History
Although it originated over 5,000 years ago as a Hindu practice, yoga is now most commonly known as a form of meditative exercise, and has been adapted and modernized by western cultures over the past fifty years. And like most other trends today, many people utilize their regular hour of mental peace, various poses and breathing exercises without knowing the full benefits of the routine in which they are participating.
On the other hand, if you are someone who usually likes to avoid trends until their popularity dies down (like me), you’re also probably not aware of both the physical and mental advantages you’re missing out on by steering clear of the mat. But there are many ways that getting your daily hour in can improve the functionality of your body and mind, and there are even a few ways that beginning to practice yoga can undo some of the damage of a modernly routine lifestyle. Below are the two most essential benefits of yoga, as well as its positive effects on some of the most common ailments in the western world.
Physical Health
Stretching
The first and probably most significant benefit of yoga is actual a duo, in terms of physical health. By stretching into and holding all of the different poses that yoga asks of you, it helps you to activate and stretch several muscle groups in ways that they do not typically function in your day to day routine. The stretching alone is great for your core and secondary muscle groups because the action helps your body to become more limber and therefore less prone to injury in moments of unexpected strain (which, admittedly, we all experience from time to time).
Improved flexibility also improves your center of balance, which means that yoga can help you become less prone to those accidents in the first place. But aside from the obvious implications of all this stretching, yoga poses can also help alleviate common and persistent pains in both the muscles and joints, since the extended stretching gently eases these places from their usual and oftentimes aggravated state.
Breath In, Breath Out
Not only that, but all of that stretching coupled with the deep breathing exercises helps to improve lung capacity and circulation over time, which means that by hitting the mat regularly, you are ultimately helping your body to fend off the onset of cardiovascular diseases that you may be prone to, either from your genes or choice of lifestyle. All in all, if you’ve been searching for an exercise routine that relieves physical strain in almost every aspect of your body instead of causing it, then search no further, put down that gym membership, and invest in a mat instead!
Mental Health
Slowing the Mind
The other most significant health benefit of practicing your poses regularly has a little less to do with your physical health, but still has a surprising amount of impact on the wellbeing of your body. As westerners, we are constantly on the move, always meeting a deadline, and feeling ever-bombarded, whether it’s with our careers, families, or personal achievements.
It is not within our nature to take the time to relax without having a million things run through our minds, and as a result of our go-go-go culture, many of us have even lost the ability to do so on our own. But that’s where the beauty of yoga’s meditative properties steps in! Yoga is one of the only kinds of physical exercise in the world that requires deep breathing and a trained, quiet mind to work effectively.
It sounds silly, but those periods of time where you find a pose and hold it during your sessions are actually training your brain to just stop everything and be, which can have a very important effect particularly on individuals who experience and deal with immense amounts of stress daily.
Even those twenty or thirty minutes where you are demanding that your brain focuses on your breath and the shape of your body helps you to develop a calm focus like no other, which over time subconsciously reshapes the way your brain handles your most stressful moments and days in your active life. Not only can we consider this an effectively simple cure-all for that constant whirlwind in your mind, the practice of yoga will ultimately help to reverse the physical effects of your stress as well.
Since stress can manifest in and on your body in multiple ways, including aches and pains, exhaustion, rashes, and even a change in sleep habits and appetite, it’s no wonder that the modern yogi often feels so rejuvenated and empowered after his or her regular hour on the mat.
Conclusion
So to recap, we know now that the powers of modern yoga are much more than just a fad or a trendy way to exercise. They actually jointly benefit your body and mind in ways that typical forms of exercise leave out, and although some of those benefits take time to really change your body, you’ll be sure to notice how amazing yoga is in the way that you feel and think just after your very first session.
So if you already have a mat or a studio subscription, stretch assured knowing that it’s all for a great cause, you! And if you don’t even know the first thing about doing yoga, then what are you waiting for? There are plenty of free videos online to teach you all about the poses and breathing rhythms – so find a comfortable spot, breathe deeply, and assume your downward dog pose.
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