YOGA

“Yoga is a light, which once lit will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter your flame.”

B.K.S Iyengar

Benefits of Yoga

Daily yoga practice seems daunting at first, but over time, it can become as habitual as brushing your teeth. Being present on the mat gives you the flexibility and strength benefits you seek. You will also receive much in terms of mental and emotional clearness. Below are just a few of the benefits that daily yoga practice offers, which will hopefully inspire you to give yoga a try.

Helps Boost Brain Health

Not only can a daily yoga practice help you think straight, it can also help protect your brain. Indeed, yoga can have a positive effect on the structure and function of certain brain regions associated with age-related atrophy, according to a November 2019 systematic review published in Brain Plasticity. In other words, hitting the yoga mat may help to alleviate age-related and neurodegenerative declines as you get older.

May Ease Anxiety

Yoga has been shown, as noted in an April 2015 paper in Ancient Science, to stimulate feel-good neurotransmitters to help improve your mindset and reduce nervous worry. What’s more, practicing daily yoga and breathing exercises may decrease symptoms of anxiety and boost positive feelings in the short- and long-term, according to a November 2019 study in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice.

May Help You Sleep Better

If you find yourself tossing and turning at night, yoga may help you sleep more soundly. In fact, a national survey conducted in 2012 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more than 55 percent of Americans who practiced yoga reported improved zzzs.

So, how can yoga solve your issues with shut-eye? Through breath and movement, yoga teaches you how to regulate your energy state.

Can Be Customized for All Fitness Levels

Yoga allows you to move at your own pace and push yourself as little or as much as you’d like. Most poses have several variations, from basic to advanced, and modifications for a wide range of injuries.

“No matter your age, weight, strength or flexibility level, yoga is for anyone and everyone,” Burkhart says. “It’s an activity you can do even into old age.”

Unlike many sports or fitness activities, in which the focus is on going farther or doing better, yoga respects — and celebrates — your physical strengths and limitations, so there’s no need to be intimidated by anyone else in the class, Burkhart says. “It’s a lot more kind to the body.”

Teaches You How to Breathe Properly

Deep breathing can relax you and help you deal with stress better. And a large part of yoga centers on the breath. “Yoga teaches you to breathe not only when it’s easy, but also when things are difficult,” Burkhart says.

You may not realize it, but when you’re constantly on the go or in stressful situations, you sometimes forget to breathe — at least productively. The slow, deep-breathing techniques you learn in yoga can help in tense circumstances when you might find yourself taking quick, shallow breaths.

Benefits of Yoga at Work

For the Employees

  • Relieves Stress And Tension At Work
  • Improves Focus And Concentration
  • Increased Energy
  • Avoids Injuries At Work And Improves Posture
  • Allows To Have A Healthier Mind And Body

For the Employer

  • Increased Overall Productivity
  • Creates a Happier working environment
  • Healthier employees mean health care cost savings
  • Reduce the Cost of Employee Absences
  • Decrease loss of time at work due to Injuries
  • Attracts valuable employees and reduces staff turnover

Resource: Jaime Osnato