Yoga brings a tremendous amount of mental and physical health benefits.  Here are a few of the benefits you get by practicing this beautiful technique every day-

• Increase the circulation of blood

The relaxation exercises practiced in yoga can help the circulation of the blood, especially in the feet and hands. This is because it gets more oxygen to your body cells, which improves the functionality of your overall body systems. Certain poses like headstand, handstand, shoulder stand encourage the flow of blood from legs and pelvis to flow to the heart. This can be helpful if you have swelling in your legs. It boosts the level of HB in the blood which has the oxygen-carrying capacity and thins the blood which can result in decreased heart problems and strokes.

• Helps Boost Immunity

When you practice yoga, you contract and stretch muscles as you progress through different poses.  Practicing yoga regularly can increase the drainage of your lymph- which is a fluid that is rich in immune cells.  It helps improve the lymphatic system that fights infection and destroys cancerous cells.

• Quality of Life

Yoga is becoming increasingly a common practice or a therapy that helps improve the quality of life by promoting healthy sleep quality, enhancing spiritual well being and reducing depression.

• Flexibility and Balance

Yoga is one of the unique fitness regimes that improve flexibility and balance. Considerable research has backed its benefits.  Specific poses, if practiced religiously, can result in tremendous flexibility and better balance.

• Can improve breathing

Yogic breathing or pranayama is an ancient practice that primarily focuses on breathing.  Right breathing improves the vital capacity of the lungs and can help cure diseases related to lungs, asthma.

• Can help reduce migraines

As we know, migraines are severe headaches and they are very common in 1 out of 5 individuals.  Traditionally, they are treated with medicines to relieve the symptoms but now there is evidence that highlights that yoga has the potential to reduce the frequency of migraines.

• Can help reduce stress

Yoga helps reduce stress and is known for its ability to promote relaxation throughout the body.  As per the research, it results in the reduction of the secretion of cortisol which is one of the primary stress hormones.  It also lowers the level of anxiety, depression, and fatigue.

• Helps relieve back pain

It is one of the best techniques and works excellent for easing pain and improving mobility in people who suffer from lower back pain.  To help ease the back pain, you can try the cat-cow pose.  All you need to do is, inhale as you let your stomach drop down towards the floor, and exhale as you bring your navel towards your spine. When you perform this you are simply arching your spine as a cat stretches.

• Inflammation

Apart from improving mental health conditions, research indicates that practicing yoga can help reduce inflammation. As inflammation is a normal immune response but when it turns to chronic inflammation it can contribute to pro-inflammatory diseases like diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases.

• Yoga promotes healthy eating habits

You must have heard the terminology “mindful eating”, it is known as intuitive eating and encourages an individual’s ability to be present at the moment during the eating.  It is all about paying attention to what we eat, texture, smell, and any feelings we may experience while eating. It encourages healthy eating ability in individuals that are instrumental in controlling blood sugar levels, management of weight loss, and treats eating disorders.

Yoga is being practiced for thousands of years for mental and physical health. Adding just a few poses to your everyday routine can help you deal with your health issues in more than expected ways. Not just physically, but it will help you deal with health issues psychologically.

So, if I could recommend a form of exercise that will help your overall physical well-being, it would be yoga.  I personally do yoga with Zoe, the link is here and below and I find her program amazing.  There are also tons of options on youtube to get you started.  Start practicing this amazing form of exercise today and treat your body the way it deserves to be treated.  

Namaste