Hopewood favourites – Yoga

Yoga is a great form of exercise and can be done at any level.

The practice of yoga can help unlock us on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels. It’s a holistic form of exercise, with several components, including asana, pranayama, meditation and deep relaxation techniques.

Yoga can increase the level of good chemicals in our body.

Yoga provides a toolbox of techniques that enhance our wellbeing in many different areas of our life. Research shows there is a change in our internal chemistry as a result of doing anasa and pranayama exercises. Findings demonstrate that people who do yoga have higher levels of the good hormones – dopamine and serotonin.

Yoga practices develop more neural matter and activity in the parts of our brain that need to be developed – the pre-frontal cortex (modern brain) where we do most of our reasoning and planning.

Apart from the exercise benefits, yoga also enhances our ability to think clearly, effectively manage stress and stay out of our lower, reactive brain.

Yoga is also used therapeutically.