Why Is The Practice Of Yoga Good For You?
Through the practice of yoga, a person can expect a uniting of spirit, mind, and body, as yoga is based on the belief that mind and body are a single entity, and that when the body reaches a state of harmony it can heal itself.
There are now almost 6 million Americans who are believed to have experienced the benefits of yoga firsthand. Awareness of the body is assisted through the practice of yoga, improving a person’s posture, their movement, and their alignment. Through the regular practice of yoga, people become centered and relaxed, less stressed, have more energy, and feel more peaceful, healthier and happier.
To start a typical class, breathing and mild stretching exercises are performed to prepare the participants mentally as well as physically. Most classes consist of performing the asanas (yoga poses) either individually or linked in flows (known as vinyasana). At the end of each class there is a short period of meditation or relaxation in shavasana (the corpse pose).
There are several forms of which can be practiced. Generally different forms of yoga produce different benefits. For example, Iyengar is for correct bodily alignment, and often utilizes props (including blocks, straps, or cushions). Bikram is also known as hot yoga, as it’s performed in a heated room. It generally consists of a set of 26 poses done in a particular order. These are both forms of Hatha yoga and are commonly practiced in the US, as they focus on the use of strengthening and breathing exercises.
How can you benefit? Yoga promotes excellent flexibility, is great for the circulation, and also increases muscle strength. The benefits go beyond the physical body, as it also promotes a calm and relaxed state. Yoga has, as one of it’s most basic goals, the aim of balancing a person’s life with respect to mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health.
Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years, but in recent years it has been studied scientifically. Modern medicine has demonstrated that it is beneficial for the body. There has been a great deal of research done into the health benefits over the years, both of the asanas (poses) and pranayama (breathing). Yoga produces physiological, psychological, and biochemical effects on the body.
Physiologically, yoga has been shown to decrease the heart rate and breathing rate, lower blood pressure, improve the efficiency of the cardiovascular system, improve excretion, assist in hand/eye coordination, aid in weight normalization, and decreasing pain. Psychologically, yoga benefits both mood and overall subjective well-being, it helps remove anxiety and depression, allows improved concentration and learning, and helps improve social skills, and general self acceptance. Biochemically, yoga brings about many changes in the body, from decreasing blood glucose, sodium, LDL and VLDL cholesterol and total white blood cell count, and increasing HDL, hemoglobin, and total serum proteins.
One of the best things about yoga is that as a single practice it can do so much more for the body than most other forms of exercise, and as such can easily fit into even the busiest lifestyle.
Ana Paula Hernandez has over twenty years of yoga experience, and knows how beneficial it is for the body. She promotes a focus on the basic yoga poses and postures as a means of maximizing benefits.
