Seven Health Benefits of Yoga

One of the best ways to unwind and relax is by taking a yoga class. The combination of strengthening your body while giving your mind a break from the stresses of your day really reinforces the mind-body connection that is so important to a healthy lifestyle. Anyone can do it, and everyone should!

There are several health benefits to yoga supported by numerous studies:

  1. Yoga can help ease stress and lower your levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

  2. Through a variety of held poses and stretches, yoga increases flexibility and improve your valance.

  3. Yoga can help to relieve symptoms of anxiety by providing an environment focused on finding a sense of peace.

  4. The breathing exercises often incorporated into yoga aid breathing and lung function in the long-term, and even decrease symptoms of asthma.

  5. Yoga increases the production of melatonin, which regulates sleep and supports better sleep quality.

  6. Sun salutations, often used and the beginning and/or closing moves of a yoga class, can increase a person’s strength and endurance.

  7. Yoga helps to improve your posture and works on the alignment of your body, so you balance your head directly over your spine.

 For these reasons and more, endeavoring into a class in which you are lead through breathing, stretches, and poses is an extremely beneficial way to carve an hour out of your day. Take the time in a yoga class to be present in the moment, leave the baggage you came in with at the door, and begin your journey to a more peaceful you.