It’s no secret to exercise enthusiasts around the world that yoga is a holistic, multifaceted practice with a multitude of amazing benefits. Our overall health and well-being can be vastly improved by committing to as little as twenty minutes of Yoga a day. Along with the obvious positive affects that Yoga has on our bodies, it also – less conspicuously - aids us in developing a healthy mind and soul. The benefits of Yoga are essentially endless, though for the sake of practicality, I have limited this post to the most prominent seven. 1. Reduced Stress In a world where daily stress plays a significant part in most people’s lives, yoga is the perfect antidote. Many current yoginis, in fact, began their yoga exercise regimen not as a way to lose weight, but rather as a means to reduce anxiety. Just as deep, healing breaths are a great way to calm down and regain your bearings in any stress provoking situation, gentle yogic postures (asana), breathing (pranayama) and meditation help to release both current and excess tension. These soothing techniques calm the body, slow the heart rate, lower blood pressure and revitalize the nervous system. Additionally, regular yogic breathing and meditation instills mental clarity and an overall heir of tranquility in all those who are committed to its practice. 2. Increased Muscular Tone and Flexibility Yoga postures place an equal balance of both stretching and tension on our muscles, which results in longer and leaner muscle fibers, ligaments and tendons. These techniques ensure that our muscles not only become stronger through yoga, but more flexible as well. Similar to yogic breathing and meditation, stretching is also a great way to reduce stress because - like a big full bodied stretch... ... middle of paper ... ...ation of internal heat and improved relaxation all enhance the functioning of the respiratory, digestive, endocrine, reproductive and elimination systems. This improved functionality not only helps to remove toxins and stimulate healing within the body, but also builds up a stronger immune system which works to fend off any ailments that may have otherwise developed. 7. Increased Energy Like any exercise regimen, working out vastly enhances your energy levels. Specific to yoga, the increase in oxygen taken in through the lungs during a physical yoga practice and pranayama will greatly improve energy levels. Stress reduction and enhanced muscular fitness will also free up energy blockages and give you more enthusiasm for life and living. For the highest possible energy levels, combine your yoga exercise plan with a clean, healthy diet and a bi-monthly yogic detox.
Yoga and Meditation being used as a form of physical therapy has been going on for thousands of years. We, the western society, have picked this up and created a yoga boom doing researches with results showing that it can improve physical health.
Aerobic exercise is anything exercise that elevates the respiration, heart and metalobic rate for 20-30 minutes. Aerobic exercises include running, brisk walking, swimming and cycling. Stretching and toning exercises are slow and sustained, they decrease muscle tension, improve circulation, can help relax the body, they also help focus and center the mind in the present moment. Yoga is a good example of a balanced stretching and toning program, and there is increasing evidence that yoga has psychological and well as physiological benefits. Yoga can be compared to progressive muscle relaxation where a muscle is tensed and relaxed systematically through out the body to produce relaxation response which decreases stress and tension, increases strength and balance, increases flexibility, lowers blood pressure and reduces cortisol levels (Thirthalli et al., 2013; Weiten et al., 2012), it improves psychological well-being, yoga involves concentrating on the breath and body which calms the mind by switching focus away from worries of the mind and brings the person into the present moment, rather than on the past or future. It also increases bodily awareness so the feelings of tension and stress are recognised earlier and can be reduced sooner, yoga it self is exercise and so the usual benefits of exercise are gained too (‘The psychological
Everyday society assumes yoga is just a physical health practice that will make people substantially fit. Social media is making people believe that Yoga is mostly good for exercising in a social, trendy fashion environment. What society does not know is Yoga plays a huge role in emotional hygiene, more so than physical health, Yoga develops a healthy emotional stability for its participants that lead to a healthy lifestyle. Emotionally, Yoga can develop a healthy emotional lifestyle for its participants while leaving a person with more positivity, determination and strength in the human mind.
Yoga Nidra (Yoga Sleep) is a term used to represent the state in which an individual exhibits all the symptoms of a deep non-REM sleep, remaining fully conscious(1). PET studies have shown that the brain activities during Yoga Nidra is unique in the sense that it can be called as the “fourth state of mind"(2). Yoga Nidra had been traditionally used in yoga practices to bring the subject into a state of deep relaxation. Studies have shown that practice of Yoga Nidra reduces Sympathetic Activity from baseline levels(3) and a shift in heart rate variability suggestive of parasympathetic(4) improvement. Since the autonomic regulation constitute a major part in the regulation of blood pressure(5), it is safe to assume that Yoga Nidra can bring about changes in blood pressure. In addition to this, there are studies that prove that Yoga Nidra increased mindfulness(6) and mindfulness based stress reductions do reduce the systolic blood pressure by 4-8 mmHg in Pre-Hypertensives(7).
Becoming a healthier person interests us all, from young to old, being fit is something we strive for. Nowadays, one means of achieving that goal is through yoga. Though the use of breathing exercises, meditation and strength postures, people have actually lowered their blood pressure, aches and pains fade away as their body becomes more athletic.
