We live our lives at such a frantic pace that it’s no wonder we are often tired and stressed out. Our typical weekday is usually filled with work, work and more work. Add that to the travel time to and from work, when we get home we are usually too tired to do anything more than sit down in front of the TV. This type of lifestyle can cause stress, and in turn could impact our health negatively.
Our bodies need to relax once in a while, and drop the cares and problems that we normally have to carry. But most of us do not have the luxury of being able to take the time off, or spend the weekend on the beach. Does that mean that we have to spend our entire lives stressed out? You’ll be glad to hear that we can still meditate and relax in our own home.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is a physical, spiritual and mental discipline which originated in India. The term is derived from the Sanskrit word which literally means to yoke, to attach or to harness. The practice is aimed at “uniting” the spirit with the divine. The person who practices yoga and is committed to following the philosophy is called a yogi.
Yogis introduced yoga to the West and what we have now is a variation called modern yoga. Modern yoga became a popular system of exercise in the 1980’s and has retained its popularity ever since. So what benefits can we get when we practice yoga?
Benefits of Yoga
It reduces stress. A research done by the University of Maryland in 2010 found that yoga can reduce stress, depression and anxiety. Aside from that, it provides a whole range of health benefits – it improves balance and flexibility and is even credited to alleviate menopausal symptoms and increasing the energy level.
It makes you happy. Are you amazed at the benefits the body gets when you practice yoga? Well, there’s more. As we all know, our brains shrink as we get older. But a 2015 study showed that people who meditate and practice yoga had brain volumes that are on par with younger people.
It turns out, practicing yoga protects our brains from shrinking. Not only that – the left hemisphere, which is associated with positive emotions, showed more activity during the study. This means that yoga practitioners are generally happier.
It helps with weight loss. There is another benefit to yoga that a lot of people will find interesting. Yoga has been proven to aid in weight loss. How? According to researchers, yoga is so good at reducing the stress levels of our body that it successfully changes our behavior and stops us from stress eating.
So if you’re feeling stressed and tired all the time, why not consider doing yoga? But remember, it takes time and dedication to see visible results. Yoga is a way of life.