Why Many People Decide to Take Up Yoga

Yoga is a worldwide movement, growing in popularity every day. In fact, the International Yoga Federation estimates that around 300 million people practice yoga worldwide. There are so many yogis practicing all across the globe for a reason. Hundreds of millions of people recognize it for the physical, emotional, and spiritual boon that it is. You probably know that yoga can build strength and flexibility, but there are many other benefits as well. 

Take off Stress

Yoga is a known stress reliever. In fact, yoga works directly to combat your body’s stress response. When you are stressed, your brain triggers the sympathetic nervous system, which floods your body with stress hormones and leads to the fight or flight response. Your heart rate soars, your blood pressure climbs, and you begin breathing more rapidly. If this response isn’t quickly abated, your body releases cortisol, which sustains the stress response and keeps your body revved up. Yoga counteracts the stress response by slowing your heart rate down, deepening your breaths, and triggering your parasympathetic nervous system–the one that brings calm and relaxation.

Pain Relief

Many wise yogis discovered yoga in an attempt to manage their pain in natural ways. Alternative pain reduction methods take a holistic approach. Yoga can be an effective means of pain management. Yoga can reduce headaches, stomach pain, menstrual cramps, arthritis, lower back pain, and much more. Furthermore, yoga is an excellent way to soothe sore muscles. 

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is about experiencing life moment by moment, rather than worrying about the future or ruminating about the past. It is about training your mind to focus on the here and now. It is about experiencing gratitude for what life is offering you each minute of every single day. Yoga has a similar approach. Worries and negativity aren’t welcome on the mat. As you step onto your mat, you release those cares and worries, focusing instead on your breathing, your wholeness, and your well-being. Many people find yoga to be a deeply spiritual experience, as they can finally release the thoughts that keep them from connecting with their higher power. 

Yoga offers so many benefits that it is difficult to name them all. In addition to relieving stress, managing pain, and assisting with mindfulness, yoga can boost your mental health, reduce inflammation, increase flexibility, improve balance, power up your immune system, build strength, increase bone density, improve posture, boost your self-esteem, and help you sleep better. So why do people take up yoga? Because they want these amazing benefits in their lives!

Check out this article on how to make yoga more fulfilling!