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Benefits of Yoga
Yoga is a holistic form of therapy, it treats the body, mind and spirit as a whole. Disharmony in any one of the three will result in disharmony elsewhere. Reassuringly, this works in the reverse too! Yoga restores this subtle balance.
The physical body. houses an incredibly complex collection of systems that, when working in harmony and in synch, grant us the gift of health. However, when imbalance and disorder occurs in one or more of these many physical systems, health suffers in some way. The causes for these imbalances are many, however 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 stress by inducing the parasympathetic response, the healing branch of the nervous system. This reverses the effects of stress and allows the body and mind to truly relax. Yoga also teaches us that it is how we perceive the triggers of stress that dictates how badly it affects us.
Yoga reduces the physical effects of stress on the body by lowering the levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Related benefits include lowering blood pressure and heart rate, improving digestion, lung function and boosting the immune system.
Regularly practising weight bearing exercise develops strong and healthy bones. In yoga we work with our own body weight thereby developing a strong connection to our body and reducing the risk of developing common bone diseases such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and bone cancers.
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. The immune system is boosted as yoga nourishes the lymphatic and nervous systems. Internal organs are detoxified and the digestive system stimulated through twisting, compressing and stretching. Learning deep breathing techniques improves function of the respiratory and circulatory systems, and poses affecting the endocrine system will balance glands and hormones. Cholesterol levels lower. Sleep becomes deeper and more restful.
A yoga practice is fluid, ever changing, symbolising our ever-evolving 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 clarity and understanding of ourselves and consequently others.
Mentally, by restoring clarity and peace of mind, yoga reduces 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, meditation leads 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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