9 Health Benefits of Yoga
What does the Word Yoga mean?
The word Yoga derives from the Sanskrit word Yuj which means ‘To Join’.
Its essence is to join the human spirit with that of the Heavenly Spirit.
When does Yoga date back?
Yoga is meant for physical and mental well-being and its practice dates back to ancient India as early as Indus Valley Civilization (3300-1900 BC).
Who is a Yogi?
The people you practice Yoga are called ‘Yogi’.
What is an Asana?
Yoga consists of different exercises which are mainly termed as ‘Asana’.
When was Yoga noticed Worldwide?
Yoga was noticed by the Western world in Mid-19th Century and from there it spread around the world.
Yoga being Recognized by UN
It was declared ‘Intangible World Heritage by UNESCO on 1st December 2016.
‘International Yoga Day is celebrated on 21st June as per United Nations.
Benefits of Yoga
If we think of Yoga-The words which pop up in our mind are Peace, Tranquility, Health, Happiness, and A Good Night’s Sleep.
Can I see some nods out there?
Yoga has been there for centuries for healing the mind, soul, and body. There are innumerable health benefits of Yoga that are being discussed.
9 Health Benefits of Yoga
1. Good for Flexibility
Whenever we visualize a Yogi, we always think of him being really flexible. The way Yogis turn their body any way they like is really jaw-dropping.
As one practices yoga, his muscles get stretched which helps in increasing the range of motion.
If you are one who is leading a sedentary lifestyle and you have got most of your muscles sleep. You are the kind of person if anything drops from your hand, even the thought of picking it up from the ground makes you run sweat down your brow. Then you must opt for Power Yoga which is the most advanced form of yoga as it rapidly transitions from one yoga pose to another.
Flexibility through Yoga although is not achieved overnight, one has to work really hard towards getting it.
Yoga pose for Increased Flexibility and Strength
Downward Facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana
is one of the best yoga poses for flexibility and strength.
2. Improved Posture
When you went to get photographed for your passport your Photographer asked to get your Chin up, Back Straight, Shoulders Square and SMILE…!!
The same thing can be achieved without even batting an eyelash if you are habitual of Yoga as it helps in improving posture.
Due to a sedentary lifestyle, bad sitting habits, and mostly lying around most people get a bad posture.
I personally know a person whose vertebral column became the shape of the alphabet D-All because of bad posture and she is in a lot of pain because of it.
There is nothing to worry about, still, things are in your hand if you start practicing yoga.
Your pain will disappear and vertebrae will be realigned. Consistency is the key.
It will take almost a month minimum to get back your posture.
Yoga Pose for Improved Posture
The Bridge
The Bridge is one of the best yoga poses for improved posture.
3. Acts as an Antidepressant
Yoga has been found really helpful for improving mental health. It has been found especially fruitful in the treatment of patients with Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, PTSD, and Schizophrenia.
The stretching poses and controlled breathing works as an Antidepressant.
Anxiety attacks can be warded off by yoga.
Yoga Pose for Fighting Depression and Anxiety
Tree Pose or Vriksashana
One of the best yoga poses for fighting depression and anxiety is Tree Pose or Vriksashana (Sanskrit for Tree).
It is a balancing Asana and is done while standing.
4. Makes one feel at Peace
Yoga is something that brings peace and tranquility to the mind and soul. It is quite helpful in treating chronic stress and anxiety. It helps in relaxing the nerves.
Yoga Pose for Stress Management
Child’s Pose or Balasana
Child’s Pose or Balasana is one of the Best Asanas which helps one to manage stress.
5. Improves Sleep
Do you have long, sleepless nights?
Do you keep on tossing and turning all night long?
Have you started to dread night?
If the answer is a Yes for one or all of the questions, then Yoga is the ultimate solution for insomnia.
Yoga has proved to improve sleep quality. It is made possible by muscle relaxation and stretching them.
It has been found that if you do bedtime yoga exercises then you will have a deep, uninterrupted sleep, with good REM (Rapid Eye Movement).
Yoga Pose for a Better Sleep
Legs up the wall pose or Viparita Karani is one of the best yoga poses for a good night’s sleep.
6. Improves Immunity
Nowadays when the Covid-19 Pandemic is spreading everywhere in full force, it is high time to boost our immunity.
Yoga is the knight in shining armor. It helps to strengthen the immune system.
Yoga Pose for Increased Immunity
Cobra pose or Bhujangasana
Cobra pose or Bhujangasana, Plow pose or Halasana, and Bow pose or Dhanurasana help in the release of White Blood Cells or Leucocytes which are the immune system cells.
7. Yoga and Mindful Eating
It has been proved through research that yoga has a direct impact on Mindful Eating.
Mindful Eating means that a person knows what he is eating, how it tastes, and when he has to stop eating.
There a lot of people who are caught up in the habit of binge-eating. It can be taken care of through yoga.
It was found through an extensive study spanning a decade that those people who practiced yoga in their everyday life gained only a little weight than those who did not have a habit of practicing yoga.
8. Sheds away those Extra Pounds
There are thousands of people out there who would vouch for yoga for losing weight.
If you are on the lookout for losing weight through yoga then do it 4 to 5 times a week for 30 minutes to an hour.
There are a lot of poses that can be done for weight loss out of which one is the plank.
Yoga Pose for Burning the Belly Fat
The Planks or Kumbhakasana are really good for burning the belly fat and strengthening the core.
The Plank or Kumbakhasana
A Plank is done by stretching our body in a push-up style.
You can start with a few seconds to hold the plank and gradually increase the time.
You can also follow a 30-day Plank Challenge.
9. Yoga Plays its vital role in Female Well Being
Studies have proved that Yoga helps in regulating the menstrual cycle and treating dysmenorrheal. It helps in reducing the Testosterone hormones which in turn helps in treating Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).
It helps to get recovered from the terrible mood blues during PMS, pregnancy, and after childbirth.
Take-Away Points
Yoga has been there for centuries and has got attention worldwide only 4 decades back. There are a number of health benefits associated with Yoga which include fighting stress and depression, improved lifestyle and posture, shuns the negativity out of oneself, helps in mindful eating leading to weight loss, improved sleep quality, to name a few.
In order to get the most benefit out of it, one shall be consistent and practice doing it 4-5 days a week for a minimum of half an hour and a maximum of an hour-long session.
Yoga is safe for young, adults, and the elderly alike. Anybody can do it. The only thing needed is the will to do it.
Once you will be struck by the magic of yoga then you will be left spell-bound.