back at the beginning of 2012 and told me I would be doing Yoga everyday, I would of laughed at you. If you approached me back when I was in College in my bodybuilding days around 220 pounds I probably would of punched you in the mouth.

But now I can tell you, I need it. I can tell the days that I don’t do it. I usually do it at least 5-6 times a week, and meditation is the same way. The world as a whole is an overmedicated society— yoga is my medication. 

It’s a different kind of training. I have my physical workouts where I do lift heavy stuff and put it back down, or push and throw things around with kettlebells, med balls, or my own body weight. The workouts are intense and push my physical limits a lot of the times. My Yoga sessions would be super easy if you compared the two, but again it’s two different animals.

I get sore from my yoga sessions in places I didn’t even know I had.  A lot of twisting and holding poses is something that traditional exercises like squats or pushups don’t do……

But the main thing is your mind, or my mind. I’m training my mind to be still. Only focusing on the breath as I move into the next pose. It takes practice. It doesn’t happen overnight. I still have my mind wander off every once in a while.

You can control two things in your life completely: Your breath and your thoughts.

Yoga helps to get better control of both.

Which is why I hope everybody adopts a practice or at least tries it. If your mind is constantly running with thoughts of this or that, that is going to lead to a lot of stress. Stress kills. Stress makes us fat and keeps us fat.

If your body is stressed then weight loss is virtually impossible. Stress causes your mind and brain to work differently, that effects your emotions, your emotions affect your actions— all of this affects your hormones…… Your hormones control everything that you do and that happens inside and out of your body.

So I urge you to try it out if your not. I’ve put one of our Improvement Warrior Yoga sessions down below at the bottom of this post. Try it.

But remember— do not go in with negative emotions or a poor attitude towards it. It doesn’t matter how flexible you are or how weak you are or how overweight you are. With consistent practice those things will get better, just like in a regular fitness workout or lifting session— you are always progressing to get better.

In my practice I always tell our Improvement Warriors when to inhale and when to exhale….. it’s that important. Moving with the breath. The breath is energy. It is vital to life and your organs. So much that you don’t even have to think about it, it just comes natural.

What doesn’t come naturally is our ability to be active. We are all naturally ‘lazy’. We want to do things the easiest way possible. That’s human nature.

Why do something in a complicated way, when there is an easier way?   Like NEW MATH– WTF 🙁

A physical practice is one of the most important things you can and will do for your life. But it has to be consistent and you should enjoy it.

Give it a try below.

Want to try meditation? Download my free meditation- Perfect Health perefect Body.

So is Yoga Paleo?

Everything can fit as long as you want it to and make the effort to.

Stay Strong, Stay Positive, Be the Improvement Warrior

Let me know your thoughts below: Is Yoga Paleo???

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