A lot of people are first attracted to Yoga as a way to keep their bodies fit and supple. Others come to Yoga to find relief or help for a specific ailment like tension or backache. Whatever your reason, Yoga can be a tool to help you with both and more.
Though the practice of Yoga is closely associated to ancient texts, beliefs and values, it also yields benefits useful for people’s practical daily lives. Here are some reasons why more and more people are practicing Yoga:
1. Yoga relaxes the body and the mind. Even in the middle of stressful situations, Yoga helps control breathing and clears the mind of cluttered thoughts, leaving only deep physical and mental refreshment.
2. Yoga can help normalize body weight. For people who are either overweight or underweight, Yoga excercises can help you achieve the desired weight. The principles of balance and moderation in physical activity and diet with Yoga can also lead to a healthier lifestyle.
3. Yoga improves your resistance to disease. The postures and movements in Yoga massage the internal organs, enhancing blood circulation and functionality. This lessens the risk of illness.
4. Yoga increases your energy level and productivity. For as little as 20 minutes a day, Yoga can replenish the mind and body with precious energy, helping you to respond to daily tasks and challenges.
5. Yoga leads to genuine inner contentment and self-awareness. Meditation, one of the aspects of Yoga, focuses the mind, taking it away from the distractions of the highly-materialistic world and leading it to genuine happiness.
Yoga is a method of learning that aims to attain the unity of mind, body and spirit. This can be achieved through three main Yoga structures: Exercise, Breathing and Meditation. Yoga Exercises are designed to put pressure on the glandular systems of the body, thereby increasing its efficiency and total health. The body is looked upon as the primary instrument that enables us to work and evolve in the world. A Yoga student, therefore, treats it with great care and respect. The Breathing techniques are based on the concept that breath is the source of life in the body. Yoga students gently increase their breath control to improve the health and the function of both body and mind. These two functions prepare the body and mind for Meditation, making it easier for students to achieve a quiet mind and be free from everyday stress. Regular daily practice of all three parts of the structure of Yoga produce a clear, bright mind and a strong, capable body.
