Yoga is a type of movement, which involves body awareness through different poses and breathing. Through this, it creates a sense of relaxation and calmness. Yoga is not just for people looking to increase their flexibility, it is literally for everyone. No matter who you are, you can receive benefits of completing regular yoga whether it’s health benefits such as lowered blood pressure or mental benefits such as relaxation.
One thing that may be preventing people from coming is preconceived ideas about what yoga is really about. That yoga is only for flexible people or that it’s only for women or even, that it’s only a young persons exercise. But once you go to one session you will realise that this is not the truth. That yoga is literally for everyone, of any age. Learning the poses may seem tricky at first but once you practice you will find it easy and the meditation involved in yoga will leave you feeling relaxed like never before. Once you see the benefits and reduction in stress for yourself you will be hooked!
In life everyone has a certain amount of stress and sometimes it can overload us. This stress usually cannot be avoided but what can be changed is the way you deal with this stress. Yoga is the perfect way to do this. A study completed by the University of Utah concluded that those who completed regular yoga were more capable of dealing with pain and stress overall. A German study completed in 2005 also provided evidence for the health benefits of yoga. In the study those who completed yoga reported they felt lowered levels of stress, depression and anxiety after just 2 yoga classes a week for 90 days!
Yoga has physical benefits which include:
- Lowered blood pressure
- Decreased heart rate
- Increased flexibility
- Improved endurance
- Lowered cortisol
- Reduction in tension
All these benefits aid in providing lowered stress levels when completed regularly. Yoga also helps to create a sense of mindfulness and can easily put whoever completes it into a good mood. A reduction in stress leads to greater productivity, improved sleep patterns and a general happiness with life.
