If you’re thinking of trying yoga or practising it more seriously, here are ten compelling reasons why you should consider making yoga a regular part of your routine.
1.Yoga is excellent for your physical fitness.
If you want to get fit and feel better overall, yoga might be just the thing for you. One of the best things about yoga is that it’s quite gentle and therefore safe enough to practise so you don’t risk injury. That being said, before making yoga part of your routine, take into account your personal preferences, your physical condition and any health problems you may have.
If you already have health problems, it’s best to consult a health professional or qualified yoga teacher before starting a new fitness programme, to avoid injury.
But ask anyone who’s ever taken a vinaysa class, yoga can be a full-body workout and make you break a sweat. One of the best things about it is that it engages many muscle groups, which helps tone your body and improves both strength and balance.
2.You can achieve better posture through yoga.
Bad posture seems to be the evil of our generation. Everyone seems to suffer from it and we have our computers and phones to thank for that. And while it may seem merely uncomfortable and awkward, poor posture can actually have harmful long-term effects, including back pain and muscle strain. Improving posture is without a doubt one of the ten reasons you should incorporate yoga in your daily routine.
With yoga, you can correct the damage done and become more aware of how it feels to be out of alignment. Many of the most common yoga postures, such as Mountain Pose (Tadasana), Triangle Pose (Trikonasana) or even Tree Pose (Vrikshasana), focus on strengthening and aligning the core, helping to prevent and alleviate problems associated with poor posture.
3.You can become more flexible with yoga.
Flexibility seems to be one of those things that disappears with age, and the less flexible we are, the more prone we are to injury. So it’s crucial to maintain a certain amount of suppleness in our bodies. Regular yoga practice can significantly improve flexibility as yoga incorporates a variety of poses and stretches that focus on lengthening different muscle groups, helping to increase range of motion and flexibility.
Yoga involves a combination of dynamic and static stretching, and many poses focus on elongating and stretching various muscle groups.
Holding yoga poses for an extended period of time, particularly those that target specific muscle groups, helps to promote static stretching. This helps to lengthen and release tension in the muscles, gradually improving flexibility. Some of the most well-known yoga poses that specifically target static stretching are the Forward Fold (Uttanasana), the Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana) and the Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana).
What’s more, many poses include what’s known as dynamic stretching, in which you move your body through a series of movements. This warms up your muscles, making them more supple and less prone to injury. Some dynamic poses include Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) and the Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana).
4.Yoga is excellent for boosting your energy levels.
Have you ever experienced an early morning brain fog or a mid-afternoon slump? Let’s be honest, we all need an energy boost from time to time, and yoga can do just that. While some styles of yoga are more restorative and calming, others are more dynamic and invigorating. The overall impact of yoga on energy levels depends on the specific practices and poses incorporated into your routine.
Yoga overall involves conscious movement, and many postures aim to promote better circulation, bringing more oxygen to the body’s cells and oxygenating the body. This can lead to increased energy levels and a feeling of rejuvenation. So, before you go for your third cup of coffee, why not try doing a downward facing dog? Be sure to include in your practice the dynamic movements mentioned above, such as sun salutations and flowing sequences, as they can raise your heart rate and stimulate the cardiovascular system, providing you with an energy boost.
Another important thing to include in your practice are energizing breath practices or pranayama techniques, such as Kapalabhati (skull-shining breath) and Bhramari (bee breath). These can increase oxygen intake and invigorate the body.
5.Yoga is your best friend for reducing stress.
Stress is another very common companion that we carry around with us throughout our day. It seems to follow us everywhere and we’ve long been told that exercise is a fantastic way to alleviate it. Cortisol is a hormone associated with stress and regular yoga practice has been associated with lower cortisol levels.
The combination of physical postures and mindfulness in yoga can have a profound impact on the body’s response to stress as the physical postures (asanas) help to release tension and promote relaxation of muscles and joints.
Many yoga practices also emphasise conscious, controlled breathing (pranayama) as well as meditation practices, encouraging the practitioner to be present in the moment and mindfulness can help break the cycle of stress by diverting attention away from anxious thoughts and worries.
6.You can learn to breathe properly through yoga.
