Warning! Once you start practicing yoga, you may never stop! “Yoga is wonderful and can be transformational,” says Theresa Brandabur of Amara Yoga & Arts. “I can’t imagine my life without it.” The Mayo Clinic tells us that yoga benefits include increased self esteem and reduced stress. Read on to see how yoga just might transform your life!
Yoga Benefits Include Increased Self Esteem, Reduced Stress
From regularly practicing yoga, one can experience numerous physical and mental health benefits.
According to the Mayo Clinic, some of yoga’s benefits include increased fitness, such as improved balance, strength, flexibility and range of motion. Yoga also can lead to mental calmness, improved self-esteem and awareness, and reduction of stress and anxiety. Yoga helps with managing various chronic health conditions, such as cancer, depression, pain and insomnia. Yoga may also lead to weight loss, reduced heart rate and reduced blood pressure.
While yoga is highly beneficial to one’s health, it is important to be safe when practicing yoga to prevent injuries.
“Listen to your body and practice at a level that is comfortable for you,” Brandabur said. “Back off of any pose that doesn’t feel right, rest when you need to and feel free to skip anything you don’t find appealing.”
Deb Lister, director of Living Yoga Center, also advised that students should listen to their bodies and internal wisdom when practicing yoga.
“The practice of yoga is about listening to what comes up to the surface when practicing – feelings, sensations, thoughts. If you’re feeling that a pose is contraindicated for you, then don’t do it,” Lister said. “The beauty of a yoga practice is that it can be modified to meet most anyone’s challenges.”
Lister said that individuals should clearly communicate any medical conditions or physical issues to the teacher so that modifications can be made for the student.
It is also important to remember that yoga is not about competition, but is about developing one’s own practice and learning about one’s own body, mind and spirit.
“To us, yoga embodies the physical postures associated with the practice but also a lifestyle that includes practicing kindness, compassion and patience,” Brandabur said. “What we strive for when experiencing yoga is complete immersion in the present moment, and in that moment we can find a sense of peace, calm, clarity and ultimately, bliss.”
I don’t know about you, but peace, calm, clarity and bliss are things I’d enjoy more of in my life! So I was glad to read that yoga benefits include increased self esteem and reduced stress. Take a look at our “Categories” at right and you can find many articles right here on Yoga Relief Tips to address your specific concerns. To make sure you don’t miss a single tip, sign up for our weekly email newsletter! I’d love to keep in touch with you and hear your yoga success story!
photo © Paul Prescott | dreamstime.com
 |
Pingback: Yoga Benefits Include Increased Self Esteem and Reduced Stress « Yoga Relief Tips for Life's Challenges
While I know a lot of the martial arts training is great for self-esteem i had never thought that doing yoga would add to this as well..nice.