Yoga is a system of exercises for mental and physical health. It involves a series of breathing and posture exercises practised to achieve control of the body and mind. Yoga offers an holistic fitness package which also includes mental and emotional health through prayanama (Breathing exercise) and meditation.
It is a great alternative over working out in a gym for people who may find it too stressful. For yoga what you just need is a mat and yoga pants and it can be done whenever you want at your own convenience.
Weight Loss – majority are not aware of this, but yoga helps to cut down body weight and fight food cravings giving you a nice, lean figure. There is a relationship between yoga and mindful eating because it creates awareness of the physical and emotional sensations associated with eating. The more you engage in it, the more your body increases resistance and says no to the cravings. It also enlightens you on your eating habits which enables you to make better food choices.
Immunity – yoga improves immunity by strengthening the body’s natural defense system through the deep breathing exercise which helps to relief stress. Research also shows that yoga practice results in changes in gene expression that boost immunity at the cellular level Talking of stress, taking some minutes of the day to do a little yoga is a great way to detox your body and kick the stress out.
Blood Pressure – for hypertensive patients, as from taking drugs there are natural ways to monitor and lower your blood pressure. Yoga is a great workout routine that improves the cardiovascular functions of the body. Through the different posture exercises, It also increases the circulation of blood round the body which helps to prevent cardiac attack and stroke.
Flexibility– daily yoga practice tones the body muscles without using exercise equipments and makes them strong. It also relieves body pain by improving your body posture when you sit, stand and walk. Because of our busy schedule, we all feel worn-out after a long hard day but yoga can always come to the rescue by calming us and refreshing our body with the much needed energy.
Sexual Performance – boost your sexual life with a regular dose of yoga because studies show that it can improve orgasm, sexual arousal and satisfaction. It increases blood flow to the genital areas and strengthens the pelvic floors muscles which is important for erection and arousal. It also gives you more flexibility in the bedroom which translates into more stamina making you a super sexy machine.
Sleep– yoga also serves as a cure for insomnia and helps to improve the quality of sleep. insomnia is related to anxiety and other mental issues therefore breathing and mental exercises helps the mind to slow down thereby enabling you to sleep better.
Memory– yoga is a brain-boosting workout which improves the flow of blood to the brain. The brain-boosting pose is Padahastasana which involves bending over so that your head is eventually over your knees. This improves your mental alertness and memory function of the brain.
