Yoga also increases the lubrication within the joints, ligaments and tendon but it is low impact because the poses work on precision and correct alignment. Those poses are held for a set time, and this gives the body an opportunity to increase blood flow and supply all areas of the body with vital supplies.

Sue Muller, who has been practicing yoga with Lisa for seven months, has not only seen an improvement in her flexibility, but also in her overall body strength.

However, yoga can do a lot more than slap a smile on your cerebrum - it also provides many physical benefits that have many flocking to restore their ailing bodies.

Lisa Garside owns Yoga with Lisa, which recently opened on Pine Island Road, and she wants to make sure people enjoy all the of yoga’s benefits.

“My body used to be very creaky. I would just turn my head and you could practically hear my ligaments stretching,” said Alice Laufer, who has just four yoga classes under her belt. “Now, I don’t hear it as much. My balance has gotten better, and my body is more limber than before.

A body that may have been rigid will start to experience a remarkable flexibility - even in those parts that have not been consciously worked on.

“I really enjoy it,” Muller said. “My body strength has improved, and I catch myself incorporating some of the tools yoga mats has given me into my daily live.”

Yoga can help achieve benefits in many other physical aspects. According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2005, yoga does an amazing job at reducing lower back pain, even better than traditional exercises. Yoga is also able to help you shed a few pounds - traditional yoga can burn as many as 170 calories in an hour whereas the power yoga’s - such as asthanga - can burn as many as 460.

Some people find that the physical practice of yoga becomes a gateway into a spiritual exploration while others just enjoy a wonderful low-impact workout that makes them feel great. Whatever your tendency, you will be able to find a class at Yoga with Lisa that suits your style with yoga mats.

Yoga is unlike traditional weight-building exercises because the body provides the resistance. While you are not likely going to produce the bulked-up muscles of weightlifters, you will certainly increase your muscle strength.

In addition, some balance postures require enormous muscle control to prevent participants from falling over. This helps to build and strengthen muscles.