Within our bodies, we have an internal world that is filled with potential for change and improvement. Yoga offers a time-tested approach to opening up this inner world and unlocking our full potential.
There’s a reason the ancient practice has stood the test of time. Yoga is a total mind-body experience, with both physical and mental benefits. Not to mention the fact that there are endless options, making it one of the most versatile ways to work out.
Here’s 6 reasons why you should be doing yoga:
- It’s a great workout.
First of all, yoga is an amazing workout for your body. Yoga can be adapted to suit your body, interests and level of comfort. No matter what yoga exercises you choose, practicing them will always make for a complete workout routine. There are some fantastic series of movements out there that are perfect for every kind of day and for every kind of person, meaning there’s no reason not to start doing some yoga as soon as you can.
- It gets you in touch with your body.
Yoga is a series of postures and exercises, designed to increase your body’s strength and durability. Therefore, doing yoga on a regular basis will really get you to be much more in tune with your body and know when something is really working and when it isn’t.
Exercises like yoga can take time and dedication to get the best results. As frustrating as it is when some exercises don’t work for your body, you may need to learn that this is not always a bad thing as it does have its benefits, and it makes improvements in your physical state that are much more pronounced and noticeable.
- It helps ease pain.
The next time you wake up with a headache, back ache or any other aches and pains, give yoga a try. A study done by Harvard Medical School found that the practice can help relieve chronic pain. There are many different poses to choose from in order to find what’s best for your situation so make sure you experiment until you find one that works well. Here are some:
- Upward Facing Dog
- Low Lunge With Backbend
- Seated Forward Fold
- Seated Spinal Twist
- Standing Forward Fold With Clasped Hands
- It can improve your sleep.
With so many benefits, it’s hard to turn down the opportunity to do yoga. One lesser-known benefit is that doing yoga can help you get better sleep. This might be due to the fact that a few sequences of poses and movements are intended to be done right before sleep.
Light activity is key. Yoga isn’t going to be a replacement for the sleep-inducing effects of counting sheep, but it will help you get in a position to fall asleep faster and wake up more refreshed without actually putting your body into full sleep mode.
Forget the sleep aids, allow yoga to lull you into a soft slumber. Plus it’s backed up with research that shows the practice can help with insomnia. And with it’s calming benefits, there’s no doubt your mind will be relaxed and prepped for rest.
- It will improve your posture.
Most yoga poses require you to maintain your spine in a straight line. You have to do this while also holding the position for several minutes at a time, so it’s an excellent way of training yourself to stand and move correctly.
This kind of impact on physical posture will help boost your confidence, not just from being more comfortable with how you look but because you’ll be healthier as well. Correct posture encourages good digestion and ensures better blood flow throughout the body which keeps everything running smoothly.
- Meditation can change your life for the better.
Meditation, meditation, meditation. It’s really the key to all things yoga. Even if you can do every kind of complicated pose under the sun, it loses all of its true meaning if it’s not done with focus and thought. Meditation has been shown time and time again to be a beneficial practice that everyone should implement into their daily routine.
Meditation improves your quality of life by allowing your mind some time to process everything that goes on in your life. It’s a hugely important and integral part of yoga practice and something that can really change your life, allowing you to embrace calmness and serenity with ease.
So next time you decide to start exercising or working out, add some time dedicated solely to meditation into the equation because it will definitely help make your experience much more enjoyable health-wise.
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