Yoga’s Incredible Benefits

You know yoga is good for you; you’ve probably felt some of these benefits already. Some benefits are obvious, but there’s lots of other perks to yoga which you might not yet know about.

New to Yoga?

If you just started to practice yoga or don’t do it very much, the benefits are very different from someone who has been doing it for a while. Doing any new physical activity will increase body awareness but this is especially integral in yoga.

Increases in strength and flexibility, decreases in stress and muscle tension, and improved sleep begin to emerge shortly after starting yoga. It’s the first step in tuning in, not only to the outer parts of the body like the muscles, but also to the internal organs.

Increasing Benefits

As you increase the frequency and length of your yoga practice, the benefits start to build quickly. Practising every day is a great goal to strive toward. Feeling more balanced and in touch with your inner self are all part of the harmonizing effects of yoga.

Body awareness continues to build and self-awareness increases. You may be able to react more calmly in stressful situations as you become more sensitive to others around you.

Don’t Forget the Limbs!

If you only practice asanas, you’re missing out on much of what yoga can give you. Some people think yoga is just asanas but there’s much more. Yoga has 8 pillars called Ashtanga (or “the 8 Limbs of Yoga”). The pillars are: Yamas (ethics), Niyamas (observances), Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara (withdrawal), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), Samadhi.

Introduce pranayama to the beginning of each asana practice. End your practice with a short 5-10 minute meditation. You’ll notice a world of a difference after just a few short sessions of these new additions.

A complete hatha yoga practice includes asanas, pranayama and meditation. Your mind will be sharper; your concentration will be much stronger in your daily life; your energy becomes balanced. Pranayama and meditation will become your day’s highlight. It’s a beautiful change to your practice.

Unexpected Benefits of Yoga

The other pillars of the Ashtanga are important to the rest of your day. The Yamas and Niyamas are a guidance to live a life full of harmony, beauty, peace and contentment. Slowly incorporate this into your everyday life — it’s deeply personal so do it as much as you feel comfortable.

As you incorporate more yoga into your life, you’ll be amazed at the incredible positive changes. Life becomes an exquisite dance: beauty appears at every corner, difficult times become treasured learning experiences, the universe begins to flow and align.

For those who haven’t experienced them yet, the benefits of yoga can be hard to believe. But yoga is an experience. It’s not something you can understand second hand — you simply need to do it. Do it and you will experience it and believe it, and then there’s no going back.