7 Benefits of Holy Yoga
Can you see me jumping up and down over here? We have set the foundation and now we are getting to the good stuff. Hopefully, you will see that yoga really is a legitimate form of exercise.
The benefits of yoga are no longer a secret! My sweet mother in law often has articles for me she has found in all manner of written materials delivered to her mailbox, educating about the healthy reasons to get on your mat. You no longer have to be a subscriber of Yoga Journal to learn about it.
Yoga Therapy has gone mainstream in hospitals such as the Headache Clinic in Chicago, Cleveland Clinic, MD Anderson cancer center and Mayo Clinic.
If you have ever had physical therapy, chances are you have done a yoga posture or two, even if it wasn’t called that.
I want to go all scientific on you and quote research studies, etc., touting the proven benefits of a good yoga practice. But since I speak best from experience, I can tell you for a FACT-Holy Yoga will make you feel better. After time in class or on my mat at home, I feel stronger and more “fluid”.
We all know if you don’t use it, you lose it-Holy Yoga helps you use it!
Here are 7 Benefits (there are many more)
1. Stress relief– Stress is the body’s response to real or imagined danger. Many people live in a constant state of fight or flight. Our bodies were never intended to stay in this mode for great lengths of time. Perhaps the most beneficial aspect of holy yoga is that the combination of breath and movement and being in the moment helps to relieve stress. Stress leads to all kinds of emotional and physical dis-ease. It is literally killing us. Don’t believe me, check out what the Mayo clinic has to say about yoga and stress.
2. Aging Gracefully– We are all aging, but we want to do it with grace and the ability to live a purposeful life as long as possible. Holy Yoga will help take care of your joints and keep you up and moving. You will practice standing tall, improving balance and strengthening your body. It has been said, “You are as young as your spine.” If you are young chronologically but can’t move with ease, you might live a more restricted life than someone with many more years under their belt but who has a healthier spine. Three cheers for a healthy spine!
3. Posture-Holy Yoga encourages awareness of the body as it moves through space. The postures teach you to open the heart, extend through the crown of the head, and create space in the spine. This can help avoid the rounding of the back we see in many people. Holding the body in correct alignment can help prevent painful joints because your body will overcompensate if you are out of alignment in any area, which can lead to injury.
4. Pain Management-More and more, yoga is being recommended for pain control. Learning to breath correctly, to move the body in new ways, helps a person feel better naturally. A calming breath helps the body relax which can aid in managing pain. For more details on how yoga aids our body in fighting off pain, check out this article from Psychology Today.
5. Anxiety– Many people suffer with anxiety, and Holy Yoga is great for this. The focus on the breath keeps you in the moment and the opportunity it provides to be still is priceless. Or perhaps you need to “sweat it out”. A power class can be just the ticket. Mental health benefits can be difficult to measure, but you will “FEEL BETTER” in your spirit after a yoga class. Not sure you believe me? Harvard does!
6. Back Pain– Doctor’s offices and Emergency Rooms are full of people seeking relief from back pain. Yoga is often prescribed as a way to ease back problems or to prevent them, by strengthening muscles and improving flexibility. Unresolved emotions may find a place to rest in the body, often in the back. Being in touch with THE HEALER can reveal issues that can then be dealt with and healed.
7. Various Medical Conditions– There is no end to the medical conditions that can be helped with yoga. Fibromyalgia, High Blood pressure, MS, cancer, and Parkinson’s are just a few. There are specific yoga therapy programs to assist many ailments. For more info click here.
Are you beginning to realize that Holy Yoga really can improve your quality of life? I sure hope so. Give it a try!
Start where you are and see where you go!
What do you have to lose?
Coming up next: The Secret Sauce