Yoga Benefits

There are many yoga benefits. Introducing yoga to your daily routine can benefit your lifestyle, health, and well-being.

It can be a way to free yourself from that hectic lifestyle that you lead these days.

This philosophy creates a positive attitude. It can also change the way you look at yourself and the life you live.

Or you could practice yoga for the physical benefits it can have on your body. A fitter, leaner, stronger and more flexible you.

The benefits of yoga are plentiful, so let’s break them down. As little as one hour of yoga a week is enough to improve your health and well-being.

LIFESTYLE BENEFITS OF PRACTICING YOGA

More Energy

Let’s face it, life can get hectic and have a negative effect on your health and well-being:

• Physical and mental exhaustion
• Lack of energy and focus
• Stress and anxiety

Whether it’s work-related with almost zero time for tuning out of work mode. Or family related, like being new parents and raising children – you can burn out fast.

Yoga is your answer! Finding only ten minutes daily to practice yoga is rejuvenating. A morning session helps to prepare you for the challenges of your everyday life.

Yoga is perfect for recharging your batteries, leaving you feeling energised and relaxed.

Meeting New People

Yoga can be both a philosophy and your favourite exercise routine. But it’s also a great way to socialise and meet new people.

Yoga schools are full of enthusiastic, positive and friendly people. All who have a common interest in yoga and encourage you to get what you want from it.

Even if you practice at home, you can still be a part of the yoga community. Groups on social media, forums, blogs are channels where yoga lovers gather online.

You can get in touch with them without leaving your home and meet people you’d never meet otherwise.

If you’re unsure or uncomfortable about taking a yoga class, this could be a step in the right direction.

Developing Good Habits

In essence, the eight limbs of yoga are the epitome of a happy and fulfilling life.

Yoga teaches you how to balance yourself with the world you live in. It does this by harmonising a mind-body connection,

You will notice a positive change in your mindset and a calmness that will benefit your health. With continuous practice, these very principles could become your way of life.

Focus And Concentration

The physical aspect of asanas requires a lot of concentration. You learn to focus on moving through particular poses.

Focusing your mind on breathing and meditation also improves concentration. It allows you to disengage your thoughts and focus on the present.

This concentration and focus create an awareness of your mind and body. Thus, enhancing their connection, bringing you clarity and calmness.

Valuable off the mat, you may also find increased focus and concentration in your daily life.

Self-confidence

With the enhanced mind-body connection that yoga brings, you become more self-aware.

Practicing yoga allows you to gain more awareness of your body. You will learn to make adjustments in your poses to improve alignment.

Having a better understanding of your body allows you to appreciate it for what it is.

If you take an open and positive approach towards yoga, you’ll learn to see things from a different point of view.

Yoga enables self-examination and development, making you feel part of something bigger. It lets you feel more comfortable being you.

PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF PRACTISING YOGA

Increased Strength And Stamina

Yoga is a perfect way to shape, tone and strengthen your body. It’s especially good for you if you don’t enjoy weight-lifting or other forms of strength training.

Many yoga poses compel you to support your body weight. This increases body strength and tones your muscles for a leaner appearance.

Holding poses for a period of time also improves muscle endurance. Repeating these poses during the workout will increase stamina.

Healthy Joints And Bones

If you are inactive and sit for the majority of the day, your joints set in a stiff position that rarely changes.

As you practice yoga, your joints move through their full range of motion. This eases pressure around your joints and encourages mobility.

The stretching through asanas releases muscle and joint tension, relieving that stiff feeling. As a result, you’re less prone to joint injuries and issues such as arthritis.

Poses which force you to lift the weight of your own body, work in favour of your bones. As such, yoga may help prevent osteoporosis, or people already diagnosed with osteoporosis.

Flexibility

Yoga is one of the best and most efficient ways to improve your body’s flexibility.

Asanas work most muscles and tendons in your body, improving their capabilities. This can help relieve pain and stiffness.

Increased flexibility also enhances blood flow around the body. This detoxifies your body, which increases energy levels and leaves you feeling rejuvenated.

From beginners to advanced, your flexibility will improve with every yoga workout. What’s more, yoga is perfect for people of all ages and fitness levels.

Balance

With increased strength, flexibility and posture, yoga is sure to improve your balance.

Your balance may be excellent, but when you start out, you learn to balance by keeping your eyes still. Focusing on a particular point during a pose – a yoga term called Drishti.

As a beginner, you tend to focus more on the physical aspect of asanas. That is, which muscles you’re meant to engage and how to position yourself during a pose.

Yet, as you progress, you can also learn to balance your mind with your body. This allows you to replace any negative energy with something more positive.

In the end, you can use this to benefit life off the mat, from fewer falls to a more positive outlook on life.

Improved Posture

Daily activities contribute to poor posture in many ways. Such as slouching in a chair, leaning on one leg or cradling your phone.

This could be while you’re at work, sitting still for several hours in an office chair. Or laying on the couch at home watching your favourite show.

As a consequence, your spine is not in proper alignment. This places extra stress on your back muscles, ligaments, and discs, and is a major cause of back pain.

Yoga is perfect for strengthening your back muscles and correcting your alignment.

Injury Prevention And Healing

Both recreational and professional athletes practice yoga to prevent and treat injuries. You can too!

It’s a way for you to become aware of your body and how it feels. You’re more likely to notice stiff joints and sore muscles and treat injury-prone areas.

You can practice yoga as a warm-up or cool down, as it works your muscles and joints. The range of motion and stretching prepares your body for training or competition.

Not only does yoga help you prevent and treat injuries. But also increase performance with improved flexibility and balance.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA

Relaxation – Reduces Anxiety And Stress

The physical aspect of yoga, along with breathing and meditation, help you to relax.

Asanas improve blood circulation and ease muscle tension. Pranayama, pratyahara, and Dharana allow you to focus your mind.

Combined, they soothe your body and mind, offering long-term benefits to your health.

Better Breathing and Better Sleep

With a more relaxed body and state of mind from practicing yoga, you are sure to get a peaceful night’s sleep.

One of the most important parts of yoga is breathing. You already know that Pranayama helps to regulate the flow of energy within your body.

These breathing techniques increase lung capacity and offer a calmer breathing pattern. They can also help to clear the nasal passage.

This allows you to wake up more rested, feeling less stressed and more energetic. You can tackle daily hurdles with a lot more enthusiasm.

Assists Digestive System

Yoga aids digestion, constipation and bloating. It helps to detoxify your body and assist in moving waste through your digestive system.

Asanas improve blood circulation to your digestive organs. It also strengthens and massages the surrounding muscles.

A common cause for bloating is stress, particularly tension build up in your abdomen. Deep breathing can relieve this tension and relieve stress-related bloating too.

Body Weight Management

Some types of yoga, such as Ashtanga, involve a lot of dynamic moving and sweating. An increased heart rate can enhance your cardiovascular fitness and circulation.

Yoga is comparable with a cardio workout that can serve as a weight management activity.

Combined with mindful nutrition, yoga is great for balancing your health and well-being.