You are already aware that yoga can build strength, increase flexibility, and reduce discomfort. However, what about the advantages that go beyond your yoga mat?
The term “Yoga” derives from the root word “Yuj”, which means “to yoke” or “to bind”. The word itself has several connotations, ranging from astronomical conjunction to matrimony, with the notion of connectedness at its core.
The physical practice of yoga and its postures are known as Asana.
The scientific study of yoga’s health advantages is still in its early stages, but the majority of the available data seems to confirm what practitioners have likely known for millennia: it is incredibly good for our general wellbeing.
Let’s look at some benefits of yoga in greater depth:
Improves Flexibility
Flexibility is a key element of physical health. Moreover, there are numerous yoga types available, with an intensity level ranging from high to light. It has been discovered that even the lowest intensity styles enhance flexibility.
Stress Relief
We all work the whole day for our bread and butter, which leads to stress. We all have stress, and stress makes all of us frustrated. It is the best medicine for stress relief as it helps in reducing stress. Meditation, breath work, and auditory rituals, like chanting and sound baths, have all also been shown to significantly lessen tension and relieve stress.
Muscle Strength
Strong muscles do more than just look attractive. Additionally, they shield us from illnesses such as back discomfort and arthritis, as well as help in keeping older individuals from falling.
Perfect your Posture
Poor posture can cause back, neck, and other muscle and joint problems. As you slump, your body may compensate by flattening the normal inward curves in your neck and lower back. This can cause pain and degenerative arthritis of the spine.
Improves Mental Health
Both movements based yoga therapies and breathing-based practices have been shown to significantly improve depressive symptoms. Likewise, yoga is the best way to improve your mental health.
Increases Blood Flow
Yoga gets your blood flowing. More significantly, the relaxation exercises you learn in yoga can help your circulation, especially in your hands and feet. It also gets more oxygen to your cells, which function better as a result. Twisting poses are thought to wring out the venous blood from internal organs and allow oxygenated blood to flow in once the twist is released.
Helps you Sleep Deeper
One of the key benefits of yoga is sleep, which nearly every practitioner can experience, no matter what their skill level. Yoga can provide relief from the hustle and the burden of life.
Helps you to keep Drug-Free
If your medicine cabinet looks like a pharmacy, maybe it’s time to try Asanas. Studies of people with asthma, high blood pressure, Type II diabetes, and obsessive-compulsive disorder have shown that yoga helps them lower their dosage of medications and sometimes get off them entirely.
Encourages self-care
Yoga gives you the tools to help you change, and you might start to feel better the first time you try practicing. You may also notice that the more you commit to practicing, the more you benefit.
Bottom Line
While the research is still young, however, the results are promising and confirm what yoga practitioners have been touting for thousands of years: yoga is beneficial for our overall health.
Find the modality that works best for you, and remember; Moreover, investing in Asana practice is investing in you!