Get Strong, Get Flexible, Get Calm: Benefits of Yoga
Yoga offers a huge number of benefits. Here's the short list:
Yoga for Stress Relief:
The practice of yoga is well-demonstrated to reduce the physical effects of stress on the body.
Yoga for Pain Relief:
Yoga can ease pain. Studies have shown that practicing yoga asanas (postures), meditation or a combination of the two, reduced pain for people with conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, auto-immune diseases and hypertension as well as arthritis, back and neck pain and other chronic conditions.
Yoga for Better Breathing:
Yoga includes breathing practices which can be effective for reducing our stress response, improving lung function and encouraging relaxation.
Yoga for Flexibility:
Yoga can improve flexibility and mobility and increase range of motion. Over time, the ligaments, tendons and muscles lengthen, increasing elasticity.
Yoga for Increased Strength:
Yoga uses every muscle in the body, increasing strength literally from head to toe. A regular yoga practice can also relieve muscular tension throughout the whole body.
Yoga for Weight Management:
Yoga teachers, students and practitioners across the country find that yoga helps to support weight loss. Yoga encourages development of a positive self-image, as more attention is paid to nutrition and the body as a whole. A study from the Journal of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine found that regular yoga practice was associated with less age-related weight gain.
Yoga for Improved Circulation:
Yoga helps to improve circulation by efficiently moving oxygenated blood to the body’s cells.
Yoga for Cardiovascular Conditioning:
Even a gentle yoga practice can provide cardiovascular benefits by lowering resting heart rate, increasing endurance and improving oxygen uptake during exercise.
Presence:
Yoga connects us with the present moment. It opens the way to improved concentration, coordination, reaction time and memory.
Inner peace:
The meditative effects of a consistent yoga practice help many cultivate inner peace and calm.
(Source: Yoga Alliance)
