Health benefits of Yoga

If you are anything like me, you desire a healthy and active lifestyle, but the idea of working out every day sounds scary. You want to feel good about your body, but you don’t know where to start. This is what led me to start practicing yoga. Yoga has so many health benefits that you would not even think of. But beyond these physical benefits, yoga has ample mental benefits.

One of the main purposes of yoga is to work with your breath during exercises to bring focus and peace both during and after the work out. Natalie Nevins, a certified yoga instructor in California, says “The purpose of yoga is to build strength, awareness and harmony in both the mind and body,”. After finishing a session of yoga, you should feel relaxed, motivated, and stress free. When centering your work out around your breath, your awareness of your own body increases. Yoga is meant to bring you away from worries of the world, allowing you to celebrate and work with your body in your own way. Experts have even proven that doing yoga everyday increases healthier eating and lifestyle choices. Similarly, practicing yoga drives stronger concentration and mental clarity, especially when meditation is involved within the session. Yoga is by far the most beneficial work out you can do for your mind, spirit, and mental health.

Aside from the many mental benefits, yoga also works the entire body, building strength in every muscle group. Yoga increases flexibility, tones muscles, improves energy and metabolism and can assist in losing weight. There are hundreds of different types of yoga classes you can choose from. Classes range from focusing on certain areas of the body (arms, abs, lower back, etc), to concentrating on breathing and relaxation. There are even classes that are more fast paced, aiming at burning calories.

Hot yoga is a specific yoga class dedicated to burning more calories. The room is heated to about one hundred degrees, which allows you to sweat more, and ultimately burns more calories. The best thing about yoga is how easy it is to get done. There are thousands of free YouTube videos that anyone can watch and do at home. All you need is a yoga mat and a good attitude. After completing just a few sessions of yoga, whether at home or at your nearby gym, you will feel happier, healthier, and motivated to continue in your yoga journey.

Next time you want to work out but running or weight lifting sounds overwhelming, grab a yoga mat and connect with your body and breath.