The term ‘yoga’ translates to ‘union’ in Sanskrit, aiming to harmonise the mind, body, and soul. And what a better time than now to begin this process by nurturing your body through movement and breathing.  

Whilst physically you are stretching, flowing, and holding the positions, the practice also involves focus of the mind. During yoga, you are in the present moment, focusing on the positions and your breathing. This is a discipline we can all benefit from.

Is yoga right for you? We’ve listed some of the awesome benefits of practicing yoga:

Maintain and train attention

Throughout the practice, you’re training your attention by focusing on the ‘now.’ A practice which, when implemented in everyday life, can give you mental clarity and the ability to choose where your focus lies when the world seeks your attention. 

Relax your mind and body

Breathing during yoga helps to balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain, allowing the ‘action, fight and flight’ system to relax. This aids in clear thinking and promotes a sense of tranquillity. Your body also becomes physically relaxed with the slowing of your heartbeat through nose breathing and exhalation.

Get in tune with your body 

Whilst providing the benefits of better posture and strengthening your muscles and core, yoga can alleviate the tension in your body, particularly shoulders and lower back, bringing a lightness to your physical being. 

For instance, shoulder pain can stem from an imbalance of the hip, which can stem from an imbalance in the ankles. By stretching the legs, you can release tension in the lower back which can alleviate tension in the neck and shoulders.

Calm the nervous system

The jaw is one of the places that holds the most tension in the body. Relaxing the jaw with massage and movement allows the vagus nerve that runs down the entire spine to relax, calming the nervous system. The release of bodily tension releases tension in the mind, allowing you to see how mind and body are connected.

All in all, yoga seeks to aid in physical health and awareness, mental clarity, empowerment, and ultimately, shape a better quality of life. 

If you don’t know where to start, check out some of our other articles for some beginner yoga tips, or better yet, join a class in your local area!