Yoga

I have a question. About yoga.

I've been reading things again, about how important it is to keep your mind fit as well as your body. And how those two things are connected. It even seems to be an important way to keep out of dementia-problems at times.

Mental fitness can be achieved by learning new things, challenging yourself. Bodily fitness is the same. Running, walking, athletics, elephant-lifting, those things help a lot. I do stay away from elephant-lifting as I can't afford an elephant. Running is off the list too.

So now I wonder about yoga. And I have questions. Here they come.

1. Is all this necessary? Does one have to be made of rubber, or assembled from IKEA parts to manage proper yoga?

2. Does the right kind of yoga count as  such fitness? I know there is 'breathing yoga', which probably doesn't fit the bill.

At the moment I'm doing some bits and things to keep in shape (and no, this time round is not the shape I'm after), but it feels a bit cobbled together, incoherent. My efforts involve squats, some stuff with dumbbels (or whatever the correct spelling is), and fake push-ups (keeping knees on the ground because of my back).

As you can see here, Angela de la Cruz (yes, image used with permission) is pretty good at folding herself in incredible poses. That has to be advanced stuff. My body and mind currently ask if I'm crazy, by just considering this.

So, question 3: is this the right thing? If so, where does one start?

I'm curious to hear from those who know about this. It's my intention to stay healthy in every way, as long as possible. Is Yoga the way to go?