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Benefits of Yoga
Yoga recognises the body, energetic system, mind and emotions as a whole. Disharmony in any one of these areas will result in disharmony elsewhere, affecting our health and happiness. Reassuringly, this works in the reverse too! Yoga restores balance. Its tools can be applied to maintaining health and to healing.
The causes for these imbalances are many, however in modern times stress often plays a big part.
Chronic stress is a major contributing factor to many of today’s most prevalent diseases. This is because stress directly affects our physiology by activating the sympathetic nervous system ( the fight or flight response) long term, which means certain systems in the body are neglected and suffer. Prolonged periods of stress can be extremely damaging mentally and emotionally as well as physically.
Yoga has been proven to reduce the effects of stress by inducing the parasympathetic response, the healing branch of the nervous system. This allows the body, mind and therefore emotions to truly settle.
As well as addressing problematic symptoms, yoga creates space within ourselves, giving opportunity for change and can help us to deal with problems at the root.
Conscious breathing is an extremely powerful healing tool. It is the key to an effective and efficient practice. Improvements in our breathing affect our entire being.
Regularly practising weight bearing exercise develops strong and healthy bones. A yoga practice works with our own body weight and mechanics, building a connection and understanding of ourselves.
Yoga encourages flexibility and strength, and improves range of motion particularly in the spine, shoulder girdle and pelvic girdle. It can ease pain in muscles and joints, improve posture and alignment, balance and vitality. Internal organs are detoxified, toned and the digestive system balanced. Blood pressure and heart rate can be altered, digestion improved, and the immune system boosted.
Sleep can become deeper and more restful.
A yoga practice is fluid, ever-evolving, reflecting our ever-changing lives. The focus and observation of breath and body that we cultivate can be taken into life so that we are in a state of yoga more often day to day, more aware of our thoughts and behaviours and more able to adjust as necessary. We use the tools of yoga to work towards this understanding of ourselves, bringing more clarity and peace of mind.
Yoga can reduce destructive emotions such as anxiety, depression and anger by making us more aware of patterns of negative thought. As well as making us happier, this improves concentration, memory and creativity. It is very helpful to those in stressful jobs and to students, especially at exam time.
Spiritually, yoga and meditation can lead us to our true nature, bringing peace, harmony, understanding and contentment to ourselves and to our relationships with others. |
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All content © Christina Jones. Terms & Conditions
Vinyasa flow, pregnancy, postnatal and restorative yoga classes close to Weybridge, Cobham, Woking, Guildford, Ripley, Walton on Thames, Esher, Pyrford and surrounding areas. |
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