Our breathing is the most fundamental aspect of our lives and is what keeps us alive every day. Yet we do it without thinking, without realising how much our overall well-being would improve if we breathed correctly. In yoga, good breathing is called pranayama and it can help to calm the mind, reduce stress and improve overall well-being. With this in mind, a good yoga practice will teach you the correct breathing techniques to improve lung capacity and promote efficient lung function.
Bear in mind that, just as with the physical exercises or asanas, it’s important to start slowly and to be patient with yourself.
Even if it’s just breathing, you could injure yourself if you try to go too fast. Instead, gradually increase the duration and intensity of your breathing exercises and if you are new to yoga or have health problems, it is advisable to consult a qualified yoga instructor or health professional before starting a pranayama practice.
7.You can foster emotional stability with yoga
If you’ve ever struggled with self-regulation and often find yourself overwhelmed by emotions, you might want to try yoga. Yoga is a holistic practice, and it can help you experience greater emotional stability and an overall sense of well-being.
One of the best ways to do this is to set a positive intention at the beginning of your yoga practice. This can be focused on emotional well-being, such as cultivating patience, compassion or resilience. Many people use yoga as a way of practising gratitude and during their practice they reflect on the positive aspects of their lives and try to change their mindset. Others use yoga to develop a deeper connection with their body by paying attention to physical sensations and emotions during their practice, which promotes self-awareness and acceptance.
Breathing is an excellent way of achieving greater emotional stability. Aren’t we always told to breathe deeply when we’re upset, sad or angry, or whenever our emotions exceed our threshold? It may not be what we want to hear at the time, but it’s actually very good advice, because slow, deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and reduces stress. With this in mind, you can include pranayama techniques in your yoga practice to regulate and deepen your breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing, ujjayi breathing and alternate nostril breathing are particularly beneficial and help to regulate mood and reduce anxiety. Another great tool to include in your practice is mindfulness, which can help you to become aware of your thoughts and emotions without judgement, allowing you to react more calmly to situations. This can involve sitting quietly and observing your breathing or practising guided mindfulness meditation.
That said, if you have particular mental health problems, it’s important to consult a mental health professional at the same time as you practise yoga.
8.Yoga can help you gain mental clarity and concentrate better.
Incorporating yoga in your daily routine, even in short sessions, can have positive effects on your mental clarity, concentration and overall cognitive function. The combination of physical postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama) and mindfulness in yoga contributes to various cognitive and mental benefits. We’ve already seen that practicing yoga consistently reduces stress and reduced stress contributes to clearer thinking and improved mental focus.
Let’s now look at what mindfulness is. It’s a practice that encourages you to be fully present in the moment. By paying attention to your breathing and the sensations in your body during yoga, you improve your ability to stay focused in other aspects of your life. And let’s not forget that pranayama techniques help to regulate the flow of oxygen to the brain. This can lead to improved concentration and cognitive function, and even help to manage stress-related cognitive decline, to which we are more exposed as we age.
9.Practise yoga to improve the quality of your sleep.
Practising yoga regularly can have a positive impact on sleep patterns, as it is known for its anti-stress benefits. By practising mindful movement and relaxation techniques before bed, you can reduce overall stress levels, making it easier for the body and mind to relax.
Yoga can lead to physical relaxation as yoga poses often involve stretching and releasing tension in different muscle groups, which can help relieve physical discomfort and promote a more relaxed state for sleep.
Mindfulness and meditation practices are other very useful tools, as they can help to calm the mind, reduce racing thoughts and reduce mental chatter. And we all know that a calm mind is more conducive to falling asleep and staying asleep.
Yoga nidra (yogic sleep) is another interesting tool to incorporate into your practice. This is a guided meditation that induces a state of deep relaxation, promoting emotional well-being and reducing stress.
The best way to include yoga in your daily routine for a good night’s sleep is to establish a pre-sleep yoga routine that signals to your body that it’s time to unwind.
10.Yoga helps people to bond and creates a positive social environment.
Even though it’s possible and very common to practice yoga alone, there’s something about going to a yoga class and feeling the energy in the room that really provides a sense of belonging and support.
Whether it’s through regular classes, workshops, or community events, yoga offers opportunities for people to connect on a deeper level and it encourages qualities like empathy and compassion, both towards oneself and others.
