The plan is given to you in the table on page 127 — an opening line, four supporting ideas, and a concluding line. Use them in that order and you will have a well-built paragraph of six or seven sentences. Draw your facts from the passage on pages 122 and 123.
| Part | What to put in it |
|---|---|
| Opening | State the main claim — yoga keeps both body and mind healthy. |
| Body benefits | Asanas stretch and strengthen muscles; flexibility, endurance, balance; less back pain. |
| Mind benefits | Breathing and meditation calm the mind, reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep and concentration. |
| Health benefits | Boosts immunity, lowers blood pressure, improves circulation, helps in weight control. |
| One example | Name a pose you know and say what it does. |
| Concluding | Yoga needs no equipment and can be started at any age — a way of life, not a form of exercise. |
The Benefits of Yoga
Yoga is important because it looks after the body and the mind at the same time, which very few forms of exercise do. One benefit of yoga that interests me is the way its asanas stretch and strengthen the muscles and increase flexibility, endurance and balance, so that even an old back stops aching. Practising yoga can help people sleep better and concentrate longer, because the breathing techniques and meditation calm the mind and reduce stress and anxiety; it also boosts the immune system, improves circulation and helps to keep weight under control. A popular yoga pose is vrikshasana, the tree pose, because it is simple to learn and it teaches you to stand steady on one leg with a still mind. Yoga is not just physical exercise; it also joins thought to action and human beings to nature, which is why the word itself comes from yuj, ‘to unite’. Finally, yoga can be a great way to stay healthy for life — it needs no equipment, costs nothing, and can be begun at any age and in any corner of a room.