The Effects of YOGA
Yoga is for everyone and regular practise will, also literally, improve all aspects of your physical and mental health. Doing yoga on a regular basis – be it weekly, every other day or every day – will leave you feeling better over body, mind and spirit.
Regular yoga practise helps to increase flexibility, strength and posture – and by extension reduces your risk of developing painful chronic conditions. Your back, neck, knees, hips and joints, all these problematic areas benefit from the gradual lengthening of ligaments and gentle toning of muscles that comes with doing yoga regularly. An improvement in posture can boost your energy levels; all the hunching and crouching we do is exhausting for our bodies – and makes it hard to breathe properly – so straightening our spines and focusing on our breath during yoga has immense benefits physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Breathing practises (pranayama) is an integral part of yoga practise whether we are flowing into stillness or holding with conscious awareness. With regular practise you will learn to focus on your breath and control it. This has far-reaching benefits in all directions. Some are obvious, like increased lung capacity and stamina; however, there are some benefits that might surprise you. Breathing exercises can help reduce anxiety, depression and insomnia – anywhere and at any time.
Importantly a regular and sustained yoga practise can lower your cortisol levels. Cortisol is the secret weapon produced by our adrenal glands to boost our immune system in times of crisis; however, having high levels of cortisol at all times is not at all beneficial. Too much cortisol can cause depression, osteoporosis, high blood pressure and insulin resistance. It’s also being linked to strokes and heart attacks…it’s not good, basically. Yet there is no need to panic, because consistent yoga practise helps to regulate your adrenal glands and keep your cortisol levels under control.
Yoga can help you get in touch with yourself. Practising yoga can improve a sense of gratitude, improved sleep, more peaceful minds and helps us deepen our body awareness and wellbeing. It is an opportunity to stretch and strengthen yourself mentally just as much as physically, and will leave you feeling rejuvenated and recharged on all levels and moving into stillness and connections within.
IN yoga we believe we are connected body mind and spirit and it helps us bring harmony to all parts of ourselves and home to the SELF.
Join us for a class today and give yourself the gift of yoga.