One of the great gifts of our Indian ancestors gave us is the practice of yoga. Yoga helps bring together our mental, sensory, physical and spiritual selves. While many of us start with a great enthusiasm and invest in the attire and mat, but we fail to continue that spirit. Maybe a reminder to the benefits of the yoga practice will keep us in the momentum.
1. Improves Flexibility
Continuous practice of yoga improves flexibility in our body. This is because yoga helps to loosen our muscles and help us to have better alignment in our body. Inflexible muscles can lead to ligament tear etc.
2. Perfects Body Posture
Poor posture can cause neck, back and joint problems. Especially the pressure on your spinal cord is immense when you stand or walk all day and poor posture can add to the complications only. Yoga can improve the posture and reduce the strain on the joints.
3. Builds Muscle Power
Most exercises including when you work out at the gym or lift weights can increase your muscle power but only at the expense of the flexibility. But yoga combines the benefit of both and increases the muscle strength and thereby protecting our inner muscles and ligaments from aches and tears.
4. Improves Immunity
When we get our muscles to be more flexible by contracting and expanding them through various postures, the lymph nodes also function better. This drainage of lymph boosts our immunity and fights infections and viruses. Breathing exercises that are combined with the yoga postures also help in this aspect.
5. Regulates Your Heart Rate
While not all yoga postures are high energy, all have an impact in regulating the heartbeat. The postures with breath improves the oxygen intake and increases the endurance capacity of the lung and heart.
6. Improves Focus
One of the important benefit of yoga is that improves ability to concentrate. With continuous yoga practice one improves our reflexes, coordination, memory and even IQ. Thus yoga can help even our children to improve in their studies and general capabilities.
Furthermore, yoga also helps to improve your sleep pattern and reduce anxiety. There are several other life changing benefits that yoga practice can bestow upon its practitioners. So what are you waiting for, go do your yoga right now.
