Yoga is a mind and body practice with historical origins in ancient Indian philosophy. Like other meditative movement practices used for health purposes, various styles of yoga typically combine physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation. This fact sheet provides basic information about yoga, summarizes scientific research on effectiveness and safety, and suggests sources for additional information.
HEALTHY FOR LIFE - YOGA AND HEALTH (HEALTH)
Yoga in general has long been associated with reduced tension, stress and anxiety in those who regularly practice. A study in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health found that a single 60-minute session of yoga once per week improved feelings of clarity, energy, confidence and resistance to workplace stress after six weeks of participation. Since stress strongly contributes to the development of disease, the health implications of yoga are impressive.
Tibetan yoga is unique, as the benefits are felt almost immediately with minimal time investment. The five yogic exercises are said to quickly balance the hormonal system, which, in turn, promotes longevity, deflects disease and slows aging.
Individuals who practice Tibetan yoga report:
- Effortless weight loss
- Improved vision, digestion and sleep
- Lowered blood pressure and stress
- Increased energy, stamina, clarity and concentration
- Better management of diabetes
- Heightened feelings of cheerfulness and well-being
- Reduced back, neck and joint pain
- Enhanced youthfulness
The poses are simple to learn and take less than ten minutes to complete.
Five yogic rites
If you are on medication or have serious health issues, consult with your health care practitioner before attempting the following exercises. It's best to begin slowly. Start with one repetition of each exercise and gradually increase to a maximum of twenty-one.
1- Stand erect with arms extended horizontally, palms facing down. Spin in a clockwise direction until slightly dizzy, one to twenty-one times. Deeply inhale and exhale during the exercise.
2- Lie flat on your back with arms at your side, palms facing down. With lower back straight, inhale and raise legs to a vertical position with straight knees. While holding legs in this position, lift your head off the floor - tucking the chin into the chest. Gently lower both legs and head to the floor while exhaling.
3- Kneel on the floor with toes curled under. Keep erect and place hands (palms down) against the back of the thighs. Inhale and arch the head, neck and spine backwards. Exhale as you return to an upright position.
4- Sit erect on the floor with legs extended, spaced about 12 inches apart. Keep arms at your side with palms pressed to the ground. Tuck the chin towards the chest. Inhale and drop the head backwards while raising the hips and knees to a flat plank position. Exhale and lower the body to a sitting position once again.
5- Lie face down on the floor. Press palms onto the ground, slightly raise the upper body and balance on the balls of the feet while inhaling. Arch the head and neck backwards. Next, bending at the hips, pull the body up into an inverted "V" and tuck the chin against the chest. Exhale and return to starting position.
Mental Health Benefits Of Yoga
Yoga is great for its physical benefits but also its mental benefits. There are many mental, psychological, and cognitive benefits of yoga. Yoga helps relax your body and mind while focusing on your breathing and poses. These mental benefits are a great reason to start doing yoga!
Psychological Health
Yoga is great for improving your psychological health. Yoga requires you to concentrate on your breathing and body, which helps soothe your mind and put your worries behind. Yoga is an amazing tension and stress reliever. Those who practice yoga are much better prepared to achieve peak psychological health.
Depression and Anxiety
Yoga is all about relaxation, exercise, meditation, and even socialization. Research has shown that yoga is helpful in reducing depression and anxiety. A Harvard University study stated that yoga can do this by regulating a person’s stress response system. Yoga can help you get rid of anxiety and depression by lowering your blood pressure and heart rate and improve your respiration.
Improve Concentration and Memory
Yoga has been shown to improve your memory and increase concentration on day to day tasks. When doing yoga, your mind is at ease and not clogged with sound or interference. You are able to deep think and boost your memory and concentration. Getting rid of that noise is the key to calming the mind and you can see great memory and concentration benefits.
Prevent Mental Health Conditions
Yoga has been used as a helpful method of preventing mental health conditions specifically in adolescents according to the Medical Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. The study focused on postures, relaxation, breathing, and meditation. Those who were subject to the yoga classes were in better moods, had less anxiety, better anger control, and enhanced mindfulness.
Reduce the Effects of Traumatic Experiences
Traumatic experiences can be hard to handle. Certain forms of yoga, however, can lessen the burden that these experiences have on an individual’s health. Hatha Yoga has been proven to be effective in reducing PTSD according to the American Psychological Association.
Yoga has many great health benefits whether it be mental health or physical health. If you want to improve your overall health, start doing yoga today and see how it can improve your life.
