Seven Life-Changing Benefits of Yoga!
If you're thinking about starting a yoga practice, you may be wondering what yoga can do for you.
While there are many benefits to practicing yoga, we've picked out seven of our favorites! We believe that yoga can truly change your life, and we think you'll see why!
#1 Increase Flexibility
Yes, yoga is much more than just "stretching," but that's not to say you won't get great benefits from those stretching poses! By practicing yoga on a regular basis (we recommend at least twice a week!), you will find more space, length, and opening in your body, and your flexibility will increase. Like anything, staying consistent will bring you the best results if increased flexibility is one of your goals. Any yoga class will move & stretch your body in a variety of ways, but classes like Yin Yoga are great to include in your routine for this benefit.
#2 Improve Posture
Our day-to-day lives can really affect our posture, leaving us feeling cramped up, tight, stiff, and sore. Working at a desk, texting on your phone, or even driving can put us into positions that get our bodies into a bind. Practicing yoga can help to reduce tension & stiffness caused by poor posture, and over time, mindful awareness will help remind you to take better care of your body when doing your daily activities. By improving our posture, we are also making more space for the breath in our body which makes it easier to take deeper, fuller breaths.
#3 Increase Happiness
One of our favorite benefits of a yoga practice is increased happiness! Practicing yoga helps us connect to the present moment which gives us a greater sense of appreciation and gratitude for our lives. By focusing during a yoga class, you are practicing letting go of to-do lists, anxious feelings, nerves, or any mental chatter that may be affecting your mood and happiness. Also, when we move our body, we feel better which, in turn, makes us happier!
#4 Relieve Stress
It goes without saying, yoga is known for its stress-relieving benefits! Yoga helps us manage our stress by giving us a space to connect & be still in a safe environment. Learning how to breathe properly is a big part of this. In a yoga class, you will learn how to use your breath to calm your body and mind. These are tools you can then take out into your day-to-day life and use when you feel yourself getting stressed. Certain classes such as Restorative Yoga are specifically focused on releasing stress and promoting relaxation.
#5 Better Energy
Practicing yoga can give us an energy boost to help us make the most of our day. Any time of day is great for practicing yoga, but starting your morning with yoga is a great way to get going! Some benefits of yoga, like better energy, can be felt more quickly, like right after class! With regular practice, you may find yourself feeling more energized on a regular basis as your body is healthier & happier!
#6 Mental Clarity & Focus
Practicing yoga can lift the "mental fog" that makes us feel uninspired and lethargic. By mindfully breathing during meditation, focusing while practicing a balance pose, or even by resting the eyes at the end of a yoga class, we are giving our minds a much-needed break from outside stimulus. Yoga & meditation help us find mental clarity that can help us be more efficient and productive in our day-to-day.
#7 Injury Prevention
Many people find their way to yoga after an injury, but what if we could use yoga as a way to prevent injury in the first place? The good news is we can! Creating body awareness in a yoga class can help us in our favorite sports or daily activities. Improving your balance can be useful for handling falls or trips, and increasing flexibility can also help in the prevention of injury of overused/under stretched muscles. Yoga is a fantastic stand-alone activity, but it also goes hand-in-hand with almost any other activity or sport!
Now that you know some of the incredible benefits of yoga, are you ready to give it a try?