Yoga is an ancient discipline that originated in India and dates back more than 4,000 years. The term Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word “Yug”, which means “divine union”. Currently, it is an ancient technique that is practiced all over the world, as it helps rebalance the body and mind. It is based on the principle that by balancing the chakras you obtain a better mental and physical state, so its practice involves the development of harmony, well-being and inner peace.
There are different branches of yoga, such as classical yoga or hatha yoga, known for its benefits for physical health. In addition, karma yoga is also known as that which seeks to bring the practitioner closer to a state of harmony and enlightenment. In this Psychology-Online article you will see what are the benefits of practicing yoga daily and you will realize that this technique is one of the best practices that exist to improve physical, mental and spiritual health.
What are the benefits of practicing yoga
Yoga is made up of postures or asanas that are accompanied by relaxation, meditation and mantras. Besides, Breath is the main energy of yoga and is used in the different exercises so that the movements are transformed into a single transformative and balancing entity.
Currently, various studies affirm that yoga is extremely beneficial for general well-being, since basically acts in the physical, psychological and spiritual realm of the human being. According to the latest studies by the American Psychological Association (APA), every day more people in the United States and in various parts of the world show physical and emotional well-being thanks to the practice of yoga.
In addition, yoga is a practice that adapts to each individual, since yogis, instructors or practitioners can personalize the routines according to their own mobility and needs. Next, we will show you the main benefits of yoga.
Relieves pain and tension in the back
Among the main benefits of yoga, it is worth highlighting that it is a perfect technique to relax tension and back and neck pain. Yoga positions or asanas cause a controlled muscle stretching of that part of the body and relieve lumbar and cervical pain.
In fact, due to its great results, many medical schools already include yoga as part of their care routine for patients with chronic pain.
Used to lose and control weight
Another great benefit of practicing yoga every day is that helps you better understand your body. In this sense, you will begin to better control the quality of the food you consume, which will cause you to lose weight and always stay in shape.
Coupled with this, some postures, combined with controlled breathing, serve to strengthen the abdomen, eliminate excess fat in that area of the body and burn some calories. Therefore, practicing yoga daily helps keep weight at bay and have better physical condition.
Relieves pregnancy ailments
Within the different styles of yoga, there is a type focused on pregnancy, a very convenient practice in the prenatal period. It relieves the ailments inherent to this physical state and also provides the following benefits:
- Helps connect baby with mother.
- It serves so that the pregnant woman maintains a good physical conditiona in the prenatal period.
- Relieves pregnancy discomfort.
- Helps control mother’s stress and anxiety.
The practice of yoga during pregnancy must be supervised by an expert so as not to put the health of the mother or baby at risk.
It improves concentration and attention
What does yoga produce? This practice favors concentration and memory, since helps the mind focus at an exact point on the body and control breathing.
Therefore, it is a highly recommended technique for children and students, as it allows them to achieve a mental state of serenity that will be the most appropriate when facing their academic challenges. In this article you will find others.
Improves balance, flexibility and strength
One of the benefits of practicing yoga outdoors is that your body learns to coordinate breathing with strength. In this way, with each of the postures you will make your movements more flexible and the muscles will become stronger, increasing their strength and mobility.
Relieve the stress
Without a doubt, one of the greatest benefits of yoga is that it reduces stress and anxiety. The fact of being able to achieve greater mobility provides a good self-esteem. In this article you will find others.
Additionally, recent studies from the American Psychological Society indicate that many mental health professionals include yoga in their therapies as a regular practice. Chanting, breathing control, and relaxing music used for routines reduce anxiety and stress.
Regulates blood pressure
Another benefit of practicing yoga in any of its styles is that it regulates blood pressure. Likewise, as it is a technique that reduces stress, it keeps blood pressure controlled, which contributes to the health of the heart and circulatory system.
In addition, yoga regulates overweight, therefore triglyceride and cholesterol levels that can affect the coronary arteries are reduced.
Fight insomnia
If you are one of those who find it difficult to sleep, you should know that one of the benefits of practicing yoga daily is that It helps to sleep. In fact, yogi experts recommend doing an exercise routine at least two hours before bed to relax the body and mind. In this way, sleep remains balanced and is very restful.
If you are interested in knowing more ways to combat insomnia, in this article you will see.
Fight arthritis
The controlled postures of yoga help reduce inflammation in the joints, which controls the pain that arthritis can generate. There are even scientific studies that validate the reduction of biochemical markers that cause chronic inflammation when a person practices yoga about 5 times a week for about 45 minutes.
Strengthens the immune system
The practice of yoga can increase the immunity of practitioners, as it helps the individual to strengthen their immune system. Besides, raises the body’s defenses and self-esteem because it helps reduce stress and anxiety.
Raise inner peace
When in doubt about what yoga is for, you should know that calms the restless and disturbed mind. It allows you to balance the body, spirit and mind and become more aware of the present, that is, yoga teaches you to live “in the here and now.” Additionally, another benefit of yoga is that it elevates your mood and strengthens you.
Reduces physical and mental exhaustion
The daily routine and carrying out different activities cause the mind and body to lose energy. In this sense, practicing yoga daily helps restore that energy because calms the mind and relaxes the body. In turn, this improves decision making so you can act more conveniently and positively.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Benefits of practicing yoga dailywe recommend that you enter our category.
References
- Official website of the American Psychological Association. Available at: https://dictionary.apa.org/yoga
- Novotney, A. (2009). American Psychological Association Magazine. Yoga as a practice tool. Available at: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/11/yoga
Bibliography
- Street, R. (1999). The big book of yoga. Urano Editions.
- MedlinePLus (2022). Yoga for health. NIH, National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/patientinstructions/000876.htm
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health website. 5 things you should know about yoga. nccih.nih.gov/health/tips/yoga. Updated October 30, 2020. Accessed October 30, 2020.