Yoga is a practice that combines breathing exercises, meditation and poses to encourage relaxation, and is said to come with many benefits for mental and physical health. Here are our top 5:
1. Improves Flexibility & Balance
Research shows that practicing yoga can help improve your balance and flexibility. Yoga poses work by stretching your muscles, and within a matter of weeks, you’ll notice your flexibility improve.
2. Supports Strength Training
There are specific yoga poses that are designed to increase strength and build muscle. These include a high lunge (targeting quads and glutes), plank (for upper body and core muscles) and dolphin (strengthening shoulders, back and core).
3. Decreases Stress Levels
Yoga can be a powerful way to keep stress in check. Deep, diaphragmatic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which initiates a relaxation response that calms the body and mind.
4. Promotes Sleep Quality
Studies show that incorporating yoga into your routine could help promote a better night’s sleep, due to increasing the secretion of melatonin – a hormone that regulates sleep and wakefulness.
5. Creates Good Posture
Our everyday life of sitting behind computers, driving cars and hunching over our phones can wreak havoc on our posture. Regular yoga sessions increase awareness of your thoughts, feelings and body, which in turn makes you more aware of your posture.
Ultimately, yoga helps you achieve a better mind and body. So if you haven’t already, why not think about how you can incorporate yoga into your clients’ (and your own) routine?