For thousands of years, yoga has been known to unite body, mind, and spirit through a combination of poses, breathwork, relaxation, and mindfulness techniques. For the past few decades, yoga has become widespread in Western culture and is commonly known to calm a busy mind and mitigate stress.
There are many reasons why practicing yoga and meditation could be beneficial to your well-being. Read on to learn the various ways these practices could help you.
1. You will Achieve Mental Clarity
Oftentimes, our minds are racing at what feels like one million miles per hour. It’s nearly impossible to fathom what it feels like to think about absolutely nothing at all. All of the clutter that builds up in our brains can be distracting and prohibits us from focusing on the things that matter.
Yoga and meditation will teach you how to free your mind from all of life’s distractions and slow down. With slow breathing techniques and certain yoga poses designed for relaxation, you can find a peace of mind and allow yourself time to dedicate your mental clarity to what matters.
2. You will Sleep Better
One large sleep disruptor is anxiety. Nothing feels worse than climbing into bed at night with a racing mind and a racing heart. With regular yoga practice, you may find that you’re able to cure your insomnia by reducing your symptoms of anxiety.
Sleep is a critical factor in your mental health and well-being, and if you don’t take time to nourish this period of rest, you will be caught in a vicious cycle where you worsen any anxiety symptoms you may have. Regular yoga practice helps individuals burn off some energy, relieve muscle tension, and relax properly for sleep, while meditation helps you focus on clearing your mind so you can get the ZZZs you need.
3. You will Experience Several Physical Health Benefits
Yoga and meditation have proven to lead to several important health benefits that you may not expect. These include the following:
Improved Digestion Function: Particularly for those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) as yoga stimulates the lymphatic system through certain poses and dynamic movements.
Helps Asthma: By improving your breathing techniques.
Heart Health: Improves by lowering heart rate, improving circulation, and reducing stress and anxiety.
Pain Decreases: Through stretching the muscles, joints, and bones.
Yoga also helps reduce inflammation, improve your posture, lowers your blood sugar, and maintains your nervous system. These are all critical health improvements you can’t deny being interested in achieving.
4. Your Mood will Improve
Yoga and meditation have both been shown to be a mood booster by reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and emotional instability. Some studies have even found an increase in serotonin and oxytocin production with regular practice, which creates a physiological backing for your positive mood lift.
5. You will Be More In Tune with Yourself
Practicing yoga and meditation helps strengthen the mind-body connection immensely. When practicing yoga, it is emphasized that you bring awareness to your body and your breath. This intense focus on checking in on yourself during this time spreads beyond the studio. You may find that you understand your body better, which can be beneficial for detecting illness, treating pain properly, and proactively protecting your own mental health.
All of these benefits provide excellent reasons to start practicing yoga, meditation, or both today!
Laurie is a freelance writer based on the east coast who writes on health and wellness topics. When she isn't busy typing away, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her nose in a great book.