Yoga is a very ancient discipline, born in India. It has its roots in the millenary Vedic philosophy, which in turn is the basis of traditions including Hinduism, Buddhism and Tantra.
Yoga is for everyone even in its inner aspects. It is not a religion, but rather a practice that involves all interconnected areas of well-being within us: the physical, mental, spiritual and energetic part; which are rebalanced through the practice of: breathing exercises, meditation, the mantra and of course posture, which is certainly the most familiar and recognizable aspect of yoga even for those who still know little about this discipline.
The positions in Sanskrit are called “asana”. Their exercise allows the vital energies to flow to the fullest and must be performed within the limits of one’s abilities, without effort. What is important is in fact the gradual progress of improvement, not the perfect execution of the position.
Benefits of yoga on the body and mind
Detoxify the body
Asanas, or yoga positions, are performed in complete coordination with breathing.
Thanks to this association, the internal organs are massaged through the breath, and are enriched with oxygen. This allows the body to eliminate toxins through breathing.
Reduces anxiety, depression, panic attacks
Through the practice of breathing techniques and meditation, we learn to manage the emotional field, and this helps us manage unconscious fears.
Helps control weight and quit smoking
The mind is a super powerful tool that we all have at our disposal. (Free, by the way.)
Yoga teaches us to make the best use of it : the practice of the positions, combined with meditation and breathing techniques, in fact allows us to learn to know, control and use our mind in the correct way, with the result that apparently difficult resolutions, such as smoking cessation or weight control, quickly become more understandable and easier to put into practice.
If you are “new to yoga”, I suggest you take this specific yoga class (for free) for beginners.
It’s a perfect lesson if you’ve never done yoga, or if you haven’t practiced it for a long time and feel you need a refresher.
Helps overcome insomnia
Practicing yoga helps you relax and reduces tiredness, promoting good quality sleep.
Scientific studies have shown that 20 minutes of yoga a day can help you fall asleep faster, using relaxation techniques.
Improve sexual performance
Doing yoga also means improving your relationship with your body. It means learning to know and love him.
With the practice of yoga you learn to accept your limits and to love yourself more.
Loving yourself more means having more self-confidence and healthy self-esteem and consequently also being more predisposed to meeting other people, even from a physical point of view.
A study conducted at Harvard found that 75% of women who regularly practice yoga experience more pleasant orgasms. As far as men are concerned, however, a study has shown that yoga can in some cases be more effective than Prozac in counteracting premature ejaculation.
Increase concentration, reduce stress and improve memory
The essential ingredients for doing yoga are attention and concentration, and when you do things with attention and concentration, awareness develops.
The more we become aware, the more we are able to generate mental clarity and consequently to relax the mind. A relaxed mind is able to handle the challenges of daily life without generating physical and emotional tension in the body, i.e., without generating stress and allows us to improve our short and long term memory
Yoga is the suspension of the activities of the mind.
In this regard, I wrote an article that might interest you: What is yoga? why does it work? how you do it?
Slow down aging
It is known that practicing physical activity helps to age better, and yoga, in this case, is no exception. Thanks to the practice of postures, breathing and meditation, it is possible to maintain a healthier, more elastic and resistant body.
If you want to learn more about this aspect, I suggest you read the post on what is considered the fountain of youth: The Five Tibetan Rites: what they are and how they work (+ free video)
Increase flexibility and balance
Having a flexible and strong body doesn’t just mean feeling good in general, it doesn’t just mean having stronger and more resistant muscles, and being able to prevent muscle injuries and improve sports performance, it also means and above all being more flexible towards ourselves and towards others .
As we develop resilience in the body, we also develop resilience of mind, becoming more apt to flow and adapt in life.
Help keep your back healthy and improve your posture
The practice of yoga, thanks to a series of specific positions for the spine, helps keep the spine in good health, toning the muscles and improving the elasticity of the body.
With yoga you learn to pay attention to posture control at any time of the day, gradually correcting the most common postural defects.
Furthermore, there is also a specific mudra that can help us prevent and reduce back pain. Click here to read the article: Back pain and yoga – The technique you didn’t know >>
It’s good for the heart
Doing yoga helps keep the cardio-circulatory system in good health , lowers blood pressure and slows down the heartbeat.
One of the effects of yoga is to promote better blood circulation in the body; through the practice of the positions our cardio-circulatory system is put in a position to be able to perform its function in a fluid and efficient way.
Increase the quality of your breath
Thanks to yoga you learn to breathe correctly, and it is well known that correct breathing is useful not only for improving sports performance, but also for managing emotions.
The use of breathing techniques ( pranayama , in Sanskrit) is important as it helps us manage and control panic attacks, performance anxiety and mental relaxation.
If you want to learn more about this topic, I suggest you take a look at this article published on our blog: Why it’s important to breathe correctly… and how to do it >
It’s good for pregnancy
Doing yoga during pregnancy is good for the mother’s body and mind, and consequently also for the health of the unborn child.
There are numerous specific courses dedicated to pregnant women, during which exercises are carried out that prepare the pelvic muscles for childbirth and breath control is used to manage the emotional component linked to the magical moment of birth.
Furthermore, after childbirth, yoga is a useful support on a physical level, to recover tone and energy and on a mental level, to better manage the famous “postpartum crises”.
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