Benefits of Yoga in your Day-to-Day Life

With yoga practice at an all-time high in the US, more people than ever are reaping the benefits of the holistic therapy. With a variety health benefits including stress relief, reduced fatigue, and even a strengthened immune system, various asanas are practiced daily by yogis of all sorts. In this article, we explore a few of the benefits of yoga in day-to-day-life. Before beginning, it’s a good idea to pick up some good quality yoga pants to ensure maximum flexibility.

Improves Fitness Levels

At this time of year, most people want to improve their fitness levels to some degree. Whether you’re a complete beginner when it comes to exercise or you’re already working out regularly, yoga can benefit your fitness levels immensely. With so many different styles out there, do a little re-search and see which variety would suit you best. Hot yoga is a popular choice amongst those hoping to lose weight; best practiced in a temperature of 40 degrees plus, hot classes encourage the body to sweat out toxins and burn a high level of calories in just 45 minutes. In addition to in-creasing your physical fitness, regular yoga practice is great for your mental health, too. For best results, try attending a class the incorporates a variety of postures, breathing techniques, and med-itation.

Controls Weight

As mentioned previously, yoga is popular amongst those hoping to lose weight. While hot yoga is great for this purpose, there are other options out there if a hot, humid studio isn’t your cup of tea. For example, classes that include a mixture of dance and yoga are ideal for burning calories! You’ll be able to find a dance yoga studio in most major cities. In addition to controlling weight through burning calories, yoga can begin to change our outlook on food, too. With regular practice, we be-come more in tune with our bodies. In turn, this enables us to become more sensitive to the kind of food that our body needs, encouraging us to eat a healthier, balanced diet.

Improves Self-Confidence and Reduces Anxiety

Practicing yoga is great for both the body and mind and can be a perfect step to increasing your confidence. A deep breathing technique known as Yogic breathing, can encourage the body to stay calm, and actually improve your overall well-being. Rhythmic breathing is a natural way to help the body to relax in moments of fear or anxiety, so taking a couple of deep breaths when faced with a stressful situation, can really help you to regain balance and leave you feeling more in-control. Yoga requires you to create strong poses with your body, as well as learning physical authority which can naturally help you feel more confident in yourself.

Encourages Inner Peace

When we are feeling stressed or anxious, visiting a peaceful, happy place can really help us to relax. While this is all well and good, taking time out to visit a beautiful location may not be realistic in the middle of a working day. Fortunately, yoga can help us to find inner peace without having to leave the office. One of the most effective ways to calm a frantic mind, yoga postures and deep breathing exercises allow us to escape for just a few minutes whenever necessary.

Improves Immune System

We all look for ways to improve our immune system, especially in the cold, winter months. Thank-fully, yoga can improve your immune systems lymphatic circulation, helping you to steer clear of any nasty bugs that are doing the rounds. Through a series of dynamic flow sequences, yoga en-courages the lymphatic fluids to flow through your body. While dynamic postures work best, static poses can benefit lymphatic flow, too – as long as you are tensing your muscles throughout. For best results, incorporate deep breathing techniques into the asanas for increased blood flow.

Improves Relationships

Whether you are hoping to become closer to your partner, family, or even just your friends, the holistic practice can work wonders within relationships. When calm and content, the mind is able to focus on sensitive relationships more effectively. Relieving built up tension in the body, regular yoga practice prevents you from taking out your stresses on those closest to you.

Increases Energy Levels

At the end of a working week, even the simplest of tasks can seem exhausting. Practicing yoga for just a few minutes each day can improve your energy levels drastically, leaving you feeling re-freshed and rejuvenated even after a hectic day. Better still, deep breathing techniques can be practiced anywhere – even at the office!

Improves Flexibility

Improved flexibility may be one of the most obvious benefits of yoga. Most asanas stretch a certain muscle group and in turn make those muscles strong, supple, and flexible. Strong, flexible muscles help you to maintain correct body posture throughout the day, regardless of whether you are standing, walking, or even sleeping.

Improves Sleep

Ideal for those suffering from insomnia, regular yoga practice can help you to sleep better. In addi-tion to encouraging the body to fall asleep quicker, yoga helps you to sleep for longer and even fall back to sleep more quickly if you wake during the night. Studies have shown that yoga can reduce insomnia in people of all sorts. For instance, pregnant women who practice mindful yoga have been found to sleep better and wake up less during the night than those who do not.

In Summary

Whether you’re hoping to lose a little holiday weight or you’re more interested in improving your energy levels, join a local yoga class to enjoy the benefits. In the colder months, it’s important to maintain a warm body temperature before each session. To avoid muscle injury, it’s worth picking up a cozy yoga sweater to wear to class.