The Mental Benefits of Yoga

When all else fails, take a deep breath and do the “downward facing dog” pose! That’s always been the Spafinder mantra, anyway. You see, yoga is an ages-old exercise that helps you find the outer and inner harmony you deserve. It’s not just a low-impact technique that improves your balance and reduces back pain, but also caters to your brain. It’s time to discover the power of yoga to reduce stress, enhance harmony, lift your spirits and more…what are you waiting for?

Bringing harmony to life

The word ‘Yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘Yuj’, which means ‘to unite,’ and that’s exactly what this exercise does. The art of yoga connects your mind and body in a beautiful way…bringing every part of your existence out to play. Utilizing postures, meditation and breathwork, plus all of your organs work together to deliver a wealth of physical and mental health benefits. Talk about harmony!

Better sleep, better mood

It’s no secret that a solid sleeping schedule is the key to feeling your best, and partaking in yoga helps you snooze that much more soundly. By releasing muscle tension in the joints, calming the mind, and reducing symptoms of stress and anxiety, you’ll easily get a full eight hours. This leads to a better mood and more productivity throughout the day, plus more long-term health perks.

Improved lung capacity

“Breathe in, breathe out” is the bottom line when doing yoga, and you need strong lungs to do it. Research shows that those who practice their poses regularly have more advanced pulmonary function, courtesy of controlled breathing techniques that expertly work out this organ. Trust us, with your newfound, expanded lung capacity and improved oxygen intake, your breathing will be that much better. Not just when it comes to yoga, either, but also for meditation and more exercises for improved mental health.

Less stress and anxiety

Yoga has long been believed to improve one’s quality of life, which includes lessening the effects of stress and anxiety. The mindfulness, personal mantras and holistic stress management that results from your favorite yoga poses helps you stay in the moment, as opposed to stressing about the future. How can you worry about your work presentation or final exams when you’re perfecting your mountain pose? The simple answer is that you can’t, and these anxiety-easing exercises provide both short and long-term stress relief.

Boosted immune system

We all need immunity to balance our bodies and keep the bad stuff out. And that’s precisely why yoga is essential for your wellness routine. Research shows that practicing daily helps to lower the amount of stress hormones, like cortisol, that compromise our immune systems. And with a healthy sense of immunity, anything is possible. This makes your body more capable of flushing out toxins and delivering oxygenated blood to the organs for optimal function in every way.

Only happy hormones are invited

Remember the hormones we just told you about? Yoga invites the “good” kind to a party that puts you in prime physical and mental health. How cool is that? Practicing yoga stimulates the release of mood-balancing serotonin, along with endorphins…those delightful natural chemicals that make you feel as though you can do anything. Spoiler alert: you definitely can, and all it takes is a half-hour of yoga!

Learn more and find yoga near you.