10 Reasons to Try Yoga

The following is an excerpt from the September issue of Natural Awakenings.

1. Stress Reduction - By encouraging relaxation, yoga practice can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body. Related benefits include lowered blood pressure and heart rate and a reduction in the symptoms of anxiety, depression, fatigue, asthma and insomnia.

2. Pain Relief - Studies demonstrate that practicing yogic postures and meditation reduced pain among people with cancer, multiple sclerosis, auto-immune diseases, hypertension, arthritis and other chronic conditions.

3. Better Breathing - By taking slower, deeper breaths yoga can help improve lung health and function, trigger the body's relaxation response and increase the amount of oxygen available to the body.

4. Flexibility - Yoga increases the range of movement and reduces joint aches and pains. It improves body alignment resulting in better posture, helping to relieve back, neck, joint and muscle problems.

5. Increased Strength - Postures (called as asanas in Sanskrit) use big and small muscle groups in the body, helping to increase strength from head to toe. Yoga also helps build bone density through weight bearing postures.

6. Weight management - All styles of yoga can aid weight control efforts by reducing cortisol in the bloodstream, burning calories ad creating muscle mass. Yoga encourages healthy eating habits through greater body awareness and provides a heightened sense of well-being.

7. Improved Circulation - Combining asanas in a series helps improve circulation in the body and move oxygenated blood to the cells more efficiently. Moving through the postures helps flush internal organs, detoxify the body, improve digestion and immune system function.

8. Cardiovascular Conditioning - Benefits include lowering the resting heart rate, increasing endurance and improving oxygen uptake during exercise.

9. Sharper Mind - Yoga keeps practitioners focused on the present moment. This leads to improved concentration, coordination, reaction time and memory.

10. Inner Peace - Yoga's meditative aspects help practitioners feel more calm and centered within themselves.