healingways
SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL
Weight Management ~ All styles of
YOGA MONTH
yoga can aid weight control efforts by
reducing cortisol in the bloodstream,
burning calories and creating muscle
mass. Yoga also encourages healthy
eating habits through greater body-
T
his month, yoga studios and Better Breathing ~ By teaching people
awareness, and provides a heightened
instructors around the world to take slower, deeper breaths, yoga
sense of well-being.
are hosting events to introduce can help to improve lung health and
people to yoga, the 5,000-year-old function, trigger the body’s relaxation
Improved Circulation ~ Combining
practice that is their passion. Individu- response and increase the amount of
asanas in a series or flow helps to
als can choose from many schools oxygen available to the body.
improve circulation in the body and
and yoga styles to find those best
move oxygenated blood to the cells
suited to their body type, personality Flexibility ~ Yoga routinely helps to
more efficiently. Moving through the
and stage of life and fitness. improve flexibility and mobility, in-
postures also helps to flush internal
While instructional approaches creasing range of movement and even
organs and detoxify the body. Im-
to the yoga techniques and asanas, or reducing joint aches and pains. While
proved digestion and immune system
postures, may vary, the ultimate goal many people can’t touch their toes
function are other reported benefits of
for most is the yoking of the mind to during their first yoga class, with prac-
yoga.
body and spirit. From the physically tice they are able to do more poses as
challenging to the meditatively tran- they stretch muscles and release ten-
Cardiovascular Conditioning ~ Even
scending, this ancient discipline from sions. Yoga also helps to improve body
gentle yoga practice can provide car-
India demands respect and commit- alignment, resulting in better posture
diovascular benefits by lowering the
ment from those who seek to receive and helping to relieve back, neck,
resting heart rate, increasing endur-
its benefits. Practitioners attest that joint and muscle problems.
ance and improving oxygen uptake
stepping onto the yoga mat can lead
during exercise.
to extraordinary experiences, greater Increased Strength ~ Asanas use both
self-knowledge and better health. big and small muscle groups in the
Sharper Mind ~ Like meditation, yoga
body, helping to increase strength
10 Reasons to Try Yoga
keeps practitioners focused on the
from head to toe. Yoga also helps build
present moment, which opens the
bone density through weight-bearing
way to improved concentration, coor-
Stress Reduction ~ By encouraging
postures.
dination, reaction time and memory.
relaxation, yoga practice can lower
Research shows that such mindfulness
levels of the stress hormone cortisol in
practices can actually create new
the body. Related reported
neural pathways in the brain.
benefits include lowered blood pres-
sure and heart rate, and a reduction in
Inner Peace ~ Yoga’s meditative
the symptoms of
aspects often help practitioners feel
anxiety, depression, fatigue, asthma
more calm and centered within them-
and insomnia.
selves. Many who begin the practice
for other reasons say that this sense of
Pain Relief ~ Yoga can ease pain.
peace is what brings them back to the
Studies have demonstrated that
mat time and again.
practicing yogic asanas and medita-
tion reduced pain among people with
cancer, multiple sclerosis, auto-im-
Sources: YogaAlliance.org; Medical-
mune diseases, hypertension, arthritis
NewsToday.com; National Center for
and other chronic conditions. Some
Complementary and Alternative Medi-
practitioners report that even emo-
cine at http://nccam.nih.gov;and
tional pain can be eased through the
U.S. National Library of Medicine at
practice of yoga.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/.
22 Phoenix
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