Benefits of Yoga
Physical Benefits:
- Improve Flexibility
- Improve Strength
- Reduce Pain
- Reduce Inflammation
- Increase Circulation
- Increase Mobility
- Increase Coordination
- Decrease Effects from Chronic Illnesses
Whole Body Benefits:
- Relieve Stress
- Relieve Anxiety
- Improve Sleep
- Improve Outlook on Life
- Improve Personal and Work (School) Relationships
- Decrease Reactive Behavior
- Decrease Negative Thinking and Depression
- Improves Happiness
How Does Yoga Do This?
Our nervous system consists of two arms:
The Parasympathetic governs rest, digest, healing, surrender and sleep.
The Sympathetic governs alarm, fight or flight, action, willfulness and motion.
The are co-creative in our bodies but do not work together. When one is engaged, the other is not. When we use one of them a lot more than the other, we have problems. The problem can be physical illness, mental anger and negative thoughts or emotional anxiety and fear - or, worse, a combination of them all!
Yoga engages the whole body, coaxing it into balance by simultaneously appealing to both the Parasympathetic and Sympathetic arms of the nervous system through mindful movement and breath. With a regular practice (3-4 times per week) the whole body falls into harmony with itself and you can't help but feel better!