The Surprising Benefits of Yoga for Your Mind and Body
If you’re reading this article, it’s probably because you’ve recently heard about the many health benefits of yoga, and you’d like to try it out for yourself. You may have never done yoga before, and you’re wondering how on earth it will help your mind and body (especially since you’re new to the practice). While practicing yoga poses can provide some serious stress relief, here are some other unexpected benefits that can make your body healthier than ever before: (1) better circulation, (2) stronger bones, and (3) better balance.
Stress Reduction
Numerous studies show that yogic practices reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. But what is it about yoga that brings these benefits? Studies suggest that the meditative quality of yoga lowers blood pressure, reduces the level of cortisol (a stress hormone) in the body, reduces inflammation in the body, increases serotonin production (the feel-good neurotransmitter), calms muscle tension in the body, and improves sleep quality. All these benefits are linked to lowering one’s risk for developing diseases like heart disease or cancer.
Improves Self-Esteem
If you’re feeling down on yourself, yoga can help. It will allow you to take your mind off the negative things happening in your life, while allowing you to focus on something positive: yourself. Yoga also helps improve self-esteem by teaching acceptance and mindfulness. By practicing yoga, you’ll learn how to treat yourself with kindness and care, not as an object but as a person who deserves to be happy.
Promotes Heart Health
Yoga is a unique way to work out your body, but it also does wonders for your mind. When you practice yoga, you get the chance to decompress and relax. In fact, research shows that after an hour-long session, practitioners showed a reduction in anxiety by 57% and depression by 54%. Not only can the calming effects of yoga help with mental health issues like anxiety or depression, but it’s been shown to improve symptoms of heart disease as well. If you’re looking for something new to do this week in terms of workouts, try giving yoga a try – it might just be what you need!
Builds Resilience
Yoga can be a powerful way to build your resilience, since it helps you gain the mental strength and physical stamina to withstand difficult life events. As you practice yoga, your body will become stronger, more flexible, and more resistant to injury. Plus, yoga has been shown to help with depression. All these things make a significant difference in your day-to-day life.
Promotes Brain Health
Yoga is a great way to get your body moving. It engages muscles, increases circulation, and strengthens joints. The mental benefits are just as important though; yoga teaches us how to focus on the present moment without distraction by thoughts about past or future events. Plus, it’s a great way to de-stress from your day.
Helps with Depression
Yoga has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of depression. It helps because it releases serotonin, one of the brain chemicals that aids in mood stability. The body also responds to yoga by releasing endorphins, which are feel-good hormones that promote relaxation. Additionally, yoga has a positive effect on the autonomic nervous system by increasing parasympathetic activity. This helps your heart rate slow down from its resting state to promote an overall feeling of peace and calmness.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Yoga is a physical activity that targets the muscles, joints, and ligaments. It can help improve your balance and coordination. It also stretches the muscles which in turn increases flexibility. This helps to reduce risk of injury as well as keeps your muscles strong.
Keeps Muscles Strong
Yoga has been shown to keep muscles strong, improve coordination, and even increase flexibility. A study published in Journal of Strength Conditioning found that yogis were able to perform more push-ups than their non-yoga counterparts. This is because practicing yoga helps us build muscle strength in our core, back, chest, shoulders, hips and legs. And we need all those muscles when it comes time to do those push-ups!
Fights Obesity
Yoga is a great way to fight obesity. One study found that women who practiced Hatha yoga, which focuses on physical poses, increased their muscle mass by 10%. And while that might not sound like a lot, it’s actually the same as what you’d see with people who lift weights. Plus, yoga can even help fight your cravings! It turns out that the breathing exercises during yoga create an oxygen rush in the body which releases endorphins. This makes you feel happy and less stressed out — which can help tame cravings.
Keeps Bones Healthy
Yoga is a great way to stay flexible, which can help keep your bones healthy. According to Harvard Medical School, Yoga exercises strengthen the core muscles that support your spine as you bend, twist, and stretch. This helps prevent back pain. And in case you were wondering about the mental benefits, yoga has been shown to lower anxiety levels by decreasing the stress hormone cortisol.