1. Physical Well-being – Yoga asanas (poses or exercises) do so many amazing things to your body, I could be here all day explaining just a few of the physical benefits of yoga, but let’s keep this short and to the point. Probably the first thing people think of when the word yoga is mentioned is flexibility or stretching. Unfortunately a lot of people think that they won’t be able to take up yoga because they aren’t flexible, but they are missing the point, yoga actually helps to make you more flexible. Asanas stretch your muscles, free your joints and ease away tension. If you aren’t flexible then all the more reason to take up a yoga practice. However yoga isn’t just about flexibility, many yoga poses increase strength and stamina, so with a regular yoga practice, not only will you become flexible, but you’ll also become strong. The last benefit I’m going to mention here is the internal benefits of asanas. During a yoga class, your internal organs get twisted, massaged and squeezed, giving your body a wonderful detox and increasing the different systems in the body. Hormones become more balanced, the digestive system increases, lymphatic system speeds up and the blood and respiratory systems become more regulated.
2. Mental Health – We often only think of the physical aspects to yoga, but yoga is a fantastic way to help with your mental health. A big part of yoga practice is breathing aka pranayama. These breathing exercises not only benefit you physically, but mentally. They help to calm the mind, increase focus and decrease agitation of the mind as well as reducing stress levels. You’ll find that people who practice yoga on a regular basis are calmer, more peaceful and live a more harmonious life.
3. Spiritual Wellbeing – Yoga is actually a holistic health system that not only encompasses physical and mental but also spiritual well-being. In order to live a harmonious, healthy, balanced life, we need all three aspects of yoga and meditation is the most important component of yoga. By applying meditation to your life on a regular basis, your life can be completely transformed.