5 Benefits of Yoga

  The benefits of yoga are truly amazing. Not only does yoga have tremendous physical benefits, it also addresses the mind and spirit as well. Practicing yoga only one time a week is a great way to relieve stress of your day and bring an over all sense of well being to your life. Here is a top 5 list of the benefits of yoga.

1.Stress Relief

Yoga can be a great asset to reduce the effects of stress on your body. Yoga practice encourages relaxation and can lower amounts of cortisol in your body.

2.Better Breathing

Yoga encourages better breathing techniques. Learning to take slower deeper breaths with your practice will help increase lung capacity and lung function. This can be a very powerful benefit of yoga.

3.Flexibility

Your level of flexibility will increase, improving your range of motion. When I started yoga, I could barely touch the midway point of my shins. After a few weeks of practice I am now able to touch my toes.  This may not be a big deal to some people, but since I'm over 6ft tall and as flexible as a board, its a tremendous benefit to me.

4. Increased Strength

Yoga poses use all the muscles in your body and help to increase your strength from head to toe.  The muscles close to the bone are strengthened as well, which increasesthe support of your skeletal system. 

5.  Inner peace

What a beautiful thing.  With the turmoil our world is in today, who doesn't need some inner peace?  This is one of the greatest benefits of yoga, and has certainly helped me with my focus and mental clarity.

Many men run from yoga, for many reasons, and guys, I don't need to list them, we have all experienced them.  Not until I let go of my unreasonable fears and assumptions have I been able to see the tremendous benefits of such an awesome practice.  I encourage everyone to take up a practice in yoga, you will truely see benefits that will affect every aspect of your life.

Kirk Waidell, CPT

www.kirkwaidell.com

"Experiments in limitless living"