Yoga

Yoga and Its Amazing Health Benefits

Audio Intro:

Yoga has been practiced for the past 6,000 years and is still very popular. Presently, there are more than 13 million Americans who are enjoying its various health benefits. Yoga is no more a trend, it’s now passion!

Most of the Westernized yoga classes mainly focus on learning various physical poses called asanas. Many asanas also include various breathing techniques, and also include meditation techniques as well. Sometimes yoga classes are focused on providing relief from day-to-day stress, and provide relaxation. There are many styles in yoga that actually teach you to move different parts of your body in an entirely new way. Choosing some of these styles offers you great health benefits and can help you in developing your balance, strength, and flexibility. Yoga is one of the best home remedies for joint pains, stress, and insomnia.

Stay Safe While Practicing Yoga

Though yoga is safe for most healthy people, but it is definitely not without risks. Some of the most common injuries in yoga may occur due to strain, and overstretching from the repetition to the:

• shoulders
• neck
• legs
• spine
• knees

Aide from this, certain yoga poses can also increase your risk of injury due to conditions such as:

• High or low blood pressure
• Severe osteoporosis
• Spine problems
• Ear problems
• Pregnancy (including risk to unborn child)

Few tips that can help you in reducing risk of injuries due to yoga:

• If you have some pre-existing health condition, or you are pregnant, you should consult your health care provider before starting your yoga program. Health care provider will help you in knowing how to the judge the level and type of yoga exercises that are safe for you.

• You should never try various yoga exercise on your own. Instead, you should work with an credentialed and experienced instructor for learning proper way to do yoga exercises to avoid injury.

• Though yoga offers many health benefits, but it is not an substitute for medical care. However, its importance cannot be undermined, as it has been included as a part of many treatment plans.

• During yoga, you should know your limits and stay within them. Before starting any new yogic exercises, you must ascertain its physical demands. You should also find out how strenuous it is, and also have a talk with the instructor, and others who do yoga to see if it is suitable for you.

• You should go slow in yoga exercises. After all, you are not competing with anyone else in the yoga class. Start with basics, such as ways to maintain balance, proper breathing, before attempting any strenuous stretches.

• As cold muscles increase your chances of injury, you should warm up before every yoga session.

• You should also wear proper clothes as they allow you to move freely.

• If you don’t understand any particular exercise, or yogic position, you should first ask the instructor before attempting it yourself.

• You should stay hydrated, especially when practicing “hot” yoga in a humid and warm room.

• You should pay close attention to what you body is saying. Yoga never hurts, when done in a proper way. If you feel uncomfortable or pain, you should stop and seek advice from your health care provider. If you feel overheated, feel faint, or chest pain, get in touch with your doctor for medical help.

Yoga and Inner Strength

Some yoga styles, such as power yoga, and ashthanga, are more vigorous than other yoga exercises. With proper practice of these styles, you will see amazing improvement in your muscle buildup, and strength.

Less intense styles of yoga, such as hatha, or Iyengar, that focus on precise alignment of yogic poses, as they can provide more endurance and strength.

Many yoga poses, such as upward dog, the plank pose, and the downward dog can build upper body strength. This becomes important as people age. Some standing yoga poses, if you can successfully hold them for numerous long breaths, can build up your abdominal muscles, hamstrings, and quadriceps.

Yoga poses that strengthen your lower back include the chair pose, and the upward dog pose. When it is practiced in a proper way, almost all poses help in building core strength in your deep abdominal muscles. This is one of the best forms of alternative medicines and successful home remedies for various ailments.

Yoga and Flexibility

Some people think of yoga as a exercise where you will have to stretch like a gymnast. This worries many, as they think that they are too old, “tight”, or unfit to do yoga. However, in reality, you are never too old to improve flexibility!

With series of yoga poses, you can safely stretch your muscles. This releases lactic acid that subsequently builds up with the use of muscles, and can even cause stiffness, fatigue and pain. Aside from that, yoga also increases wide range of motions in your joints. It also enhances lubrication in the joints. With consistent yoga exercises, you will feel a sense of fluidity and ease throughout your body.

Aside from your muscles, yoga also stretches various soft tissues of your body. This includes tendons, the fascia sheath surrounding your muscles, and ligaments. Irrespective of the level of your yoga, you will see its benefits within days.

Yoga Can also Help Posture

With increased strength and flexibility comes better posture. Most of the sitting and standing poses help in developing core strength. This happens because you are depending on your deep abdominals for support and maintaining your pose. With a strong core, you can not only sit, but stand tall. Another advantage of yoga is the increased awareness about the body. This awareness tells you when you are slumping or slouching so you can easily adjust your posture.

Breathing Benefits

Due to the deep, and mindful breathing in yoga, there is an amazing improvement in the lung capacity. This helps in improving the sports endurance and performance. But yoga is not only focused on aerobic fitness, but overall wellness of the body and mind.

Most yoga forms emphasize lengthening and deepening of breath. This automatically stimulates the relaxation response, which de-stresses your body and makes it more flexible and strong from within.