The health benefits of yoga are significant and highly recognizable, ranging from greater flexibility to lowered stress. It can change your life by increasing your endurance, giving you greater strength, and an overall sense of wholeness. It can be done by anyone, at any fitness level, and is easy to get into; therefore, if you've never tried Yoga, this could be your pathway to living a happier and healthy lifestyle.
"Yoga will introduce you to someone you might not know, Your Self." Sri Swami Satchidananda
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Health Benefits Of Yoga
Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years, and continues to be one of the hottest trends for decades. No surprise, the earliest records date back 5000 years called the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are packed full of physical, mental, and emotional health benefits that have a huge effect on how you feel on many different levels. In fact the main purpose of Yoga is lasting PEACE and true HAPPINESS.
Western yoga classes usually focus on poses, meditation, and breathing technique. However, you can also find more traditional yoga classes that include more spiritual and cultural elements. So it is important to find the class that offers you more benefits in terms of your comfort level and goals.
Breathing The deep, mindful breathing encouraged by yoga increases lung capacity and helps us improve endurance. It has been shown that one can take in 7 times the amount of oxygen (7 time the amount of health!) if conscious exhaling occurs. Want to Stop Smoking? Do Yoga!
Circulation and Skin - Yoga has been shown to be a fabulous cross training tool for virtually all sports, it is in itself, a total fitness package encompassing hundreds of different exercises, both aerobic and non-aerobic. Yet yoga goes well beyond athletics. Through its controlled and precise breathing; and through its strengthening, stretching, and endurance building exercises, your entire body is toned and circulation is stimulated.
Yoga especially affects fascia, which is the "bag that holds your body together." Fascia totally permeates your entire body. It encapsulates everything; nerves, muscles, organs, glands, and it is also called the "fabric" that lies directly under your skin. The health benefits of yoga include restoration of the elasticity of fascia and this means Feeling Better!
Flexibility The basic poses safely stretch your muscles and ligaments, releasing lactic acid and increasing the lubrication and range of motion in your joints. You'll feel better and move better, too. After just eight weeks of yoga, participants in one study found that they had up to a thirty-five percent improvement!
The health benefits of yoga are profound, but only if you practice. Some people worry that they're not in good enough shape for yoga, but that's a misconception. Starting where you are and listening to your body is the key towards enjoying a practice and getting in shape.
Strength You'll get stronger doing yoga, too. Some types produce a great strength gain than others, but as you move to advanced poses, you'll find that you can do more. Supporting your own body weight can help to build stronger bones and can be done anywhere without weights or a gym! How empowering is that?
A number of poses build upper body strength - something that decreases as we age. Other poses improve our core muscle strength, helping us get through our days more easily and feel better. The improved strength you get with yoga will give you better posture and a better body awareness... grace.
Mental
Calm and Mental Clarity In addition to physical health benefits of yoga there are mental rewards as well. Even beginners to the practice usually feel a lot less stressed in a short time. In fact, the Asanas or Postures were developed to help a person sit more comfortably in meditation or stillness and learn to quiet the ever moving chatter in the mind by becoming aware. You'll have lower adrenaline levels and boosted oxytocin levels, feeling more relaxed and more peaceful in your daily life.
Concentration Yoga as other exercise can also improve your concentration and boost your mood. Yoga students often say they have an easier time paying attention and focusing on work and class. They also often report an elevated mood. That's why some people use yoga to fight depression, and even OCD. If you take up yoga practice, you'll be boosting oxygen levels, cutting down on your stress, and feeling better in no time. While yoga isn't a substitute for psychiatric therapy, the health benefits of yoga are a big help for people with mood problems and poor concentration.
Spiritual
Non- Attachment or Vairagya The more one begins to take charge of and control one's own body and mind, the more an individual is able to begin to observe the ebb and flow of the internal experience, realizing that happiness is within and not dependent on ever changing exterior circumstances. Yoga puts us in the practice of then becoming more Neutral in our Responses.
Oneness The word yoga means "To Join." The practice was designed by practitioners in search of controlling the mind long enough to connect with the Divine. The health benefits of yoga include the sweet revelation of our true true nature as human beings connected with the Source of all of Creation leaving us with deep peaceful spirits and happiness.
Steadfastness As it is with any other positive practice, Yoga helps us maintain a sense of clarity on what is important. The physical and mental focus points keep us in the rhythm of letting go of what is disturbing our peace and increases our ability to remain steady when presented with life's trials and tribulations and to experience real Joy.
Conscious and controlled Breathing done in most Yoga practices helps with relaxation and can be a good therapy for people with anxiety disorders. Subscribe to this site and we will send you More Free Tips and Yoga Postures for Better Health! Namaste.
Western yoga classes usually focus on poses, meditation, and breathing technique. However, you can also find more traditional yoga classes that include more spiritual and cultural elements. So it is important to find the class that offers you more benefits in terms of your comfort level and goals.
