On the fence about yoga? this will convince you

ByGrace

Yoga is a form of physical and mental exercise that developed in ancient India but became increasingly popular in the West during the 20th century. Not only is yoga beginner-friendly, but there are so many different types of yoga that anybody and everybody can practice – regardless of age, weight, body type, or fitness level. People enjoy practicing yoga and find it beneficial for several reasons, but most can be simplified down to two main points: mental and physical health. 

Mental health benefits

    In the hustle and stress of the world today, mental health is more important than ever. Studies show that yoga can be an effective treatment for depression and anxiety (1). Yoga forces you to focus your awareness on your body and how you move to keep your body properly aligned and reduce the risk of injury. In this way, you become more grounded and centered, and your focus remains on the stretch or pose rather than on the drama of the day. 

    Additionally, most – if not all – yoga classes end the session with a few minutes of meditation. Meditation itself has proven time and time again to have miraculous effects on mental health. Mindfulness Meditation particularly can drastically reduce symptoms of depression: by helping practitioners return their awareness to the present moment, meditation helps to stop depressive thought cycles and reduce their effects (2). 

    Physical health benefits

    Yoga focuses heavily on the proper alignment of the body. Each posture is repeated on the left and right sides of the body to ensure equality in terms of strength and flexibility. The repetition of poses strengthens the muscles supporting the spine. Furthermore, yoga is all about flexibility, and what could be healthier than a flexible spine? In case you need more convincing, this article (3) looks at several case studies investigating the effectiveness of Iyengar yoga (a style that utilizes props and focuses very heavily on proper alignment) in treating chronic back pain. The outcome? A remarkable decrease in pain.

    Many people hold themselves back from trying yoga because they believe they are not flexible enough. However, the point of yoga is to increase flexibility. It does not even require you to be able to touch your toes to get started. Don’t be misled here – you won’t turn into a contortionist overnight once you start practicing, but yoga does help tremendously to improve your quality of life in terms of movement and control over your own body. Yoga has been proven to strengthen the muscles and improve motor function, even (and especially) for people who suffer from chronic pain (4). What could be better than feeling better in your own body?

    Conclusion

    Yoga is a beautiful and effective physical exercise, accessible to all bodies. It works wonders on the mind by pulling you from your thoughts and into your body. Combined with meditation, the effects on mental health are two-fold. Yoga also works to heal and strengthen the body by increasing spinal flexibility and muscle tone. With all of these benefits, there is no reason not to step onto a mat and get bendy! A quick Google search will show you all of the options for yoga classes near you, or if you aren’t much of a people person, there are countless videos on YouTube for beginners. Give it a try, and you might just find yourself loving life a little bit more.

    Sources 

    1. Saeed SA, Cunningham K, Bloch RM. Depression and Anxiety Disorders: Benefits of Exercise, Yoga, and Meditation. Am Fam Physician. 2019 May 15;99(10):620-627. PMID: 31083878.
    2. Wielgosz J, Goldberg SB, Kral TRA, Dunne JD, Davidson RJ. Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2019 May 7;15:285-316. doi: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-021815-093423. Epub 2018 Dec 10. PMID: 30525995; PMCID: PMC6597263.
    3. Crow EM, Jeannot E, Trewhela A. Effectiveness of Iyengar yoga in treating spinal (back and neck) pain: A systematic review. Int J Yoga. 2015 Jan;8(1):3-14. doi: 10.4103/0973-6131.146046. PMID: 25558128; PMCID: PMC4278133.
    4. Saud A, Abbasi M, Merris H, Parth P, Jones XM, Aggarwal R, Gupta L. Harnessing the benefits of yoga for myositis, muscle dystrophies, and other musculoskeletal disorders. Clin Rheumatol. 2022 Nov;41(11):3285-3297. doi: 10.1007/s10067-022-06280-2. Epub 2022 Jul 19. PMID: 35854165; PMCID: PMC9295887.