9 Benefits of Yoga

Last Updated On May 31, 2021

Yoga is beneficial to both physical and mental health for people of all ages. And, if you're suffering from an illness, recovering from surgery, or living with a chronic condition, yoga can become an important part of your treatment and potentially hasten your recovery. A yoga therapist can work with patients to create individualized plans that complement their medical and surgical treatments. As a result, yoga can aid in the healing process by allowing the person to experience symptoms with greater calm and less distress.

For example, if you did your "downward dog" yoga pose today, you're probably feeling a little more at ease. You can feel better from head to toe if you practice yoga on a regular basis, regardless of your level of expertise. These are 9 benefits you can archive through Yoga.

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1. Yoga improves strength, balance, and flexibility.

Slow movements and deep breathing increase blood flow and warm up muscles while holding a pose can help you gain strength.

Try This: Tree Pose

Balance on one foot while holding the other foot at a right angle to your calf or above the knee (but never on the knee). Try to concentrate on one spot in front of you for one minute while balancing.

2. Yoga helps with back pain relief.

Yoga is just as effective as basic stretching for relieving pain and improving mobility in people suffering from lower back pain. Yoga is recommended as a first-line treatment for chronic low back pain by the American College of Physicians.

Try This: Cat-Cow Pose

Place your palms beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips on all fours. Inhale first, allowing your stomach to drop toward the floor. Exhale while drawing your navel toward your spine, arching your spine like a cat stretching.

3. Yoga can ease arthritis symptoms.

According to a Johns Hopkins review of 11 recent studies, gentle yoga has been shown to alleviate some of the discomfort of tender, swollen joints in people with arthritis.

4. Yoga benefits heart health.

Regular yoga practice may help to reduce stress and inflammation throughout the body, resulting in healthier hearts. Yoga can help with a number of risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and being overweight.

Try This: Downward Dog Pose

Get on all fours, then tuck your toes under and raise your sitting bones to form a triangle. Maintain a slight bend in your knees while stretching your spine and tailbone.

Photo by Alexy Almond from Pexels

5. Yoga relaxes you, to help you sleep better.

A consistent bedtime yoga routine, according to research, can help you get in the right mindset and prepare your body to fall and stay asleep.

Try It: Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose

Sit with your left side against a wall, then turn right and gently raise your legs to rest against the wall, keeping your back on the floor and your sitting bones close to the wall. You should be able to hold this position for 5 to 15 minutes.

6. Yoga can mean more energy and brighter moods.

After establishing a yoga practice, you may experience increased mental and physical energy, increased alertness and enthusiasm, and fewer negative feelings.

7. Yoga helps you manage stress.

According to the National Institutes of Health, scientific evidence indicates that yoga helps with stress management, mental health, mindfulness, healthy eating, weight loss, and quality sleep.

Try It: Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Lie down with your limbs gently stretched out and palms facing up, away from your body. While breathing deeply, try to clear your mind. This pose can be held for 5 to 15 minutes.

8. Yoga connects you with a supportive community.

Yoga classes can help to alleviate loneliness and provide a safe space for group healing and support. Loneliness is reduced even during one-on-one sessions because one is acknowledged as a unique individual, is listened to, and participates in the creation of a personalized yoga plan.

9. Yoga promotes better self-care.

Yoga is one of the best self-care practices because the benefits are both physical and mental. Yoga can help you improve your strength, balance, and flexibility. Yoga's mental self-care benefits are practical for those suffering from depression, anxiety, and stress.

benefits of yoga