According to a study by the Yoga Alliance and Yoga Journal, the number of people doing yoga over the last several years has increased from over 20 million to 36 million. While yoga has become a very popular form of exercise, it’s not just a passing fad, as it’s been around for centuries and originally was founded in India. Therefore, in honor of National Yoga Awareness Month, here are five ways a consistent yoga practice can transform your mind, body and life.
1. Increases flexibility, strength, cardiovascular health and balance: Yoga allows you to stretch your body into various poses that challenge your flexibility. Holding the poses creates strength and balance. Flowing from one pose to another provides cardiovascular activity, which is good for the heart.
2. Decreases stress and anxiety: Yoga incorporates meditation and a core focus on the breath, which can help you relax and center your mind to reduce anxiety. It also can help the body release the hormone cortisol, to reduce stress and neurotransmitters known as endorphins, to lift your mood.
3. Could improve sleep: Since yoga works the body and calms the mind, it can help promote healthy sleep because not only will you be physically tired, you may be able to work through and release worries that may keep you up at night. Yoga might even help you problem solve and think of creative solutions to issues you might be facing, which will in turn, provide you with a better night of sleep.
4. Creates a mind-body connection for optimal mental, physical and emotional health: When you’re able to connect your movements in your body with self-awareness in your mind, it can create confidence and a holistic impact on your mental, physical and emotional health. This powerful combination can translate to success in both your personal and professional life.
5. May reduce inflammation and chronic pain: The more you practice yoga, the stronger, more flexible and more functional your body becomes. This combination of high quality movement and consistent breathing can get rid of toxins to reduce inflammation and chronic pain throughout the body.
Yoga poses: Feel free to check out this Passion Fit yoga video that you can do with your children or other members of your family. In this video, the following traditional yoga poses below are covered and can be done anytime and anywhere to infuse this mind-body practice into your daily life!
1. Mountain pose
2. Chair pose
3. Tree pose
4. Warrior I, II and III pose
5. Plank pose
6. Pigeon pose
7. Downward dog pose
8. Child’s pose