Friday Finds – 22nd June

Friday Finds is a regular feature in which I collate and share interesting articles and posts on running/health/fitness which I’ve read recently. Some might be inspiring, some might be scientific, some might provoke debate. All are things I’ve found in some way thought-provoking.

Friday at long last! I hope you’ve had a good week. This week I’m bringing you a yoga special since yesterday was International Yoga Day. Enjoy…

Regular readers will know that one of my goals for 2018 was about building on my yoga practice. I firmly believe it has benefitted me both in my running and my mental health, so to start us off here’s a piece about some of the ways yoga helps us and why it is so beneficial.

• The Science Behind Why Yoga Makes Us Happy

Related to this is this next piece which examines how yoga has evolved to meet the needs of modern society. Yes, the ancient principles are still there, but there are now many different approaches to yoga, some of which have a certain novelty value, and our reasons for practicing yoga are more than likely different too:

• Yoga Isn’t Timeless: It’s Changing To Meet Contemporary Needs

And thinking about changing approaches and ways of practicing yoga, I found it interesting to read of a recent study which found that rather than suppressing the ego, the practice of yoga or meditation can actually inflate the ego. However this study did focus on a westernised practice so I would find it interesting to see a comparative study of Buddhist practitioners.

• Yoga and Meditation Can Boost Your Ego, Say Psychology Researchers 

A recent addition to my practice this summer has been some sessions of SUP yoga which I have really enjoyed. It’s a more challenging practice with the ever-present possibility of a dip in the water, but really worthwhile, so I enjoyed reading about the experience of this US-based writer:

• I Tried, And Enjoyed, Philly Paddle Board Yoga Over the Dirty Delaware River

And finally, last week I shared the news that International Yoga Day was going to be marked in Disney parks with classes around the iconic castle. It definitely sounds like something I would love to do, and having seen the photos in this article, I’m even more drawn to it. Anyone else?

• Thousands Celebrate International Yoga Day at Iconic Disney Parks Locations

Happy reading,
The Running Princess

PS Here’s a bonus video of a kitten yoga class. Because KITTENS!!

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