International Yoga Day: Physical and Mental benefits of Yoga

Team Udayavani, Jun 20, 2020, 4:08 PM IST

Yoga is an effective tool for all of us to maintain both calmness of mind and fitness of body. Yoga professes a complete system of physical, mental, social, and spiritual development.

The word ‘Yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘Yuj’ meaning ‘to join’ or ‘to yoke’ or ‘to unite’. Yoga is all about harmonizing the body with the mind and breath through the means of various breathing exercises, yoga poses (asanas) and meditation.

Here are the benefits of Yoga

Physical benefits

1.Improved flexibility is one of the first and main benefits of yoga.

2.It is said that the people who practice yoga are mindful eaters and are more in tune with their bodies.

3.Practicing Yoga increases muscle strength and tones the body

4.Yoga has a positive effect on cardiovascular risk factors. It helps lower blood pressure in people who have hypertension.

5.Researchers claim that those who practiced yoga had lower body mass indexes (BMIs) compared with those who did not practice yoga.

Mental benefits

1.Yoga is known for its ability to ease stress and promote relaxation. Studies have shown that it can decrease the secretion of cortisol, the primary stress hormone.

2.Yoga can help reduce anxiety. Research says those who practiced yoga had significantly lower levels of anxiety

3.Yoga helps in fighting depression as yoga is able to decrease levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that influences levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter often associated with depression

4.Yoga also introduces you to meditation techniques, such as how to focus on your breath and disengage from your thoughts.

5.Yoga increases self-confidence as it improves your mind-body connection, giving you a better awareness of your own body and you learn to accept your body as it is without judgment