Five great reasons to try yoga
Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word which means yoke, or to unite. It aims to unite us with the highest form of ourselves. Yoga can be best thought of as a combination of deep breathing and movement which is aimed at relieving stress be it physical, mental, emotional or spiritual
Vitra Gopee, a Jamaican yoga teacher and a member of the Jamaica Yoga Association community, shares with us five reasons to grab a yoga mat and start doing some poses.
1. Improved flexibility and strength
One of the first outwardly visible signs of practising yoga is the fact that it increases flexibility which can be attained by practising consistently. Gopee said that one of the most frequent comment she hears from people who are interested in doing yoga is, “I can’t touch my toes so I can’t do yoga”. But she said this is exactly why you should do yoga!
“As a person breathes and moves into yoga postures, areas of tension and tightness in the body loosens and releases, allowing for greater movement of previously tight areas,” Gopee explained.
The consistent stretching and strengthening of the muscles in yoga poses also builds muscle strength. This not only protects the body and joints against pain, but strengthens the bones to protect against osteoporosis.
2. Relief from stress, anxiety and tension
The combination of deep nostril breathing and movement through yoga has the effect of shifting the balance from the sympathetic nervous system or ‘fight-or-flight’ response to the parasympathetic nervous system.
This shift in the body’s response has the effect of calming and restoring the nervous system.
An individual’s breathing and heart rate is lowered, blood pressure decreases and the flow and circulation of blood increases from more oxygenation to the intestines and organs.
3. Holistic and connected response to aid healing
More and more doctors, physiotherapists and medical practitioners are looking to yoga and encouraging their clients and patients to incorporate yoga in their daily lives and as an alternative to pharmaceutical agents.
The body is a holistic and integrated system wherein everything is connected and the practice of yoga can have an effect on one’s health.
A change in an individual’s breathing from shallow in the nose to deep from the diaphragm has the effect of altering the effect on the nervous system. A change in posture corrects the body’s alignment and stretches muscles to bring relief from pain in joints and improves overall range of motion.
Of course, the combination of a consistent yoga practice, proper nutrition and diet and exercise will bring about the greatest long-term positive benefits and healing.
4. Lowered blood sugar and improved heart functioning
For people with diabetes, consistent yoga has been found to lower blood sugar and LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol and improve ‘good’ cholesterol.
The combination of proper and efficient nostril breathing and movement lowers cortisol or stress and adrenaline levels, jump starts weight loss, and improves overall cardiovascular conditioning.
5. Detox and strengthens the immune system
Movement and stretching of the muscles, organs and joints from yoga postures increase the extent of lymphatic drainage in the body.
This allows the lymphatic system to build a stronger defence against infections and strengthen the immune system to improve proper cellular functioning, remove toxic waste and destroy cancerous cells.
