You must have heard it several times, that if you practice yoga on a daily basis, you will get lifelong health. Yoga is believed to improve strength, flexibility, and balance. You may also get rid of many chronic diseases, if you practice yoga on a daily basis. If you have been reading about yoga, or have researched about it, then you may be in a better position to understand and also make others understand the myriad benefits of yoga. However, if you are one of those who are doing it for the first time, you may have doubts and inhibitions.
The first doubt that most newbies have is, will it work? Or, you may ask, how something as slow as yoga can help in burning fat or losing weight? Western countries have often showcased that yoga is more about fitness and a few aerial skills. However, the time has come to burst those myths.
Find Out More About Yoga
It is better to make matters simple and easy for you. You must know that yoga is a wide realm. There are so many different kinds of forms in yoga, that you will be surprised. There is Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga-Vinyasa Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Power Yoga, Yin Yoga, and so on. The list can be endless. Each one of these forms have specific tasks to perform. While Hatha Yoga is more about providing you fitness and stability externally. Ashtanga-Vinyasa Yoga is more about helping you to move fast, become flexible and improve your speed. In the same manner, Yin Yoga is another slow form, in which you impact the deep connective tissues. In yoga, there are other activities that you have to practice, apart from asanas. There are breathing exercises, meditation, and kriyas that will help you to utilize the myriad benefits.
The main thing about yoga is that you have to practice it on a regular basis. The more you practice, the better it is for you. If you cannot move some muscle groups on Day one, do not fret or get depressed. You will be able to develop your flexibility, as the muscles and joints open up slowly.
Ways By Which Yoga Can Improve Your Health
- The first thing that you will notice is your flexibility improving day by day. It is one of the main targets for any yoga practitioner. There are many joint openers that you can do to open the same. The impossible poses will be easy after a while. Moreover, if you have tightness or stiffness in any body part, it may lead to illnesses and chronic back pain. So, yoga is the best way to improve your situation. The connective tissues, fascia, and ligaments also stand to benefit from regular practice of yoga.
- If you practice yoga on a regular basis, you will also be able to prevent cartilage and joint deterioration. When you are moving your body, during the practice of yoga, you are using the full range of motion most of the time. This helps in lubricating the cartilages and joints. You are actually sending a fresh supply of ingredients to the neglected areas, so that they can perform at their best. Degenerative arthritis and the issues with exposed bones can also be solved with these practices.
- You can also protect your spine by practicing yoga on a regular basis. There are discs called spinal discs, between the vertebrae, which absorb the shocks of movement. They also require some motion, so that the oiliness and unctuousness is intact. You can indulge in a balanced asana practice that includes many backbends, twists, and forward bends. These movements can keep the spine supple and flexible. The best gain from such exercises is long-term flexibility.
- As you cross your 30s, you risk falling prey to osteoarthritis or bone degeneration in general. You can delay the same, if you indulge in weight lifting exercises. In yoga, there are many poses, in which you lift your own weight. They are Adho Mukha Svanasana, Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, and Sarvangasana, to name a few. These asanas or poses can help you to improve the strength in your wrists, and also helps a lot to make them dense in composition. Yoga can also help in keeping a check on cortisol, which helps to keep the calcium in the bones intact.
- There are several issues that arise in the human body, as a result of slow or improper blood circulation. Yoga is the only answer to this problem. The movements can keep the blood inside the veins and arteries moving, in proper order. When you do headstands, the blood flows into the brain. Moreover, when you lie down on the mat in a relaxing pose like Savasana, the blood reaches each and every corner of the body. Shoulder stands also help in a similar manner, by increasing the blood flow to the heart and lungs. Yoga also increases the quantity of haemoglobin in the blood. Moreover, it also aids in removing clots.
- The heart is the central organ in the body, which is responsible for pumping blood to all the organs. And, if it fails to work, it can be quite fatal. When you do yoga on a regular basis, the heart rate goes up and the risks of heart failure lessen. It can also help you to take in more oxygen during the activities. Pranayama is another tool, which can give you a lot of ling power. All those who do it, can practice more strenuous postures with less amount of oxygen.
Final Words
So, these are a few of the myriad benefits that you gain from regular practice of yoga. Your health is the most important wealth that you have. Managing it is in your own hands. Moreover, you can practice this modality, called yoga anywhere. There is no need for props all the time. Pranayama can also be done anywhere, with a fresh mind. So, do practice these yogic activities. Meditation can also help you to gain control over your nervous system, which houses the pain centres. So, if you can make them calm, you can negate pain.