Benefits of Yoga - Holistic Connection to the Body, Self and Community (Part 1)

Following on from my last blog on #mentalhealth in the next few blogs I will outline the numerous #benefits of #yoga.

I’ve been practicing yoga for over 20 and #studying it for the last three years. 20 years ago, yoga practice was not the same as #today – it certainly wasn’t something everyone was talking about.  If you were interested in having #biceps like #Madonna, then you would have perhaps heard of #Ashtanga yoga and would have pursued the same road to gaining biceps and more #muscle #tone.

My first class I attempted to do an impossible. I wanted everything – the #flexibility and the strength (although I was already quite strong), I wanted to come out of that #class and be Madonna! And I was very #proud with myself for being able to get into #Tittibhasana or the #Firefly #pose Bearing in mind that this was my first class, and knowing what I know now, I should have never been allowed to even attempt that pose without a proper preparation. 

20 yeas on and several #pregnancies after– I cannot do this pose! But my mind is much more stiller and content and I'm happy the way I am. I have discovered other benefits of yoga, which are far from #asana and achieving that #ultimate #peak physical pose.

The #physical and #psychological benefits of yoga practice are numerous.

#Regular practice improves your #flexibility and #muscle #strength, it strengthens your #bones and improves your physical #posture and in turn your #confidence.

Many #cleansing #practices (#kriyas) can have an effect on the #blood #circulation and detoxing body of toxins same as #twisting #poses.  During the first class you probably won’t be able to touch your toes (unless you are very flexible), but if you carry on and remain #persistent you will become stronger and more flexible, the initial muscle #pain will soon #disappear.

Regularly #practicing yoga increases #proprioception (the #feeling of where you are in the #space / #surrounding) and improves #balance. People with #bad posture usually have poor proprioception, which has been linked to #knee problems and  #back pain. I have certainly strengthened my #back muscles, my #core with regular yoga practice. As we get older, we need increased proprioception as this translates into more #independence.

In people with diabetes, Yoga has been found to lower #blood #sugar in several ways: by lowering cortisol and #adrenaline levels, encouraging weight #loss, and improving sensitivity to the effects of insulin. In #rats, high cortisol levels lead to what #researchers call "food-seeking behavior" (driving #urge to #eat when #upset, #angry, or #stressed). The body takes those extra #calories and distributes them as #fat in the #abdomen, contributing to #weight #gain and the risk of #diabetes and #heart #attack. And sure enough, regular yoga practice helps you regulate your eating habits or #disorders. You may no longer feel constantly #hungry, in other words, yoga may also help with weight loss.

#Pranayama next …