16 Health Benefits Of Yoga

When I first started yoga, my main goal was to become more flexible. I think that's why a lot of people start yoga in the first place. Or to do a more chilled out exercise. I didn't realise there were so many benefits from it! Throughout my journey with yoga I've learnt a lot about how it can help your mind and body and I wanted to share some of the facts I've gathered over the years. 

So here are 16 benefits of yoga.

1. Self Care

For a start, yoga helps promote self care. When do you ever take time out for yourself? Yoga is time to really focus on yourself and your own mind and body. Yoga time is me time.

2. Sleep

Yoga is great for sorting out your sleep routine. I notice a difference on the days I do yoga and the days I don't. It's not rare for me to fall asleep during savasana. If you really struggle with insomnia, smother yourself in some lavender body cream and do gentle yoga before bed, there's even exercises you can do in the bed. This will set you up for a great nights sleep.

3. Posture

Yoga is good for your posture. Stretching creates space allowing your body to morph back to it's natural shape. It's great for your spine and will strengthen all the muscles you need to stand up correctly.

4. Mental health

Yoga is fantastic for your mental health. Yoga and meditation come hand in hand and although you can practice both separately, I tend to practice meditation throughout my yoga practice. By the time my session is done, I'm in a state of euphoric bliss. It's especially effective at managing anxiety!

5. Concentration

Yoga is good for your concentration levels. There are breathing exercises where you bring your mind back to your breathing. These train your concentration levels which means when you're worrying it's a lot easier to switch it off.

6. Helps cholesterol 

Any form of exercise is good for lowering high cholesterol but yoga is particularly good for your heart. Your heart is put at risk when you do have high cholesterol. If you don't like cardio then perhaps give yoga a try?

7. Weight loss

Yoga is good for weight loss. It may seem like a very gentle exercise but it definitely helps burn calories and tone you up. ESPECIALLY hot yoga!

8. Weight gain

Equally yoga can be good for weight gain in the sense of muscle strength. If you're underweight like myself and don't have a lot of body fat you'll notice a big difference in your muscles. Because I have nothing to burn it's really helping me to gain some muscle definition, therefore making me look a bit bigger.

9. Pain

Had a long day at work or worked out too hard? Yoga is great for soothing sore muscles! It sounds counter intuitive, but if I'm feeling achy in my shoulders, which is always, yoga really helps release the tension!

10. Balance

Yoga is great for improving your balance! Soon enough you'll be able to hold the trickiest of yoga poses with your eyes closed and not worry about falling!

11. Flexibility

Yoga is very well known for helping your flexibility. It's definitely the best exercise for it. You can notice changes quite quickly. Stretching poses can help create space within your body making it easier to bend in weird ways that you couldn't before.

12. Strengthens bones and joints

Yoga is recommended for people suffering with osteoporosis and other joint and bone problems. It can help with joint breakdown. I have really weak wrists but yoga helps to strengthen them. There are particular exercises you can find that focus on separate body parts too.

13. Allergies

Believe it or not, yoga can help with allergies! Yoga can improve your immune system making allergies less bothersome. And all that breathing has gotta be clearing out those airways right?

14. Drops blood pressure

Yoga is a good way to reduce blood pressure naturally and has very good results and noticeable changes!

15. Lungs

Yoga strengthens your lungs and actually expands them. The breathing exercises create space meaning you are less likely to be affected by colds and can run for longer without getting out of breath.

16. Heart

Yoga is great for maintaining a healthy heart. It encourages blood flow and works in a different way to cardio and other heart healthy exercises by combining it with breathing techniques.

So yoga is pretty flipping magical right? Why not give it a go! All you need is a mat, or failing that, a blanket and you can use YouTube for some 'at-home workouts' if you don't feel comfortable going to a class.

Namaste!

Disclaimer: I am not an expert in yoga. These are all tips I have picked up throughout my yoga experiences with different tutors. I just wanted one place to document them all.