Yoga and Health

They say your health is in your hands, and it is up to you to stay hale and hearty by eating, exercising and living well. Unfortunately for most us we don’t do any of the three properly, often due to time constraints and over committing ourselves. Yoga is an ancient form of physical and mental discipline that helps you gain control over your mind and body and unite them in order to gain good health.

Yoga and Physical Health

Experts believe that most ailments in the body can be traced back to improper care and treatment of the body. There are many forms of yoga and each focuses on a different aspect on how the mind and body can be brought under control and balanced. Yoga ‘asanas’ help you exercise different parts of the body as well as your internal organs too. Yogis believe that by ensuring proper functioning of the internal organs and a state of balance, the body stays healthy and functions optimally. The breathing techniques that are characteristic of yoga ensure that the body works inside out and benefits from each ‘asana’.

Physical ailments such as those related to the respiratory system and the circulatory system are found to benefit from the practice of yoga. Yoga also helps build up strength and stamina and strengthens the body to endure physical as well as mental stressors. A yoga routine can both energize and relax the body and leave it feeling invigorated and revitalized.

Yoga and Mental Health

Most of our psychological problems stem from a sense of loss of control. While it may be difficult to control your environment and people around you, it is possible to gain control over yourself with the help of yoga.

Yoga uses ‘asanas’ or postures along with unique breathing techniques and meditative states to help people gain control over their mind and body. It also resolves any dissonance between the two.

If you feel exhausted and stressed out then a yoga routine is just what the doctor ordered. It takes the focus off all your problems and helps you center on yourself. It helps you appreciate the wonder that the human body is. Simple techniques help you gain control on the most basic process in your body, your breathing. You learn to breathe effectively and dispel negative emotions and toxins from your body.

Yoga is great for times when you feel moody, depressed or low. In fact, experts also recommend that pregnant women practice it under trained supervision. It helps them gain control over their raging hormones and frequently flipping moods.

How does Yoga Work

Yoga reduces the physical as well as mental stress in the body and ensures that it is filled with positive energy. It removes the toxins from the body and promotes great circulation and body functioning. When you are feeling great from the inside it is difficult to stay sick or depressed for long. Practicing relaxation techniques and meditative states calms the mind as well as the body and makes you feel in control of your emotions, thoughts and actions. You are more at ease with yourself and the world, and hence more prepared to deal with all that life throws at you.