You may be intimidated by yoga when you see these lean, flexible and strong yogis so gracefully bending their bodies into poses with funny names that are hard to pronounce. But let me tell you this, no one gets there overnight and some of us may never get “there”. Yoga is a practice. The point of yoga is not to stretch your legs behind your head but instead to learn things about yourself and your body on the journey there. You will most certainly become overall more physically fit on the road to touching the back of your head with your toes but it doesn’t stop there. Here is a short list of other benefits you will gain from yoga:
- stress relief and relaxation
- reconnect with yourself and your body
- gain confidence and self esteem
- find peace
- perfect your posture
- increased happiness
- become better focused
- experience better sleep
- boost your immune system
- builds self awareness
- benefits your relationships
- encourages self care
- influences change where change is needed
And these advantages are all in addition to the actual physical changes you will see which are:
- improves flexibility
- builds muscle strength
- prevents cartilage and joint breakdown
- protects your spine
- betters your bone health
- increases blood flow
- ups your heart rate
- drops your blood pressure
- regulates your adrenal glands
- lowers blood sugar
- relaxes your system
- improves your balance
- maintains your nervous system
- releases tension in your limbs
- gives your lungs room to breathe
- prevents IBS and other digestive problems
- relieves all over body pain
- soothes your sinuses
- keeps allergies and viruses at bay
- supports your connective tissue
Still not sure if yoga is for you? In addition to the variety of health benefits, yoga offers an even more varied range of classes. There are so many different types of yoga classes and within each class there are options to modify the intensity to suit what your body is comfortable with that day. While one day you may be feeling a Power Yoga class, come the weekend your mind and body may be in need of Restorative Yoga. Our needs change on a daily basis and Yoga serves only to suit your needs. Diana always reminds us that this is our practice, listen to our bodies and do only what our bodies want to do in the moment. Yoga IS for EVERYONE.
For more information on the health benefits of Yoga, visit Yoga Journal.