Have you ever wondered what the benefits of practicing yoga are? Simply put, why you should practice yoga is determined by each of us individually. So many people fall in love with yoga, but everyone can find a slightly different reason for this form of activity, which is the number one reason. Above all, however, they fall in love with yoga because they discover how wonderful it is for the mind, body and spirit. If you’re still not convinced, here are the top ten reasons why yoga is so amazing.
1. yoga increases body flexibility
You may be surprised, but this is why many people start yoga, and there is certainly a great benefit to practicing it. Yoga postures and sequences help increase the body’s range of motion. A careful approach to yoga helps ensure safe stretching, allowing the nervous system to relax the muscles into gentle, effective stretches. This reduces the risk of ligament and tendon injuries that can occur with a more aggressive approach to flexibility training. Relaxing muscle tension can also help you relax, helping your whole body open up more. So if you’re wondering whether yoga is worth practicing – and you’d like a ready-made way to be flexible and relaxed, here’s the answer.
2 Yoga helps build strength
While there is a chance that many people will overlook this exact advantage of practicing yoga, seeing only the advantages of yoga over body flexibility – you have to admit that this physical activity is actually also a fantastic strengthening practice. Yoga helps strengthen the muscles that support the body’s weight, which leads to functional strength. It is also fantastic for building core strength. This improves athletic performance and functionality in everyday life, while protecting you from injury.
3. yoga helps keep your joints healthy
Looking at the benefits of yoga , you also have to admit that it can really strengthen the muscles around the joints, helping to stabilize them. It moves the joints through their full range of motion, so it can help improve their health. Joint mobilization improves the flow of synovial fluid, allowing the bones to move smoothly and healthily. The synovial fluid also provides fresh oxygen and nutrients to the joint cartilage, helping to rebuild it and keep it healthy, which also has a positive effect in relation to yoga. Interestingly, all of this means that this form of activity can even help people with more serious joint problems, such as arthritis, improving fitness and reducing pain
4. yoga reduces stress
Many people start yoga to improve their flexibility, but keep coming back because they think they feel so much better. They forget that there is another important aspect that answers what yoga helps with – stress! Yoga’s focus and breathing help reduce it significantly, and thus can be the perfect antidote to a busy, modern lifestyle. In part, this is another great benefit of just practicing yoga. This is also due to the positive effects of increased activity levels and exercise, as well as the relaxation and reduced physical tension it brings.
Simply put, yoga can make you feel:
- relaxed.
- Physically refreshed,
- mentally refreshed,
- energized.
5. yoga lowers blood pressure
High blood pressure is a serious condition that is associated with an increased risk of both heart attack and stroke. In addition to reducing stress, which can be a contributing factor to hypertension, several aspects of yoga practice are thought to directly improve blood pressure. Yoga’s relaxation and deep breathing can lower high blood pressure even after the practice has ended, while providing another answer to why yoga is worth practicing. Some asanas-such as the supported bridge pose or the pose with legs up-are particularly beneficial for people with high blood pressure.
6. yoga is a powerful way to practice mindfulness
Yoga is about uniting mind, body and breath. Doing so brings you into the present moment. Mindfulness has been shown to be beneficial for many medical conditions and is particularly effective in promoting positive mental health.
In particular, mindfulness practices have been shown to:
- strengthen the immune system,
- improve social relationships .
- reduce depression, anxiety and neuroticism.
The benefits of increased mindfulness through yoga clearly extend far beyond the mat.
7. yoga improves your posture
One of the greatest benefits of strengthening and stretching yoga is that it is a balancing practice. Yoga can help resolve any muscular imbalances, lengthen tight areas and strengthen weak areas. Our posture can often deteriorate as we age, largely due to our movement habits throughout the day. Over time, back muscles weaken and chest muscles tighten, making bad posture worse. Yoga can help stretch your chest and strengthen your back muscles. It can also make you more aware of your body and posture, so you can automatically self-correct for healthier posture throughout the day.
8. yoga supports the body’s natural healing process
The body has an amazing ability to heal itself under the right conditions, and the benefits of y oga also have to do with this. Practicing yoga can be a great way to create an environment that allows the body’s innate healing powers to kick in. The strengthening and lengthening effects of yoga can improve mobility and function, helping the body recover from physical injuries. Mental health benefits, meanwhile, can lead to improved sleep patterns and enhanced mood, greatly improving quality of life.
9. yoga improves breathing
The foundation of yogic breathing practices is pranayama, or yogic breathing techniques. These techniques, which are integrated into most yoga classes, can be amazing in restoring balance and vitality to the body and mind. Controlled breathing can increase energy levels and relax muscles, while reducing stress, anxiety and depression. On a physiological level, regular yoga practice has been found to improve lung capacity and breathing in both healthy adults and people with asthma.
10. yoga helps you make healthier life choices
There is a story in Yoga about a student who asked his yoga teacher if his smoking habit would interfere with his yoga practice. The teacher smiled and replied. “No, but yoga will interfere with your smoking habit.” Regardless of whether that was the case, one of the greatest benefits of yoga is that it helps you tune into what you’re doing, and so you’ll no longer have any doubts about whether yoga is worth practicing – it will convince you of that on its own!
