Top 10 Reasons to Practice Yoga
Yoga means to yolk or come together in union. Union of body, mind and soul, and connection with all things universal. It is a practice of full acceptance and awareness. Although for some it is deeply spiritual, yoga is not affiliated with any religion.
So here are my top 10 reasons to practice yoga:
1. Improve Balance: Balance is important at any age for reducing the risk of falling.
2. Lower Stress: By connecting the body and mind through the breath and learning to breathe deeply, you physically reduce stress, and the levels of cortisol in your body. Cortisol is often referred to as the “stress hormone.” In high levels over time it suppresses our immune system making us more susceptible to catching the flu and the common cold. It also causes our bodies to age faster. Studies have documented a “significant reduction in cortisol” after as little as 50 minutes of practicing yoga.
3. Better Breathing: We typically practice a style of breathing called Ujjayi breath, which encourages deep even inhalations through the nose and deep even exhalations through the nose. This increases endurance, lowers blood pressure, and increases longevity.
4. Improve Flexibility: Most of us are not naturally flexible and we loose flexibility as we age. A regular disciplined practice will increase your flexibility reducing muscle strains, imbalances and back pain.
5. Cross Training: Yoga benefits all other sports through better breathing, which increases endurance and lung capacity. And through increased flexibility, which may improve your golf swing, your tennis stroke and your running stride, etc. It also improves mobility and stamina, and builds strength.
6. Improve Posture: Through the asanas (yoga poses) and through awareness, your posture off the mat will improve greatly. It can even help relieve scoliosis.
7. Weight Management: You will become more in tune with your body and feel a lightness with your practice. As you become conscious of the connection between what you eat and how those foods make you feel after eating them, you naturally begin to choose the foods that best fuel your practice and make you feel healthy.
8. Improve Circulation: Better circulation delivers oxygenated red blood cells more efficiently throughout your body.
9. Increase Strength: You will use muscles you never even knew you had and build strength throughout your entire body. Yoga especially works your core, which supports and protects your back. Not to mention how good strong core muscles make you look in a bathing suit.
10. Yoga cultivates Self Esteem, Inner Peace, and Calmness on the mat that goes with you into your daily life. When you are feeling down or stressed out, you can use yoga to restore your self esteem and inner peace. That is a tool that nobody can take that away from you!
As you can see, yoga provides an abundance of benefits that can greatly improve the quality of your life (that's exactly what it did for me). In addition, there are many styles of yoga to fit your needs and your ability level, so don't delay your yoga journey. I can help you get started with everything that you need such as determining the yoga styles that are best suited for you, as well as being your yoga instructor!
Thanks so much for signing up for my newsletter and joining the yoga family! Please do not hesitate to ask questions that you may have. You can write me at libby@yogafitboutiqie.com, or call 513-237-5330.
Namaste,
Libby McAvoy