5 Benefits of Practicing Yoga Daily

 

Yoga is a Northern Indian practice, which has been around for more than 5,000 years.  In the past decade, it’s popularity rose with it being practiced by fitness and social media influencers. Meanwhile, YouTube is still flooded with yoga tutorials, but why are people obsessed with it?  Because Yoga is not what it appears to be at first glance: it’s not just stretching, taking deep breaths and improving flexibility. Yoga is as spiritual as it is physical, and for some, its a way of life.

Yoga is an ancient practice of which there are many styles of, even some modern ones such as Hot Yoga, Yin Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga. You can try out any style and enjoy the benefits, but what are they? Believe it or not, Yoga has a countless number of benefits on your body in mind, which explains why it has been practiced for more than a thousand years!

We can’t possibly number all of the benefits that Yoga has to offer, but here are our top 5 Benefits of Practicing Yoga, that will convince you to incorporate it into your daily life:

 

1. Physical benefits

 

Yoga is very beneficial for your whole body, your organs and fitness performance. It increases your muscle strength, flexibility, balance, joint and bone health, while also preventing injuries. The many types of breathing techniques that the practice uses, can improve your blood flow to the lungs, heart, and blood vessels, improving your respiration altogether.

2. Brain health benefits

 

Yoga strengthens parts of the brain that play a key role in memory, attention, awareness, thought, and language. Studies using MRI scans and other brain imaging technology have shown that people who regularly did yoga had a thicker cerebral cortex and hippocampus compared with nonpractitioners. Because your brain releases dopamine and serotonin when you practice yoga, it can also help you with anxiety, depression and especially stress! The many poses that you perform release the tension from your body and brain, and the breathing helps you relax, which leads to destressing.

3. Heart health benefits

 

As we previously mentioned, yoga has benefits for your organs, especially for the most important ones, such as the heart. Every yoga pose has a particular effect on the respiratory system and therefore, affects the heart. The benefits include:

• • Lower blood pressure.
  • Increased lung capacity.
  • Lower bad cholesterol levels.
  • Improved heart rate
  • Boost blood circulation.

4.  Improved Body image and relationship with food

 

As yoga can help with physical and mental health, it can also positively influence the relationship you have with your body. As you move your body daily, you learn to appreciate it and what it can do for you, instead of focusing on how it looks. You can gain a better mind to body connection, grow more confident, and be satisfied with your body image. Along with this, you may gain better control of hunger cues, hunger and create a positive relationship with food. Some dedicated yoga practitioners also follow the Yogic Diet, which promotes non-violence, sattvic foods, purity and cleanliness, for the ultimate health benefits.

 

5.  Better sleep

 

A bedtime yoga routine is the perfect formula for good sleep. Not only can yoga improve your sleep time and quality, but it can also help treat insomnia. The relaxation, mindfulness and the calm that comes with practicing yoga, will help you fall asleep faster, and stay asleep for longer. Some popular poses such as the child’s pose are the perfect way to unwind after a long and stressful day, so give it a try!

We hope that you found this list of benefits useful, and that it gave you a reason to incorporate yoga into your daily routine!