Yoga is an ancient discipline that was born in India and dates back more than 4,000 years. The term Yoga derives from the Sanskrit word “yug”, which means "divine union". Currently, it is an ancient technique that is practiced all over the world, since it helps to rebalance the body and mind. It is based on the principle that by balancing the chakras a better mental and physical state is obtained, so its practice implies 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 physical health benefits. In addition, karma yoga is also known as the one that 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.
Index
- What are the benefits of practicing yoga
- Relieves pain and tension in the back
- Helps to lose and control weight
- Relieves the ailments of pregnancy
- It improves concentration and attention
- Improves balance, flexibility and strength
- Relieve the stress
- Regulates blood pressure
- combat insomnia
- combat arthritis
- Strengthens the immune system
- Elevate inner peace
- Reduces physical and mental exhaustion
What are the benefits of practicing yoga.
Yoga is made up of postures or asanas that are accompanied with relaxation, meditation and mantras. Besides, breath is the main energy of yoga and it is used in the different exercises so that the movements are transformed into a single entity that transforms and balances.
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 of American Psychological Association (APA)[1]Every day there are more people in the United States and in various parts of the world who 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 customize 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 should be noted that it is a perfect technique to relax tensions and back and neck pain. The positions or asanas of yoga cause a controlled stretching of the muscles of that part of the body and relieve lumbar and cervical pain.
In fact, due to its great results, many medical colleges already include yoga as part of their care routine for patients with chronic pain.
It is used to lose and control weight.
Another of the great benefits 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.
Along 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 be in better physical condition.
Relieves the ailments of pregnancy.
Within the different styles of yoga, there is a type focused on pregnancy, a very convenient practice in the prenatal period. The yoga for pregnant women relieves the ailments of this physical state and also provides the following benefits:
- Helps to connect the baby with the mother.
- It serves for the pregnant woman to maintain a good physical conditionto in the prenatal period.
- Relieves the discomforts of pregnancy.
- Helps control stress and anxiety of the mother.
The practice of yoga during pregnancy must be supervised by an expert so as not to put the health of the mother or the baby at risk.
It improves concentration and attention.
What does yoga do? This practice favors concentration and memory, since helps the mind to focus at an exact point in the body and to control breathing.
For this reason, 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 other strategies to improve concentration.
Improves balance, flexibility and strength.
One of the benefits of practicing yoga outdoors is that your body learns to coordinate breath with force. In this way, with each of the postures you will be making your movements more flexible and the muscles will be strengthened, 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 grants a good self-esteem. In this article you will find other ways to improve self esteem.
In addition, recent studies by the American Psychological Society[2]indicate that many mental health professionals include yoga in their therapies as a regular practice. Chanting, breath 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 under control, which contributes to the health of the heart and circulatory system.
In addition, yoga regulates overweight, therefore triglyceride and cholesterol levels are reduced, which can affect the coronary arteries.
Fight insomnia.
If you are one of those who find it hard 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 your 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 what to do when you can't sleep.
Fight arthritis.
Controlled yoga postures help reduce inflammation in the joints, which controls the pain that arthritis can cause. There are even scientific studies that validate the reduction of biochemical markers that produce chronic inflammation when the 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 as to 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". In addition, another of the benefits of yoga is that it elevates mood and strengthens the interpersonal relationships.
Reduces physical and mental exhaustion.
The daily routine and carrying out different activities make the mind and body 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, in 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 daily, we recommend that you enter our category of meditation and relaxation.
References
- Official website of the American Psychological Association. Available in: https://dictionary.apa.org/yoga
- Novotney A. (2009). Magazine American Psychological Association. Yoga as a practice tool. Available in: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/11/yoga
Bibliography
- Street, R. (1999). The great book of yoga. Uranus Editions.
- Medline Plus (2022). Yoga for health. NIH, National Library of Medicine. Available in: 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.
