The Health Benefits of Yoga

The Health Benefits of Yoga

 Yoga is a spiritual, mental and physical practice that has been around since ages. With time, people have discovered a number of health benefits associated with yoga. Yoga does more than burning calories and strengthening muscles, it is a workout which involves both body and mind.

This International Yoga Day start a good habit and promise yourself the following health benefits:

• Improves posture
Working for long hours on a desk could not only hurt your spine but also make you feel tired at the end of the day. Practicing certain yoga asanas could help you in improving your posture and also prevent pain in your neck and lower back.

• Increases flexibility
When was the last time you wished you could easily touch your toes which bending forward? Well, practicing yoga could help you in that. Yoga can not only help you in increasing your flexibility but also let you perform complex asanas.

• Builds muscle strength
Yoga could help in strengthening weak muscles of the body. It helps in toning which prevents frequent straining of the muscles.

• Boosts metabolism
Yoga helps in retaining the vitality in your body along with keeping it fit. It motivates you towards healthy eating and improves the metabolic system of the body.

• Helps in lowering blood sugar
Yoga not only helps in lowering blood sugar but also lowers bad cholesterol and boosts good cholesterol. It encourages weight loss and improves the body’s sensitivity to insulin.

• Increases blood flow
The relaxation exercises in yoga regulates blood to all parts of your body. Exercises such as handstand, helps venous blood from the lower part of the body to flow back to your heart, where it can be pumped back to the lungs to be oxygenated.

• Keep diseases at bay
Yoga exercises have a beneficial effect on the immune system. It not only helps in destroying various viruses we catch during season change, but also boosts our immunity to fight off diseases.

• Increases self-esteem

Practicing yoga would help you explore a different side of yourself. It would make you feel good about yourself and helps you take a positive approach in life.

• Improves lung function

A lot of breathing exercises are said to improve lung function. Doing such exercises in a long run could cure respiratory problems. It also increases the capacity of your lungs.

• Helps you sleep better

Yoga helps in reducing stress and creates a routine which in turn makes a regular sleeping pattern. A relaxed body gets a deeper and more peaceful sleep.

The 6 most common types of yoga and their advantages

Yoga is a traditional discipline of Indian origin that not only nurtures the body, but also the mind. Over the years, different forms have emerged, and some 30 different types of Yoga are now being practised. And, all of them benefit the body, as we talked about in this article.

Therefore, it is now time to review the most common types of yoga and the advantages offered by each. You will only be able to discover which method suits you best and adapts best to your needs by reading on.

 

HATHA YOGA:

Hatha yoga is the most popular and the one offered in most gyms. It covers all the traditional aspects of yoga such as body awareness, breathing and meditation.

This type of yoga is ideal for people starting for the first time, since the general postures are basic, and the class progresses in a slow progressive manner. The asanas are simple with the aim of teaching you how to breathe, relax and meditate during the classes.

 

VINYASA YOGA:

If you are looking for a dynamic way to do yoga, this is the method for you. Vinyasa yoga connects movement to breathing and this is how the sequence of postures is guided. One posture after another is joined seamlessly and dynamically creating a pattern.

The routines vary in each session, although it is based on Hatha Yoga and its postures, and they tend to be high intensity classes.

Therefore, vinyasa yoga is ideal for active, restless and creative people who prefer faster movements to music. This method, along with other benefits, also improves lung capacity and promotes concentration and self-control.

 

KUNDALINI YOGA:

This is a more spiritual approach and encourages meditation. It is not physically demanding, due to the postures being simple as it is more focused on clearing the mind and finding inner peace.

Specifically, kundalini yoga is intended to awaken energy within the body through the spine. The sessions are very intense and different postures are performed in each one.

This type of yoga is ideal for those who seek to escape from stress and reconnect with their inner self. It strengthens the nervous system and purifies the blood.

 

ASHTANGA YOGA:

Known as the yoga of warriors, this technique is the most demanding. Sequences of postures flow in harmony with breathing in this technique, which has been designed to relax the mind while working on the body’s endurance and suppleness.

Ashtanga yoga improves strength and flexibility, while helping to improve self-control over body and mind. It is therefore a good practice for those who are trying to lose weight and need to de-stress.

 

IYENGAR YOGA:

Iyengar yoga focuses on the correct alignment of the spine to improve posture. It is therefore recommended for those who have suffered an injury, do not engage in physical activity, are beginners or are elderly.

During the session, the postures are executed slowly, concentrating hard, and held for one minute. Blocks, balls, elastics, etc. can be used to help align the body while it is becoming stronger.

Some of the benefits of Iyengar yoga are increased flexibility, improved posture and body toning.

 

BIKRAM YOGA:

If you are interested in losing weight and eliminating toxins, bikram yoga is your best option. This form bases itself on an arranged sequence of 26 postures while in a room with the temperature set at 40 degrees. These asanas are designed to strengthen the muscles, eliminate toxins from the organs through sweating and improve flexibility.

Thanks to the temperature inside the room, the bikram yoga boosts weight loss, burning up to 600 calories in one session.

 

As you will have already found out if you have reached this point in the article, there are some types of yoga that are easier than others, some with more rhythm and a few which are more complicated. Some of them focus more on posture correction, others on flexibility or breathing. The important thing is, therefore, to choose the type that best helps you to achieve your goals and improve your well-being ;).