We are living in a fast-paced and digitized world. The pressure to succeed, meeting deadlines, delivering high-quality work, and erratic schedules have taken a toll on the physical and mental well-being of people.
In light of this, it has become the need of the hour to create a balance, develop awareness and follow healthy habits. One can achieve this by including Yoga in their life. Unlike the common misconception, Yoga is not a religion but a way of life. Yoga is not limited to just postures and asanas but also involves pranayamas, kriyas, dhyana or meditation, breath work, living mindfully and following a healthy diet.
Yoga is extremely significant for people who aim to master the mind, healthily manage their emotions and have a healthy and flexible body. Yoga offers innumerable benefits for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.
Importance of Yoga
Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’ which means ‘union’. The practice of yoga includes disciplining or training the ‘body’ and ‘mind’.
Yoga has a holistic approach to wellness and helps in coping with daily issues, constant worries and health problems from an aware and positive state of mind. Through Yoga, one develops mindfulness, improves brain power, begins to heal, opens up the mental and emotional blockages, gives the body movement and encourages flexibility, improved breathing.
Yoga is not only important for attaining physical and mental health but it also helps in improving relationships as it makes one more kind, mindful, compassionate and calm. It creates harmony and boosts love among each other.
With regular practice of Yoga, one begins to develop better control of their emotions and leads a disciplined and happy life. Yoga improves strength, and stamina, tones muscles, builds immunity and teaches one how to live a Yogic life.
Benefits of Yoga
Yoga as a practice offers numerous benefits for physical and mental health, development and healing. Yoga works wonders in reducing joint pain, and muscle or back pain. It helps in reducing blood pressure levels, improves – brain function, heart functioning and lung capacity, muscle strength, balance and flexibility and much more.
Yoga for Physical Health
1) Improved flexibility and balance:
Through the practice of yoga asanas and postures, the body moves in different directions which helps in improving the flexibility of the body. Additionally, the yoga asanas help one to balance their weight and posture with increased focus.
2) Strengthens the muscles:
The yoga asanas help in building core and muscle strength. Regular practice increases endurance, upper body and muscle strength.
3) Better functioning of the heart and lungs:
The practice of Yoga improves heart health, and oxygenation in the body and reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. When one regularly practices yoga asanas and pranayamas, it reduces heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and BMI.
Through pranayama, breathing becomes controlled and improves lung functioning by increasing its total capacity.
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4) Boosts Blood Circulation:
Yoga asanas and pranayama improves oxygen supply and nutrients to the body and enhances blood circulation to the body. The improved blood flow improves the health of the organs and glows skin.
5) Improved Posture
The practice of Yoga asanas makes one more aware of their body and self. With this, one begins to be more conscious about their posture – the way they sit, stand and walk. Yoga asanas help in balancing and controlling. It makes one look confident and healthy.
6) Increased Immunity
Yoga helps in building immunity and boosts every cell in the body. With Yoga, the strength of the body increases becomes healthy and keeps diseases at bay.
Yoga for Mental Health
1) Reduces Stress
Stress is one of the major causes of many physical and mental health issues. With yoga practice, there is a decrease in the stress hormone called ‘cortisol’ and an in crease in the happy hormones called ‘serotonin’. Yoga stimulates relaxation and calmness of the stressed nerves.
Yoga asanas, pranayama and meditation help in shifting the focus from negative thoughts to the present moment. It reduces depressive symptoms and anxiety.
2) Improved Sleep Quality
Yoga helps in the release of ‘melatonin’ – a hormone that helps in falling asleep and getting good quality sleep. Through the practice of yoga asanas and pranayama, the mind calms down and reaches a state of relaxation which ultimately prepares the mind and body to sleep.
Read More: 5 Best Yoga Pose to do before Sleep | 5 minute bedtime yoga
3) Increased Focus and Awareness
Focus and Concentration are two aspects that people struggle to maintain whether it is at work or home. With the constant chatter of the mind, the attention and focus are always distracted. Thoughts are always racing in the mind, concentration is divided and stability is hard to achieve.
With the practice of yoga asanas, pranayama and dhyana, one learns to develop a one-pointed focus and be mindful of their thoughts, word and actions. When one develops awareness, a person is alert and present in the now which boosts focus and enhances productivity.
4) Enhances Self-Acceptance and Self-Love
In the digital world, everyone is seeking validation from the outside world in the form of likes, comments and praises. The opinion of other people has a huge impact on our perception of ourselves.
Yoga teaches us to love, accept and respect ourselves. With Yoga asanas practice, one learns to develop awareness about their self – strengths and weaknesses. It makes one become more confident about themselves and increases self-esteem.
5) Boosts Energy Levels & Reduces Lethargy
After practice of yoga asanas, one doesn’t feel tired or experience fatigue. One is charged and feels energetic. Yoga makes one more active and reduces laziness.
6) Anger Management and Increased Calmness
One of the most important benefits of Yoga is it helps in managing anger and makes one more calm and relaxed. Yoga broadens the mindset, opens the blockages and makes one more empathetic and understanding of others’ emotions.
This helps in raising awareness which reduces anger and mak es one adopt a calm and composed approach towards a particular situation.
Yoga is an experiential science and one has to practice regularly to gain optimum benefits. Once you begin practicing, you will witness the transformation on all levels and experience overall development.