Seven Reasons to Practise Yoga

Have you ever wondered what the benefits of yoga are? Here it is, seven reasons why you should start practising yoga today.

Reason 1: Mood Boosting Yoga uses specific breathing and meditation techniques, which quietens the mind, relieves stress and anxiety and allows you to feel relaxed. Practising these breathing techniques in a yoga class as well at home will boost oxygen levels to the brain, leaving you feeling happier and more content with everyday life.

Reason 2: Burn Excess Fat and Calories Those who practise yoga regularly will observe subtle and beautiful changes in all areas of life. Being overweight is a sign that there are imbalances in your everyday life. Practising yoga enables you to bring a deep sense of relaxation to your body and your mind inspiring you to make healthier choices. The physical aspects of yoga will also boost your metabolism and increase your heart rate enabling you to burn excess fat and calories.

Reason 3: Increases Flexibility Many people say they are not flexible enough to do yoga. But unless you are a dancer or gymnast the chances are you won't be flexible unless you start doing yoga! It doesn't matter how tight your muscles are, through regular practise yoga will improve your flexibility, which can help prevent back pain and joint pain - something which many of us accept as a normal side effect of getting older. Yoga will also help to prevent injuries received in other sporting activities and day-to-day tasks. Yoga also increases the range of motion in the joints allowing you to move around more freely.

Reason 4: Improves Muscle Tone and Strength Many yoga poses will have a noticeable effect on your upper body strength just as many poses will focus on your core abdominal muscles. Likewise, standing poses strengthen your upper leg muscles and lower back. Essentially any pose will strengthen an area of the body if it is practised in the right way, without putting too much stress on specific muscle groups.

Reason 5: Feelings of Overall Wellbeing, Health and Happiness Many of us in the West still see yoga as a fitness regime. But the benefits are not merely physical. Aside from the uplifting spiritual values, yoga can lift your capacity to succeed in all other areas of your life including work, study, sport and relationships with yourself and others. Feelings of stability, clarity and a greater capacity for concentration will emerge.

Reason 6: Improves Breathing and Lowers Blood Pressure If you practise yoga regularly, your lung capacity will increase as a result of the deep breathing techniques. This will then have a positive effect on other sports and activities by increasing your stamina and endurance. Furthermore, meditation and calming yoga poses slow down your heart rate which in turn lowers blood pressure and have also been linked with improving the immune system and lowering cholesterol.

Reason 7: Yoga is Fun and Flexible The good thing about yoga is that it can be practised anytime and anywhere. So whilst it's always good to get to a class; you don't have to rely on a class being available; or a gym being open; to practise whenever you get the urge. Just roll out your mat and begin! Yoga does not discriminate against age, ability, sex or religion. There is a yoga practise for everyone. Whilst there are spiritual values in yoga, I believe they will compliment your own beliefs or religion perfectly. Yoga is also fun - if you've been to a yoga class and never laughed then you have not been to the right classes! Whilst focussing on breathing, it is easy to forget about the physical work your body is going through therefore a yoga class may not feel as strenuous as other physical exercise regimes making it fun and enjoyable.