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 Reasons to Try Yoga
- Stress Relief: The
practice of yoga is well-demonstrated to reduce the physical
effects of stress on the body. The body responds to stress through a
fight-or-flight response, which is a combination of the
sympathetic nervous system and hormonal pathways activating,
releasing cortisol – the stress hormone – from the adrenal glands.
Cortisol is often used to measure the stress response. Yoga
practice has been demonstrated to reduce the levels of cortisol.
Most yoga classes end with savasana, a relaxation pose, which further
reduces the experience of stress.
- Pain Relief: Yoga
can ease pain. Studies have shown that practicing yoga asanas
(postures), meditation or a combination of the two, reduced pain
for people with conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis,
auto-immune diseases and hypertension as well as arthritis, back
and neck pain and other chronic conditions.
- Better Breathing: Yoga
includes breathing practices known as pranayama, which can be
effective for reducing our stress response, improving lung function
and encouraging relaxation. Many pranayamas emphasize slowing
down and deepening the breath, which activates the body’s
parasympathetic system, or relaxation response. By changing our
pattern of breathing, we can significantly affect our body’s
experience of and response to stress. This may be one of the most
profound lessons we can learn from our yoga practice.
- Flexibility: Yoga
can improve flexibility and mobility and increase range of motion.
Over time, the ligaments, tendons and muscles lengthen, increasing
elasticity.
- Increased Strength: Yoga
asanas use every muscle in the body, increasing strength literally
from head to toe. A regular yoga practice can also relieve
muscular tension throughout the whole body.
- Weight management: While
most of the evidence for the effects of yoga on weight loss is
anecdotal or experiential, yoga teachers, students and
practitioners across the country find that yoga helps to support
weight loss. Many teachers specialize in yoga programs to promote
weight management and find that even gentle yoga practices help
support weight loss. People do not have to practice the most vigorous
forms of yoga to lose weight. Yoga encourages development of a
positive self-image, as more attention is paid to nutrition and the
body as a whole. A study from the Journal of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
found that regular yoga practice was associated with less
age-related weight gain. The lifestyle study of 15,500 adults in
their 50’s covered 10 years of participants’ weight history,
physical activity, medical history and diet.
- Improved circulation: Yoga helps to improve circulation by efficiently moving oxygenated blood to the body’s cells.
- Cardiovascular Conditioning: Even
a gentle yoga practice can provide cardiovascular benefits by
lowering resting heart rate, increasing endurance and improving
oxygen uptake during exercise.
- Presence: Yoga
connects us with the present moment. The more we practice, the
more aware we become of our surroundings and the world around us.
It opens the way to improved concentration, coordination, reaction
time and memory.
- Inner peace: The meditative effects of a consistent yoga practice help many cultivate inner peace and calm.
FAQs
- What is yoga?
- What does Hatha mean?
- What does Om mean?
- Do I have to be vegetarian to practice yoga?
- How many times per week should I practice?
- How is yoga different from stretching?
- Is yoga a religion?
- I'm not flexible—can I do yoga?
- What do I need to begin?
- Why are you supposed to refrain from eating two to three hours before class?
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