Why Yoga?

In yoga, everything is connected. The physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of yoga have long been reported by practitioners and are now being confirmed by scientific research.  Yoga is so much more than stretching. It is essential for maximum range of motion and stability in the joints, to increase strength and balance, which is especially crucial as we age. Yoga is not a “magic cure-all.” Yoga is not a religion. Yoga does have a way of releasing built up emotional and physical tension present in connective tissues, joints and muscles. Yoga helps create space in your mind and body. And if you stay with it, it will change your life, one breath at a time.

Benefits

Here are some of the amazing benefits of Yoga,
compiled by our friends at Yoga Alliance.

STRESS RELIEF

Yoga reduces the physical effects of stress on the body by encouraging relaxation and lowering the levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Related benefits include lowering blood pressure and heart rate, improving digestion and boosting the immune system, as well as easing symptoms of conditions such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, asthma and insomnia.

BETTER BREATHING

Yoga teaches people to take slower deeper breath

PAIN RELIEF

Yoga can ease pain. Studies have determined that practicing Yoga asanas (postures), meditation, or a combination of the two, reduced pain for people with conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, auto-immune diseases and hypertension as well as arthritis, back and neck pain and other chronic conditions.

FLEXIBILITY

Yoga helps to improve flexibility and mobility, increasing range of movement and reducing aches and pains.

INCREASED STRENGTH

Yoga asanas (postures) use every muscle in the body, helping to increase strength literally from head to toe. Yoga also helps to relieve muscular tension.

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

Yoga (even less vigorous styles) can aid weight control efforts by reducing the cortisol levels, as well as by burning excess calories and reducing stress. Yoga also encourages healthy eating habits and provides a heightened sense of well-being and self-esteem.

IMPROVED CIRCULATION

Yoga helps to improve circulation and, as a result of various poses, more efficiently moves oxygenated blood to the body’s cells.

CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONING

Even gentle yoga practice can provide cardiovascular benefits by lowering resting heart rate, increasing endurance and improving oxygen uptake during exercise.

BETTER BODY ALIGNMENT

Yoga helps to improve body alignment, resulting in better posture and helping to relieve back, neck, joint and muscle problems.

FOCUS ON THE PRESENT

Yoga helps us focus on the present, to become more aware and to help create mind body health. It opens the way to improved coordination, reaction time and memory.