Only in the recent years, our culture is starting to recognize it as a great benefit to our health. Not only does yoga benefit our emotional health, it has great physical health benefits on the body. Yoga is a natural way to reduce emotional stress and cause beneficial effects on the body. Diamond 2011 stated in her article about yoga’s benefits of health that patient’s that are in chronic states of stress have a decrease in natural killer cells in addition to a decrease in their cytotoxicity. In another words, because of the emotional stress a patient is under, their immune system will decrease, giving them less chance or prolonged chance of recovery. This simple piece of evidence highlights the great impact of stress affecting a person health. Adding on to this, Diamond 2011 also reports that there is an increase of natural killer cells after a patient does such exercises. This increases the immune system’s functioning, benefiting and promoting wellness in the patient. Yoga can be prescribed to any patient, even if it is just simple breathing exercises where the patient relaxes the mind by focusing on their breathing. Yoga is a natural exercise that does not interact with medications and has endless benefits for mind and body, therefore it should be of greater focus in the hospital setting for ill
Therefore a person must develop stress management skills to maintain their own stability and yoga can be a part of the solution. In the book, Yoga Body, Buddha Mind, by Cyndi Lee, the author talks about fight-or-flight, a condition where the body relates to emergencies then responds by activating the adrenal glands allow the heart to pump quicker, raise blood pressure, increase muscle tension, and produce sweat. However, if you are constantly in a fight-or-flight mode then it leads to stress. Health problems can arise from not learning how to balance good stress which can have survival value and bad stress that can lead to insomnia, headaches, and even more serious conditions such as heart attacks (Lee
There are so many health benefits that one can get from yoga. Janelle, who has been a yoga instructor for years, tells me, “Other than the obvious increase in strength and flexibility, yoga has given me mental clarity, a sense of calm, and openness to life.” The poses that you do in yoga are specifically designed to build muscles and increase flexibility. Doing yoga can help improve one’s posture, help with balance, and help reduce chronic pain, such as back pain and arthritis. Yoga is also greatly beneficial mentally because doing yoga regularly can help relax you and give you a sense of peace and calm. There is nothing more relaxing than sitting in a dark room while peaceful music is playing and doing yoga. After yoga class participants always leave feeling much more relaxed. Yoga is also about spirituality and finding yourself.
Yoga has many effects on physical fitness components. The first way that it affects people’s physical fitness components is by fitness for effective living. Fitness for effective living has many key components and they are intellectual, emotional and physical. The physical part is having the strength to do daily tasks. The emotional part is that fitness can help a person be less stressed and feel less strained. Last but not least is the intellectual part and fitness can help this by clearing the mind and helping people think more effectively. Also, fitness can help a person enjoy life and their experiences. But all in all yogic exercise will increase a person’s flexibility, strength, and agility (Wankhede).
Throughout your daily yoga workout, you will see that it's much better to extend or perform certain positions easier. Versatility is often immediately associated with yoga, as yoga usually requires overall flexibility. Increasing your adaptability means you'll have a greater flexibility, which may use useful in a few situations. Stretching the muscles also provides you the capability to relax them. Another profit to overall flexibility from yoga is the fact you will not feel sore or fatigued after executing yoga. Stretching out can also help mend you from health problems, such as returning
Many people would tell you that they love to exercise and workout. This is true because exercising releases many stress-relieving endorphins that help in many ways. What they won’t tell you is that they feel the same way about stretching. It would be considered one of their least favorite things to do. Truth is, stretching is also stress relieving and relaxing, but not in quite the same ways as exercise. Although stretching doesn’t reduce bodily fat nor does it gain muscle; it does set a good foundation for you to perform the necessary activities that lead to good health. With proper flexibility, many functions that were previously not achievable can now be done. For instance, a tennis game can be fun for a little while. But as your muscle tense up, you risk probable sourness and cramping. With good flexibility, your muscles stay loose and relaxed and your attitude toward the tennis game and other exercises are improved.
Yoga is a popular health trend with a variety of studios opening around the United States. Yoga is the practice of strengthening physical poses, breath work, and meditation. Through these practices, an individual can mentally focus on his or her own self. One of the goals of yoga is to connect with one’s self mentally and spiritually; in other words, yoga helps a person get to know themselves better. Yoga has also grown into a community in which gurus, or teachers, can aid students in group classes or one on one.
... S. (2010). The health benefits of yoga and exercise: A review of comparison studies. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 16(1), 3-12. doi:10.1089/acm.2009.0044
In conclusion, our knowledge of the benefits of this ancient Indian practice continues to expand daily. Although the AMA and health care companies do not recognize yoga therapy as a proven treatment, countless individuals swear by its effectiveness in lowering stress and anxiety levels. As time progresses, further testing and research into this field most likely prove what yoga advocates have been claiming all
Yoga stretches are another feature of yoga where you can relax your body and reduce stress and fatigue. There are different stretches in yoga each contributing to the overall health of the body. Some of the most worked out stretches in yoga are; The Ankle and feet stretch, seated Backward Bend, Seated forward bend, neck stretch and much more. These stretches should be performed on a regular basis in order to take good care of the body. One thing that should be remembered that you should not overstress yourself while performing the yoga