Benefits of Yoga

The benefits of yoga are now being proven by Western science. This ancient practice that originated in the East 5,000 years ago continues to be a powerful tool for excellence and self growth. Research is providing more understanding of how yoga works to improve health, heal aches and pains and prevent sickness. 

Yoga encourages you to relax, slow your breath and focus on the present.  

If you practice yoga regularly, then you already know that yoga benefits the mind, body and soul. Yoga is a profound science that unlocks the healing powers of your higher center of consciousness.

Yoga can help reshape your life by eliminating stress and ending self destructive behavior. A regular yoga practice can empower you to make positive changes and solve your problems by drawing upon your inner strength.

Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have shown how yoga may enhance traditional medical care and initiate the natural healing process. Another study at the Ohio State University Medical Center proved the direct correlation between stress and physical, mental and emotional health.

While the primary benefit of yoga is to reach a spiritual state of enlightenment, research shows the physical benefits of yoga to be numerous...  

Increased Strength

Improved muscle and bone strength is one of the greatest by-products of a regular yoga practice. The increase in strength is from holding the various poses in yoga that also increase endurance without the use of weights.

A research study by the American Council on Exercise recruited 34 women to practice yoga three times a week. After eight weeks, these women could do an average of six more pushups and 14 more curl ups than they could before practicing yoga.

Strong muscles not only look good but protect the body from back pain, arthritis and help prevent falls. This means greater independence as you get older. Also, yoga's ability to lower the stress hormone cortisol helps maintain strong levels of calcium in the bones, further strengthening them.


Improved Balance and Flexibility

Practicing yoga is a great way to improve your balance, flexibility and range of motion. Various poses such as Dancer and Tree pose that require you to stand on one leg serve to improve your balance and strength. You will also gain flexibility enough to touch your toes, one of the most rewarding benefits of yoga.

The Mayo Clinic showed that the improved balance and flexibility gained through regular yoga practice made injuries from other day to day activities less likely. Also, you may notice that aches and pains will start to disappear. The disks in the spine receive more nutrients each time you do a forward bend, back bend or twist, which keeps the disks supple.

Relief from Chronic Pain
Research from the Mayo Clinic has shown that practicing yoga can lower chronic neck pain and back pain as well as pain associated with arthritis, multiple sclerosis and other chronic health conditions.

A separate study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that individuals with carpal tunnel syndrome experienced less pain and better hand strength due to regular yoga practice. Each time you practice yoga, the joints in the shoulders and hip experience a full range of motion. The joint cartilage receives fresh nutrients during each movement which helps to keep the cartilage healthy.

Improved Mood and Peace of Mind

Yoga helps to quiet the mind which dials down feelings of anger, fear and frustration which can cause stress and lead to feelings of low self esteem.

Yoga strives to unify the body, mind and spirit and teaches you that you are a manifestation of the Divine. When you practice yoga regularly, you will come to realize that you are a worthy individual and are part of something bigger than yourself.

This awareness of one self that yoga teaches enables you to break free from negative thoughts and emtions by calming the mind and central nervous system which lifts your mood and provides a sense of inner peace.

Better Breathing

Yoga places a great deal of emphasis on deep slow breathing in order to work through and hold the various poses which is one of the most significant benefits of yoga. This deliberate breathing shifts the balance from the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response) to the parasympathetic system, which is calming and restorative.

Yoga breathing has also been shown to improve lung function. Those who practice yoga regularly are able to take in more oxygen per breath, which improves efficiency since the lungs don't have to work as hard. According to research published by the Mayo Clinic, the deep breathing required of yoga helps to lower tenson, anxiety and stress as well as blood pressure and heart rate more effectively than listening to relaxing music.

Weight Loss

Yoga helps increase your awareness of living a healthy lifestyle. It is a great movtivator to gain control of your eating habits due to the strong mind body connection. While not all yoga classes are aerobic, if you take a Vinyasa flow or Ashtange class, it can boost your heart rate into the aerobic range.

Of all the benefits of yoga, losing weight benefits the body in other ways. Yoga helps to lower the stress hormone cortisol. If cortisol levels remain elevated even after the stressful event is over, it can affect long term memory, lead to depression, osteoporosis, high blood pressure and insulin resistance.

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• Beginning a yoga practice is one of the most effective and rewarding ways to take care of yourself.

• Yoga is a way of life. Your practice off the mat should permeate your day as you connect your self with others.

• When you connect with your true self during your yoga practice you can connect to others in a more profound and meaningful way.

To create self mastery and the capacity to inspire leads to feelings of gratitude and a sense that you are part of something bigger than just yourself.