To slow down aging and increase mindfulness I suggest a Yoga regimen be added to your daily exercise routine. Yoga focuses on your body’s natural tendency toward health and self-healing. Yoga also creates consciousness and harmony in both our mind and body, making it a powerful weapon in our battle to stay healthy. Below you will find my nine reasons for starting to practice yoga. If you practice, please share your reasons in the comment section provided.
1. STRESS RELIEF
Yoga reduces the physical effects of stress on our bodies. Additional benefits to the body when stress is reduced are: it lowers blood pressure eases anxiety, depression, and fatigue. Most importantly it helps us get a better nights sleep which is helpful in healing the body from the effects of our daily stress.
2. WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
All styles of Yoga can aid in helping us control our weight. By reducing cortisol levels and burning excess calories, Yoga helps us to lose the weight and continues to help us maintain our healthy weight when practiced daily.
3. TAKE A DEEP BREATH
Yoga teaches us to take deeper and slower breaths. These breathing techniques improve our lung function, increases the amount of oxygen in our bodies which help our body relax.
4. PAIN RELIEF
I have found by stretching and strengthening my core my daily aches and pains are nonexistent. Massaging at home is actually really easy with some very affordable products.
5. BEING PRESENT
Yoga aids us with being present when we become more aware it helps create mind body health. It improves concentration, coordination, and memory.
6. BODY AWARENESS
Yoga requires you to contract or relax specific muscles as you stretch into each pose. Aiding you in becoming more aware of my body’s strengths and weaknesses.
7. IMPROVES FLEXIBILITY
As we age our muscles tend to be stiffer and tighter. Yoga helps to improve flexibility, mobility and increases our range of motion which also reduces body aches and pains.
8. STAND UP STRAIGHT
In age, of computers and long ours of sitting our posture can suffer. Yoga also helps to improve body alignment resulting in better posture and helping to relieve back, neck, joint and muscle problems.
9. MENTAL & EMOTIONAL CLARITY
Mediation is such a huge part of Yoga. You can be an expert at every pose but if you don’t take advantage of the meditative piece you’re not gaining all of its benefits. By connecting to our inner selves, we obtain emotional balance while quieting our minds we find inner peace.
As you get deeper into your Yoga practice, you will begin to see the mental and physical benefits. I encourage you if you haven’t taken the Yoga leap to give it a try; I promise you will not be disappointed!
Andrea Warren holds a BS in Naturopathy and is a Certified Aromatherapist. You can find her most days researching the latest health craze or writing on her family blog Waldorf Salad & Cottage Fries. Her passions are health, simple living, and family. Please share your comments and suggestions below.
[…] Relaxation methods such as breathing exercises and mindfulness meditation can help you relieve stress. Go in a quiet place that is close to your heart, and sit in a comfortable position. Start breathing slowly and focus on your body. You don’t need a yoga guru to learn how to meditate. There are plenty of free apps you can try. At first, you can meditate for up to ten minutes, then increase the time of this process gradually. […]