Practicing Yoga
Yoga is fundamentally a practice for cultivating awareness, for being fully present with all that arises in your life in an open and nonjudgmental fashion. The postures are a tool for refining awareness of what is unfolding in your body, mind, emotions, and spirit.
Increases flexibility…regular yoga practice will create a noticeable loosening of muscles and eliminate many little aches and pains.
Builds muscle strength…building strong muscles with yoga allow us to balance that strength with flexibility.
Improves your posture…yoga helps build an erect spine and can reduce fatigue since the body is better aligned.
Prevents cartilage and joint breakdown…practicing yoga allows joints to experience a full range of motion. Joint cartilage is like a sponge and receives fresh nutrients only when it is squeezed out and a new supply can be soaked up. Without fresh nutrients neglected areas of cartilage can wear out exposing underlying bone.
Protects your spine…a well-balanced practice lead by a yoga professional includes bends and twists that help keep the discs in your spine healthy
Bone health…weight bearing exercise strengthens bones and wards off osteoporosis.
Increases blood flow…relaxation exercises help your circulation which gets more oxygen to your cells allowing them to function better.
Drains lymph and boosts immunity…when muscles are contracted and stretched you increase the drainage of lymph within the body. The lymphatic system fights infection, destroys cancerous cells, and disposes of toxic waste products.
Helps you focus…an important component of yoga is focusing on the present. Studies have shown that regular yoga practice improves coordination, reaction time, memory, and even IQ scores.
Improves balance…regularly practicing yoga increases the ability to feel where your body is in space, improving balance.
