Since June 21, 2015, we have celebrated ‘International Yoga Day. Originated in ancient India, Yoga is 5000 years ago. Word ‘yoga’ means ‘to unite’ with Universal consciousness. N. C. Paul published ‘Treatise on Yoga Philosophy’ in 1851. Swami Vivekanand re-introduced ‘Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’ in the late 19th century. His travels influenced the idea of Yoga in minds of people. There are many variations of Yoga. But the most popular forms are Hatha Yoga and Restorative yoga.

Iyengar Yoga requires support to hold your pose. Ashtanga Yoga is to increase the stamina and endurance of your body. Hatha Yoga is stretching your muscles and Restorative yoga helps you to relax.

Yoga comprises of physical exercises and meditation to relax your body and mind.  Exercises can range from simple to difficult poses. Different pose has its benefits. Most Yoga usually helps in releasing stress and calming your mind.

 

Here we will be discussing a few reasons as to why yoga is important.

 

Increases Flexibility:

Exercise is known to lubricate your joint and improve flexibility. Different Yoga poses are targeted to specific joints and muscles. Also, these are gentle on your body. With proper instructions, you can include it in your daily routine. This will ensure that you have great flexibility and stamina.

Reduces Stress:

Ever since the age of digitalisation, the stress level has increased. Work from home or online classes, the pressure to perform well still exist. However, digital stress from social media or constant sitting posture can cause neck, shoulder and backache. We often ignore these small details as we prioritise our work over our health. A bad posture can lead to so many health complications if goes unchecked. Also, you cannot focus for a very long time if you are in physical distress. 

Practising breathing techniques and meditating twice a day can help you to release stress. Also, by practising Yoga, you can subconsciously correct your posture and save yourself from additional stress.

Improves Digestion:

As we said earlier, many poses in Yoga are specifically targeted to different body parts and muscles. Poses like Paschimottasana (Seated forward bend pose), Balasana (Child’s pose) and Trikonasana (Triangle pose) target your lymphatic system and benefits digestion.

Meditation pose E.g. Corpse pose can relax your body to ease the stress on your abdominal region. With proper food like fruits, fibre-rich food and plenty of water, you can create a healthy digestive system. 

Improves Focus:

Meditation improves memory and increases focus. It also helps in expanding attention span and concentration. Breathing techniques are often used to calm down especially in case of panic attacks.

According to an article from Colombia University Medical Centre, meditation can change the structure and function of the brain. Some such techniques are concentrating at one point, mindfulness and slow repetitive motions. Some poses are Padmasana, Vajrasana and Sharvasana. 

Good sleep:

If you are someone who struggles with sleeping, Yoga is for you. A national survey found that over 55% of people who did yoga found that it helped them get better sleep.

Over 85% said yoga helped reduce stress. You can use support like cushions or blankets to make poses comfortable so that you can stay in the pose for longer and continue to breathe.