Yoga is a technique of developing a level of mind-body integration that can drive human being to fulfillment along with complete physical and mental well being. Yoga has its origin in India and for centuries it has worked as a way of attaining the best health. Yoga can be practiced by anyone above the age of 12 and every one taking up these practices can attain the benefits of this system. Yoga has multidimensional benefits for every human being and this article will highlight on some of these benefits in its brief length.
Physical health benefits of yoga
Yoga promotes the best health of your cardiovascular system
If you are suffering from high blood pressure, Yoga can be your best way out. Practicing yoga regularly can help in reducing blood pressure considerably promoting better cardiac health. Yoga is also claimed to be helpful to control blood cholesterol level which ensures better functioning of the heart.
Yoga can be helpful to control blood sugar
People suffering from diabetes can be helped extremely by practicing yoga. Yoga helps in reducing the level of cortisol and adrenaline in the blood and enhances the sensitivity of the body cells to blood insulin levels helping the diabetic patients to control blood sugar effectively. Yoga also helps in weight loss, which can also have positive impact on controlling the blood sugar levels.
Yoga is the most effective natural way to fight asthma
Yoga involves breathing in certain ways which improves the ability of the body to use oxygen more efficiently. Yoga can also help in curing certain diseases of the respiratory system, including blockages. Yoga can be very helpful to cure different types of breathing conditions including asthma, which has an alarmingly increasing rate of occurrence amongst the children.
Yoga is the best way out for patients of arthritis
Arthritis does not have any direct treatment and in most of the cases it is a non-curable condition. Yoga can be highly helpful to mitigate the symptoms of arthritis. It can improve the flexibility of your joints without putting added stress on them, which can worsen the condition. For patients of arthritis practicing yoga is more preferred than exercises, because it saves the joints and helps in controlling the symptoms. Yoga can also be effective to reduce the pain related to arthritis.
Yoga helps in controlling body weight and toning of muscles
Practicing yoga can be very helpful to fight obesity. Yoga helps in losing extra fat from the body and also tones the body muscles. The best thing about yoga is that it is not a stressful process and it is most expected that you will find it more interesting and comfortable than your regular exercise regime.
So, if you are middle aged, yoga can be the best practice for you to stay away and control serious health conditions like blood pressure, blood sugar and obesity. For senior people, it can be the only and most effective way to fight the pain and inflexibility of arthritis and for young generation yoga can be the most efficient way to stay fit and toned. Apart from the above physical health benefits, yoga also offers a bunch of mental or psychological benefits which can enhance the life of people. Read on to know the mental health benefits of yoga.
Mental health benefits of yoga
Yoga enhances the quality of your life
In this busy and hectic lifestyle mental problems have become abundant amongst people of all the age groups. Extreme stress of life is often working as the primary reason to invite a number of health problems. Yoga can be highly effective to relax the nerves and thus removing stress, which can improve the overall quality of life to a great extent.
Yoga fights depression
Number of people suffering from depression is increasing rapidly in every society and it is most common amongst the young people. Yoga can be highly effective in fighting depression helping every life to travel towards enrichment and flourishing of their best potentials.
Yoga helps in better sleep
People suffering from insomnia can be helped extensively by practicing yoga. Yoga stimulates better sleep, not more sleep. It helps your body to get the rest it needs and removes the tiredness from your mind and body helping you to be more focused and efficient.
So, if you are suffering from any psychological problems, extreme temper, tension, depression, stress or insomnia, yoga can be the best practice for you irrespective of your age. Yoga can be even very helpful for the best health and well being of pregnant women and their babies.
Some important tips about practicing yoga
- Yoga is a system that can provide immense physical as well as psychological benefits to any one practicing it religiously. However, it is really important that you are completely aware about the right techniques of yoga to get the best effects. So, it is suggested to not to start practicing yoga on your own by taking help of a book or online resources. Learning it from a friend or a relative is also not the best way. You should learn yoga from a proper master with experience and you should be able to perform each steps of it with maximum accuracy to get the best results of this practice.
- Yoga should be practiced regularly. It is more a mental way than physical to stay fit and hence to get the best effects of yoga, not skipping on your practicing routine is actually important. Yoga can be practiced even when you are ill and not feeling so good. In fact, yoga can be very helpful to boost your immune system, helping you to fight off any common infection quickly. So, when you are ill, instead of skipping on yoga, practice it with more concentration and you are sure to feel the difference.
- Yoga should never be practiced in full stomach. Normally it is suggested that yoga should be practiced only after 3 hours of having a heavy meal. Also make it a point to not to drink water or anything cold right before or after practicing yoga, because during the practice the body temperature is elevated and having a cold drink quickly after or before the practice might not good for your health.
- Never practice yoga in a way that causes extreme pain in any part of your body. Yoga should be relaxing and in case you are feeling pain while practicing yoga, you should consult with your master before continuing with the practice.
