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THE BENEFITS OF YOGA

Yoga, an ancient practice and meditation, and also an excellent way to get stronger and balanced. Here’s why yoga is so beneficial for your health and wellbeing. Yoga has become increasingly popular in today's busy world, especially in the wake of the pandemic, with many people choosing to practice yoga not only as a way of losing weight and building strength, but as a wellbeing ritual. So, whether you're a beginner or a yogi pro, The Runnymede’s yoga instructor, Victoria James shares just some of the ways that yoga can benefit you.

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1. Improves Strength, Balance and Flexibility

Any form of balancing requires the mind to focus on what it is doing in the present, rather than thinking about the past or future. The body gradually becomes more flexible and stronger with the gentle, slow yoga postures that encourage you to relax in the stance with deep breathing. The more regular the practice, even for just a short time, the quicker your flexibility will improve.

Photo Credit: Jackie Wood

2. Promotes Better Sleep 

When you have stretched out your muscles, the body feels soothed and tension is released. When you follow this by some deep breathing combined with meditation for at least 10-15 minutes, it is easier to sleep because the physical body reaches a deeper sense of relaxation and the mind calms.

3. Improves Posture

Yoga postures improve strength by putting the body into positions that challenge the muscles and the breathing practice helps to sustain those poses as the strength is building. Yoga postures help you become more aware of any incorrect standing habits that gravity gradually imposes upon us and with practice, retrain the body to stand in a more beneficial way.

 

4. Instant Mood Booster

When practising yoga, the participant discovers that they can do some aspect of yoga, whether it is the postures, the breathing, the meditation or just the way of life that the yoga philosophy teaches, which results in a sense of achievement. It is also important to note that there are many types of yoga, so there is absolutely something for everyone.

5. Helps With Health Issues

Yoga can help with a multitude of health concerns as it…

Relieves back pain
Yoga gently stretches out tension allowing blood flow and nutrients to get to places that may have been restricted by tension.   The deep breathing enhances this and removes toxins from the areas, e.g. the discs between the vertebrae.

Eases arthritis symptoms
Just by keeping the body moving regularly and improving blood flow and circulation, yoga can help to reduce the symptoms of arthritis as the synovial fluid gets pumped around joints, keeping them as flexible and mobile as possible.

Lowers blood pressure
Blood pressure can be reduced as the participant learns methods to change their way of thinking about the world around them and about themselves. They see the beauty in everything – things that seemed important and made them emotional no longer have the same effect.

 

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