What is yoga; its purpose and benefits?
There are many benefits of practicing yoga including:
Physical benefits:
• Yoga is an excellent weight-bearing exercise and can improve bone density. The postures strengthen the body and improve flexibility, helping joints, tendons and muscles.
• Some styles of yoga are a strenuous cardiovascular workout and will improve core strength, and endurance.
• Yoga lowers the heart rate and blood pressure and keeps blood flowing evenly throughout the body.
• Yoga strengthens the immune system, helping with disease resistance.
• Yoga balances the glandular system, strengthens the 72,000 energy channels in the body, expands the lung capacity and purifies the bloodstream.
• Yoga can heal injuries and relieve pain, especially with the back and neck.
Mental benefits:
• Yoga helps an individual relax. It reduces anxiety and stress, resulting in better health, better mood, and greater mental clarity and focus is achieved.
• Because yoga is a form of meditation, it results in a sense of inner peace and purpose.
• Yoga has been used to help heal victims of torture or other trauma and aids in becoming more effective in handling problems.
• It cleanses physical, mental and emotional obstructions, worn out attitudes and beliefs.
• Yoga helps build character because it encourages the individual to be truthful, fair and honest.
• Regular practise of yoga will provide greater energy and focus.
• Yoga balances the body, mind and soul, opening the individual to higher knowledge and their inner self.