The practice of yoga has been carried out in India for ages and passed down from generation to generation. Today yoga’s popularity has transcended continental boundaries and reached far and wide. It has become well known as one of the most popular form of exercise techniques today and has found followers in people from all walks of life.
Yoga generally involves a combination of gentle physical poses, deep, and steady breathing along with meditation practice. Regular practice brings about
- Strengthening of the body
- Increment in its level of flexibility
- Calming and cleansing of the mind and
- Greater awareness of self
It also allows us to combat a number of illnesses like mental stress, back pain, anxiety related problems, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, hypertension, inflammation troubles and other disorders.
A list of some of the most effective benefits of yoga has been highlighted below:
- All round fitness provider – Regular practice of yoga gives us all round fitness, with inner peace, better concentration, weight loss and increased energy and that too without the intense work out on mechanical equipments.
- Back troubles – A very commonplace problem is that of posture and back aches. Be it students, businessmen, people in service, housewives/ house husbands or athletes, everyone faces back related problems from time to time, and in various degrees. The causes of back trouble are many, but the most common cause is rooted in imperfect posture. Nonetheless, back troubles are very pesky and hard to get rid of, and if compounded can trouble us greatly. Particular yoga postures can help us with these troubles and further strengthen our backs. However, if the problem persists pain management injury relief (PMIR) techniques may provide better respite.
- Stress reliever – Stress in moderation can be good. It makes us more alert and attentive and in certain cases it may even act as lifesavers, however continual build up of stress affect our cardiovascular system, brain functions etc. Regular practicing of yoga along with meditation and breathing exercises help us relieve stress and tension while pumping adequate oxygen into our systems.
- Immune system – A study conducted by researchers from the University of Oslo have found that regular yoga has definite impact on the genes of our immune cells. Thus, the research team continues “These data suggest that previously reported effects of yoga practices have an integral physiological component at the molecular level which is initiated immediately during practice and may form the basis for the long-term stable effects.”
- Inflammation – Meditation which is a part of a yoga routine and it has been found to be effective in inflammations. Bottom Line’s Daily Health News covered a research study recently, which has revealed that stress induced inflammation of a body (whether the cause is heart troubles, arthritis, respiratory problems and skin conditions like psoriasis) can be reduced effectively by practicing meditation, especially mindful meditation.
Apart from these benefits, yoga also helps us in energizing ourselves and keeping us calm. A calm and energized mind helps us focus better on both work and personal lives. Hence, we can benefit from yoga in both our relations as well as academic/ office work. Thus, for a holistic approach to the welfare of our mind and body regular practice of yoga is highly effective and it does not even demand much time as a mere 20 minutes a day can also profit us greatly.
Anny Smith is known for writing health and fitness related blogs and articles. From PMIRto massage therapy, from yoga to meditation – she writes on all aspects of health and fitness.