Let’s just be honest. These last few months have been beyond stressful. Of course, we have all had stressful times in our lives, and all have our own “toolbox” of things that assist us through. One thing that has helped me in the past, and now again is saving the day (many times over), is yoga.
Yoga has many benefits that most of us have heard of: increased flexibility helps to build and maintain muscles, improving balance, and is gentle on the joints. There are some benefits, however, that you may be surprised to hear of.
The reasons to try yoga include:
* Improving your posture. I know I, for one, suffer from slumped over posture. Many of us have desk jobs, and it can be tough to keep an upright posture all day long. A large part of yoga is about how you carry your body in each pose, and if someone is practicing with a slumped posture, the poses are much more likely to hurt and not be effective. Learning how to carry your body with better posture has many benefits, and may even prevent arthritis of the spine later in life (yogajournal.com).
* Yoga may actually help decrease the risk of heart attacks and strokes! Yoga gets your blood flowing and gets more oxygen to your cells, so they start functioning better. Inverted poses can do this even more so, as the blood travels back to the heart, then to the lungs – which can help with heart or kidney problems (source). Yoga poses can even boost the oxygen in the tissues and thin the blood – making blood clots less likely (hence decreasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes) – how awesome is that (source)!?
*With COVID-19 on many minds, we hear a lot about immunity and how a healthy immune system is very important. Yoga can even help with this! “When you contract and stretch muscles, move organs around, and come in and out of yoga postures, you increase the drainage of lymph (a viscous fluid rich in immune cells). This helps the lymphatic system fight infection, destroy cancerous cells, and dispose of the toxic waste products of cellular functioning” (source). Basically, this means that you boost your immune system every time you do yoga!
*Many people are talking about how they are struggling emotionally and mentally in this difficult time. You’ve guessed it – yoga can help with our mental health also! “One study found that a consistent yoga practice improved depression and led to a significant increase in serotonin levels and a decrease in the levels of monoamine oxidase (an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters) and cortisol” (the hormone in your body that deals with stress) (source). They even found that this change was even more pronounced in people who practice yoga long-term (source)!
*One of the things I struggle with most is being present in the moment. This is something that is a huge part of yoga. Many studies have found that when you practice yoga regularly, memory, coordination, and focus improves (source). Even if it’s only for a 30 to 60-minute yoga session of being present, that is time well spent not worrying and thinking about all your daily tasks.
*Lastly, we all need to remember the importance of self-care. Especially in these difficult times, it is so important to take out some time each week (or even better, each day!) for yourself. Yoga can also be a great “gateway” to other ways to take care of yourself, including aerobic exercise and more healthy, mindful eating.
Of course, there are many other benefits of yoga that I did not cover here. I hope that if you have not tried yoga in the past, you may take this opportunity to give it a go. A great way to start is with a “beginner yoga” youtube video. Morning Sun Yoga Studio in Bellevue has a wonderful youtube page of free online classes, but some are quite advanced (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1AsKdFXAdHfsgZxRj9R-Ww). Teachers from Morning Sun Yoga Studio are also holding Free yoga classes at Josten Park in Bellevue every Tuesday evening from 6pm-7pm. The classes are held outside in a large grassy area, so social distancing is possible!
Take care. Stay healthy. Namaste.
[source: https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/count-yoga-38-ways-yoga-keeps-fit]
