The 7 Impressive Benefits of Yoga

Practiced by over 300 million people worldwide, yoga is one of the most popular forms of exercise. As it should be!

With astoundingly incredible benefits and long-lasting effects, what yoga can do for your mind and body is truly unmatched. Sounds almost too good to be true, except for the fact that it isn’t; and we have the proof. Read on below to find out.

What is Yoga?

Though largely considered to be a form of exercise, yoga is so much more than that. 

Yoga is essentially a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices that aim to relax and control the mind, while building strength, awareness, and harmony in the mind and body. 

The very word ‘Yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’, meaning to unify, and it does so beautifully by blending specific poses, positions, breathing exercises, and meditative techniques to perfectly combine and effectuate physical and mental wellbeing.

What are the benefits of Yoga?

Encompassing a range of postures, and meditative and breathing techniques, yoga is seen as the ideal discipline that combines exercise with mindfulness and stress-relief. And while the number of people who practise yoga is a clear indication of its incredible effects, here’s a quick run through of some of the ways in which yoga benefits your mind and body:

1. Boosts strength and flexibility

Yoga poses, at any level, stretch the muscles; thereby making them more limber, while alleviating sore, tight, and tired muscles. 

The holding of different positions, using one’s own body weight, also results in building muscle strength and endurance. Even a few sessions of yoga have shown to increase muscle flexibility by up to 35%!

2. Boosts bone and joint health

While the strengthening effect of yoga on the muscles is well established, what may be surprising is the incredible effect yoga has on the bones. 

All yoga poses involve numerous muscles in the body to hold, balance, and support specific positions. This leads to stronger muscles, which in turn, relieves the stress and strain experienced by the joints. In fact, in as little as 10 minutes a day, yoga has proven to improve bone mineral density; a welcome piece of information for those afflicted with osteoporosis. 

3. Helps to perfect posture

Our current sedentary lifestyles are often the ideal recipe to form the dreaded hunchback with its rounded shoulders and arched back. This bad posture in turn leads to a host of problems such as pain and tension in the neck, reduced circulation, reduced lung capacity, poor digestion, and decreased vitality.

Yoga helps combat this by perfecting the posture. How? By increasing your body awareness and core strength through various standing and sitting poses. 

4. Improves cardiovascular health

Being a truly holistic practice, yoga provides the unique combination of physical exercise, along with relaxation and meditation. As a result, this stress-busting practice has been shown to reduce blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels; all of which significantly improve heart health.

5. Helps with inflammatory conditions

Many chronic conditions, including heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and rheumatoid arthritis are due to inflammatory processes. Yoga helps reduce inflammation, and thereby the severity of these conditions, by effectively reducing cytokine levels known to promote inflammation.

The postures and breathing techniques of yoga offer the perfect combination of exercise and stress relief; both of which have a profound anti-inflammatory effect on the body.

6. Improves circulation

The slow, balanced, and deliberate poses have an obvious effect on the body’s circulatory system. Simply put, it gets the blood flowing!

This in turn, has a very real and positive impact on every organ system; particularly improving cardiovascular health and boosting metabolism.

7. Improves mental health and cognitive function, while reducing stress and anxiety

Unsurprisingly, yoga is as effective for your mental health as it is for your physical. In fact, yoga has been shown to improve mental clarity, concentration, and memory. At the same time, yoga plays a crucial role in reducing stress and anxiety. 

Yoga has also been shown to lower stress hormone levels while increasing the level of endorphins in the body; basically, reducing anxiety while improving your mood. This reduction in stress levels also has the incredible benefit of boosting your immunity.

Conclusion

With a huge following and global acceptance, yoga is no longer viewed as simply a workout. It has become a way of life. 

Creating physical and mental awareness, teaching stress-relieving techniques, and promoting emotional balance, all while improving and optimising your physical fitness. What more could we possibly need?

To learn more about the practice of yoga and how it could help create the balance you crave, visit The Ayurvedic Clinic today! Our panel of consultants would love to guide you on making yoga a part of your life and health.