Yoga for Better Health: Why You Should Try Yoga Today
Keep reading to learn all about yoga’s amazing benefits for the mind and body, how to get started for beginners, and how this practice is good for everyone.
What is yoga and where does it come from?
Focusing primarily on movement, the breath, and meditation – yoga is proven to be beneficial for your overall mental and physical health. If you’re new to the practice, the poses and spiritual talk can be overwhelming, so don’t worry. We’ve put together an overview about yoga’s origins, benefits, and how you can get started today.
The philosophy of yoga involves connecting body, mind and spirit. Yoga is an ancient practice that was first developed in Northern India over 5,000 years ago. The word yoga first appeared in an ancient text called Rig Veda and stems from the Sanksrit word “yuj,” meaning “union.”
There are several different types of yoga, each with their own benefits, making this form of exercise easily adaptable to your health and fitness goals, needs and limitations.
Benefits of yoga for your mind and body
People turn to yoga for a variety of reasons. Yogi expert Kerri Axelrod said, “Yoga can offer incredible benefits – from increased strength and flexibility to stress reduction – and is a great antidote to our hectic lifestyles that often overtax our nervous systems.”
According to our research, the benefits of yoga seem to be never-ending. Because the practice is so adaptable, yoga is perfect for anyone looking to increase strength and flexibility in a gentle way that reduces your risk for injury.
Some benefits include improving:
- anxiety, stress and depression – making it great for mental health well-being
- osteoporosis
- arthritis
- high blood pressure
- heart health
- mobility, flexibility, balance, stability
- posture
- concentration
- overall strength
- chronic pain
- sleep
- breathing
- immune system functionality
- digestive problems
- self-care and body awareness
How to get started today
Although yoga is a relatively gentle practice, there are still certain risk factors to consider. It is important to consult your healthcare provider prior to taking up the practice if you have certain health conditions.
With at least 19 different types and 6 branches of yoga, it can be difficult to know where to start. We recommend starting out by attending a class with a certified yoga instructor. Let your instructor know about any health conditions, mobility issues or injuries you have so they can help you modify poses and alter your practice to reach your goals.
In-person yoga classes are great for building a routine and getting more detailed posture ques from your instructor. There has also been an increase in virtual yoga classes and follow along videos – making it easier now more than ever to get started today.
Yoga is for everyone
Don’t be intimidated by difficult-looking poses or terminology. Yoga is for everyone. Studies show that yoga helps school-age children by improving focus, memory, academic performance, and even self-esteem.
Yoga is a great option for older adults looking to keep their bodies strong and healthy. It can help improve balance and core stability, pulmonary health, and bone density without the risk of joint stress and other injuries.
Check out the following resources to learn more about the history of yoga and how you can build your own home practice today!
More about the history of yoga:
- https://artsandculture.google.com/story/explore-the-ancient-roots-of-yoga/rAKCRDl92CPuJg
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/286745#history
Who you should check out:
- https://kerriaxelrod.com
- https://yogawithadriene.com – Check out Yoga with Adriene on YouTube for hundreds of free yoga videos from beginner to expert level, including videos on how to perform certain postures.
References used:
https://www.yogabasics.com/learn/history-of-yoga/
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=1&contentid=2767
https://www.byrdie.com/benefits-of-yoga
https://artsandculture.google.com/story/explore-the-ancient-roots-of-yoga/rAKCRDl92CPuJg
https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/10-things-didnt-know-yoga-history/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/286745#what-is-yoga
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3193654/
https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/health/womens-health/count-yoga-38-ways-yoga-keeps-fit/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/more-than-just-a-game-yoga-for-school-age-children-201601299055