Yoga benefits, health, breathing techniques

Benefits To Yoga

Yoga has been practiced for hundreds of years and has provided a wide range of benefits with over 800 postures. Yoga fitness is quickly picking up pace and for good reason. If you are new to the practice of yoga, you will be pleasantly surprised to find the following benefits when you decide to take the journey into the benefits of practicing yoga.

Stress Relief

Yoga is well known for the benefits of reducing stress in the body. Yoga is meditation in motion which stimulates the nervous system increases blood flow and reduces stress. You will notice a decrease of stress in the body after the first session if you're a beginner. Most yoga classes end with the Sanskrit term savasana, which is a relaxation pose.

Improves Flexibility

sanctuaryYoga can improve flexibility and mobility and increase range of motion. Over time the ligaments and muscles lengthen, increasing elasticity in each yoga class that you participate in, you will notice your ability to maintain a pose increases.

Weight Management

There is evidence yoga teachers, students and practitioners find that yoga helps to support weight loss. Yoga students and practitioners alike pay more attention to nutrition and the body as a whole. Yoga fitness is a great way to burn calories, gain strength and flexibility.

Strength

Yoga postures or asanas, use every muscle in the body, increasing strength from top of the head to feet. Each pose requires strength, attention and focus. Muscle control is necessary to maintain postures you notice your strength developing as you continue to enjoy your practice. A regular yoga practice can relieve muscular tension throughout the entire body.

Presence and Inner peace

Yoga connects is with present moment awareness. The more we practice, the more aware we become with ourselves our surroundings and our body from within. It opens the way to improved concentration, the realization of what's important and offers an overall enjoyment and zest for life. The meditative effects of a consistent yoga practice helps many to cultivate inner peace while at the same time finding a calming sanctuary from the stresses of everyday life. If you practice the movement without the meditation you will be shortchanging yourself from the full benefits of what yoga can do for you.

Pain Relief

Many studies have shown that the regular practice of yoga asanas (postures) along with meditation, reduces pain for people with conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, ADHD, auto-immune diseases and hypertension as well as arthritis, back and knee pain and other chronic conditions. As you develop your practice and hone your skills in yoga, you will find more flexibility in combination with muscle strength. When you provide your muscles with attention they can reduce the pain that these types of diseases, injuries, and aging can give you.

Improved Circulation

Yoga helps to improve circulation by moving oxygenated blood to the body's organs and cells. As you practice sending your breath through the body by Prana or energy rejuvenates the cells.

Improves breathing and lung capacity

Breathing practices in yoga, also known as pranayama, is a great way to reduce stress encourages relaxation in combination with meditation or with the movement of the body. In yoga breathing needs to be done combined with asanas or the process of meditation.

Depression

Yoga has helped many people with depression improve their lives. Depression can affect the brain and as you meditate and find the stillness within you through meditation the process of healing becomes natural. Many have been able to decrease medicine and even to eliminate all together with the practice of yoga.