From your Heart to Your Spine
More than 36 millions Americans practice Yoga. Yoga offers many health benefits, whether you’re looking to improve your flexibility or to get away from your phone for an hour. These benefits are supported by science.
Although we tend to think of yoga only as a series of poses, they are only one of eight limbs of yoga. Meditation and breathing exercises are two other limbs that yoga offers.
Yoga has been shown in studies to improve lung function.
Yoga for your Spine
The spine can become stiff — almost fused over time. This can lead to pain and other complications. This is what Kundalini Yoga combats. It is a combination of meditation and spine focus that can be used to manage pain.
Meditation and yoga postures have been shown to reduce the pain caused by fibromyalgia. This condition causes widespread pain throughout the body.
Yoga for Your Heart
Studies show that yoga can improve ambulatory blood pressure over time. This lifestyle change can help lower hypertension.
Yoga can also help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in older people.
Yoga for Your Mind
Many studies support the claim that yoga can help with stress relief. Regular practice of yoga can help lower the stress hormone cortisol.
Anxiety and depression can be helped by yoga. 64 women suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), found that yoga reduced their symptoms by practicing it once a week. After 10 weeks of yoga, 54% of the participants in the study had no symptoms.
Further research has shown that yoga may be able to treat stress-related depression. It is an effective supplemental treatment option.
Yoga for Your Lungs
Pranayama exercises improve symptoms in people suffering from bronchial asthma.
The Benefits of your Favorite Yoga Poses
Dogs that are upward-facing
An upward-facing dog helps to open the shoulders and anterior chest wall. This reverses the slumping position many of us use when texting. Slumping can limit rib movement and reduce air intake. According to Dr. Shannahan, a downward-facing dog can improve your posture and increase oxygen flow to your tissues.
Dog that is downward facing
A downward-facing dog strengthens the upper half of the body. Dr. Shannahan says that inversion poses such as downward dog (where your head is lower than your heart) may open up the sinuses to those suffering from allergy or congestion.
Warrior I
Warrior I strengthens your lower body. This pose is good for the mind and body. It involves balancing your entire body on your legs. This helps prevent osteoporosis.
Tree Pose
Tree pose is great for balance. It also helps you focus and be aware. As you age, balance can be improved to prevent falling.