I’ll admit I can be pretty cliched. A new year means new beginnings which means I start off all good habits again. And year after year it’s the same ones.
This means I’m back on the yoga bandwagon again. The added excitement for me that just might keep me going is that our gym has introduced Hot Yoga. Nothing better than sweating it out in a 38 degree heated room with 30 others and not forking out $25 a sesh for it – so there goes my excuse to quit.
We’ll talk more about the specifics of hot yoga in another post. A number of my well-meaning friends kind of snort when I say I’m doing yoga to get fit. Clearly, they are cliched as well – with images of us sitting around cross-legged holding hands and chanting.
But there are a lot of benefits that yoga can bring to your life – both physical and non-physical. So let’s take a closer look
Although the popularity of yoga has grown exponentially over the last few decades, it is actually a 5,000-year-old discipline that originated in India. This practice has been developed to help individuals unite their minds and bodies. There are several types of yoga, all of which are based on different kinds of movements, referred to as poses.
The main reason you’re supposed to start doing yoga is that it just makes you feel better. Not only will it improve your body’s health, but it will also have a positive effect on your mental and spiritual well-being.
As far as health benefits are concerned, yoga is known to improve poor blood circulation, reduce arthritis-related headaches and symptoms, reduce high blood pressure, and reduce the risk of depression.
As far as health benefits are concerned, yoga is known to improve poor blood circulation, reduce arthritis-related headaches and symptoms, reduce high blood pressure, and reduce the risk of depression.
However, yoga will also have a big impact on your daily lifestyle. Here are five ways this practice can make your life better.
Stress Relief
Yoga is not a practice that impacts only your wellbeing. No matter what type of yoga you may choose to practice, you will always have to clear your mind and focus on the present moment. By doing yoga, you will learn how to let go of your worries, so that you can relax properly.
By combating stress, yoga will save you from a number of possible health problems. Stress is currently one of the main causes of chronic conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
Confidence Boost
Through self-awareness, yoga will help to boost your confidence. By engaging in this practice, you will test the boundaries and limits of your body. This will make you improve your strength, flexibility, and stamina over time, helping you realize what you really are capable of. Seeing all of these improvements will increase your self-confidence, which is without a doubt one of those improvements.
Patience
To master some of the more difficult yoga poses, you’re going to have to work on your patience. Most people don’t want to wait for anything today; they want everything here and now. But this kind of impatient thinking won’t get you anywhere in your life. Being patient will allow you to remain calm and collected whenever you face a challenge.
Improved Endurance
Although most people who do not practice yoga are not aware of this, stationary yoga poses have a huge impact on your endurance. The main reason why you will improve your endurance by practicing yoga is that this practice will enhance your awareness of breathing at all times. Attention to breathing is essential to all physical activities, even though you probably won’t have the chance to practice it the same way you can during a yoga class. For example, if you practice yoga, you’re likely to improve the way you breathe more than if you practice long-distance running.
However, as a long-distance runner, you can benefit greatly from yoga, as you will learn how to breathe better while you’re running, improving your endurance.
Enhanced Focus
One of the most crucial benefits of yoga is that it helps you focus on the present. Thinking about the past and the future will often make you have distractions when you’re working on anything important. However, by focusing entirely on what you’re doing right now, you’ll improve your concentration, problem-solving skills, and memory.
Here are some interesting stats on just why many people take up yoga in order to benefit their lives
