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Yoga is the holistic and most ancient system for physical and mental practice that includes mind, body, and spirit. The method originated in India, now accepted worldwide, and has many benefits as it is designed to cleanse and heal your mind, body, and spirit, and improve fitness. This system includes various asanas and practices to help one understand the realities of him or herself and the world around them. Yoga exercises (asanas) mainly involve more gentle and controlled movements.
Yoga is a spiritual practice. As the name means, it’s goal is to be in union with the absolute or bind together. The various asanas associated with yoga were performed to prepare the body for more mindful meditation. You might want to try yoga to boost your physical activity or improve your mental health. Or you might want to practice yoga to relieve your stress or want to invest in yoga to clear your mind, body, spirit connection. Here are some yoga benefits you missed notice before:
Yoga Improves Flexibility
If you are wondering about how to improve your flexibility, you don’t need to look anymore. Yoga asanas have always gone hand in hand with flexibility. As one can see, pretty much every single yoga pose has evolved around taking your joints and muscles through a wide range of flexible movements, allowing your body to stretch more by making them more flexible and energetic. If you’ve taken any gym classes before, chances are you might have heard your teacher telling you to stretch before exercising. Just like that, flexibility is a critical component of your physical fitness. Here are some beginners yoga asanas to improve your flexibility:
- Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)
- Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I)
- Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)
- Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
- Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
Yoga Improves Balance
World-famous yoga master B.K.S. Iyengar once said: “Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.”
Yoga can help you with your emotional and physical balance. The proper balance of your body is mainly based on these three senses – somatic sensory, vestibular, and sight. These senses can be diminished with age and your non-healthy lifestyle. Diseases like diabetes or multiple sclerosis, alcohol addiction, and usage of certain drugs may leave a person unbalanced. Balancing exercises for the body also improves the mental awareness of a person leading him to concentrate on tasks, remember, and let go. Here are some beginners yoga asanas to improve your balance:
- Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
- Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
- Tree Pose (Vrksasana)
- Eagle Pose (Garudasana)
- Low or High Lunge (Anjaneyasana)
Yoga Improves Heart Health
Yoga comes with a lot of physical and mental health benefits, including improving your heart functionality. Practicing yoga on a regular basis may help you to reduce blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and as well as heart rate. A 2016 study published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing found that those who are regularly practicing yoga combined with deep breathing resulted in lower blood pressure and lower heart rate. It’s important to choose yoga poses because it has no side effects but benefits you in various ways. And it’s no more “No pain, and no gain” mantra is for yoga.
Yoga Increases Self Confidence
Self-confidence is something every person must have! To be happy in your life, or to count the blessings you receive, you should be confident and proud of your achievements. Confidence is believing in yourself, and without this belief, we are all weak to the world. Yoga is the best option to strengthen self-acceptance! Not only will you become more aware of yourself and your surroundings, but yoga will also help you accept who you are and the changes you could bring to your life. As you practice yoga and breathing exercise on a regular basis, you will feel a flow of positive energy throughout your entire body. It’s no longer a secret that yoga improves your self-confidence!
Yoga Promotes Mental Calmness
If you have already tried yoga, even for once in your life, you might have felt ease as the weight of your mental burdens has been lifted off your shoulders. Yoga helps you feel more relaxed and calm because we use proper breathing exercises with the asanas. Breathing exercises like diaphragmatic breathing (Ujjayi pranayama), helps one to calm their mind as it sends fresh oxygen throughout the lungs. You can also practice your breathing with the help of www.breathwrk.com. When practiced correctly on a day to day basis, it will create internal heat and will give you mental uplift. And these practices can prove to be very valuable in intense situations, especially in those situations where you tend to be out of your usual self.
Yoga Supports Joint Health
Do your wrists, or knee joints hurt when doing certain things? Does your joint pain limit you from enjoying your life the way you wish to? Yoga will be your best choice if you are ready to end your relationship with your joint pain! As joint pain is extremely common, many different conditions can lead to painful joints, including rheumatoid arthritis, gout, sprains, osteoarthritis, bursitis, strains, and other injuries. Certain medications can relieve pain. Studies found that regular practices of yoga asanas can eliminate the pain. Here are some beginners yoga asanas to improve your joint health:
- Camel pose (Ustrasana)
- Bow pose (Dhanurasana)
- Bridge pose (Setu Bandhasana)
- Triangle pose (Trikonasana)
- Dolphin Plank pose (Makara Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Yoga Promotes Sleep Quality
Sleep is an essential part of every human being as it supports our body in functioning properly. Unfortunately, due to the change in our lifestyle at a fast pace, most of us don’t get enough sleep (a human being requires at least 6 – 8 hours of sleep), which affects us in every phase of our lives. As yoga is well known to relax both body and mind, it can be a blessing to people with insomnia. According to an article published in Psychology Today, there are various studies to prove that yoga is a great option to improve the quality of sleep. Practicing yoga as one of your bedtime routines can help you to overcome insomnia and other anxiety attacks. Here are some beginners yoga asanas to promotes your sleep quality:
- Corpse Pose (Savasana)
- Legs Up The Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)
- Reclining Bound Angle (Supta Baddha Konasana)
- Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
- Wide-Knee Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Yoga Relieves Chronic Pain
To a chronically ill person, there is nothing more frustrating than hearing, “the pain is all in your mind; you are completely alright.” According to various statistics collected by researchers, 50 million Americans are living with chronic pain. Chronic pain is in mind, but it doesn’t mean that the pain they are experiencing is not true! Even though yoga is not a quick fix to one’s severe chronic pain, it can be helpful in both physical and mental pain management. Various clinical trials also suggest that regular practicing of yoga can eventually improve sickness, inability, and mood swings in people with tenacious pain.
Yoga Prevents Back Pain
Back pain is one of the most common reasons for absenteeism from work and for seeking further medical treatment. Yoga involves a series of asanas, which is beneficial for strengthening the backbones of a person. Each asana will teach you to stretch and relax your muscles and joints and bring a feeling of calmness. Some asanas that are mainly focused on reducing the muscular tension of a person. Here are some beginners yoga asanas to prevent back pain:
- Cat-Cow Pose (Bidalasana)
- Extended Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)
- Sphinx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana)
- Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
- Two-Knee Spinal Twist Pose (Jathara parivartanasana)
Yoga Reduces Stress
When it comes to stress and anxiety, yoga can be an excellent antidote. Yoga comes with many stress-relieving methods, such as – relaxing your body, exercising, clearing your thoughts, and other breathing exercises. If you are here, depending on yoga only so that it will help you overcome severe stress-related issues, you should consider consulting a reputed mental health center. Yoga can surely help you to relieve your stress issues, but considering a physician’s help will be an added advantage.
