Yoga And 3 Mental Strength Benefits For Personal Growth

In the past decade, yoga has become a popular form of exercise and relaxation. The types of yoga practices available are as varied and diverse as the practitioners themselves. But with each form of yoga, there are some common threads that tie them all together. Here are three yoga benefits you can enjoy from any class.

Here are 3 Mental Strength Benefits of Yoga

1.     Yoga Relieves Stress

Everyone knows that yoga is a great exercise for flexibility and even strength training. However, the benefits of yoga practice go far beyond mere physical advantages. Research has shown that those who practice yoga regularly experience decreased levels of stress, higher tolerance for pain, and a greater ability to cope with stressors.

The Harvard Health Publications notes other studies that indicate yoga modulates stress response systems by “reducing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and easing respiration.”

The combination of physical exercise, meditation, and breathing practices works to calm the body and the mind, relieving stress. Whether you are tense from work, anxious about matters at home, or simply stressed by the daily grind, taking just a few minutes each day to practice yoga can greatly increase your sense of well-being and decrease your levels of stress and anxiety.

 2.    Yoga Boosts Confidence

Many proponents of yoga note increased happiness, self-actualization, and healthier self-esteem as some of the many benefits they enjoy. Here are just a few ways yoga boosts confidence:

• Yoga strengthens the mind
• Yoga improves posture
• Yoga increases health and physical fitness

Stress and mental fatigue can lead to depression, poor self-image, and negative self-talk. By relieving stress through physical and mental exercises (i.e. poses, meditation, and breathing), yoga effectively strengthens the mind and promotes greater positivity and self-confidence.

In addition to mental stamina, yoga improves posture. Studies have shown that your body language is not only a reflection of how your feel, but it is also a contributing factor to your mood and self-image. In other words, if you walk around with your shoulders slumped and your feet shuffling, you essentially make yourself look and feel smaller. This can lead to self-doubt, negativity, and poor self-esteem.

Yoga combats this tendency by improving your posture and promoting strong, power-poses during your exercises. Such practices increase your self-confidence and your sense of empowerment.

Finally, yoga is also a form of physical exercise. As you practice yoga regularly, your physical fitness will increase and you will feel better about your body. Yoga focuses on having a positive attitude towards your body, encouraging gratitude for the things it can do and empowering you as you gain greater control over each pose and exercise. This in turn translates to higher self-esteem and greater confidence.

[color-box]Get Your Complimentary Tutorial on How to Perform The Sun Salutation by Going HERE[/color-box]

3.    Yoga Improves Immune System

Yoga benefits more than just your mind; it also holds great advantages for your body. Besides improving overall fitness and flexibility, studies indicate that yoga is a great exercise for boosting the immune system. By reducing stress, improving breathing, and increasing circulation throughout the body and its systems, yoga increases your immunity—a great benefit come flu season.

Stress can double your chances of getting a cold. Yoga reduces these odds by lowering stress hormones and calming the nervous system—both factors for illness. As your immune system settles down, so do your cold symptoms.

Additionally, colds are caused when bacteria infects the upper respiratory system, resulting in sore throats, coughing, and congestion. Because yoga focuses heavily on breathing patterns, it remains one of the best ways to improve and maintain the health of the respiratory system.

Breathing through the nose naturally filters the air, removing pollen and other allergens. Moreover, stronger lungs ward off infection more easily, and deep breathing increases oxygen saturation in the blood. All factors that improve immunity and prevent illness.

Finally, yoga improves circulation. For those of us who work in an office all day, poor circulation is a common ailment that leads to blockages and toxin buildups. These issues stimulate breakdowns in the body, leading to illness.

Yoga combats this problem by supplying organs and systems with fresh oxygenated blood, and massaging, toning, and stimulating the muscles. This improves overall body and organ function, helping you to stay fit and healthy come flu season.

Whether you are a veteran yogi or a beginning student, yoga offers rewarding physical and mental health benefits.

Are great book to get started on yoga is The Yoga Bible. Featuring over 150 yogic postures from the main schools of yoga, including Iyengar and Astanga Vinyasa, this guide provides a comprehensive illustrated step-by-step book to achieving the postures and advice on altering them where necessary with easier postures highlighted for beginners. The book also includes more advanced positions for experienced yogists, which will inspired them in developing their practice.

What are some yoga benefits you have experienced? Please share them in the comments below.

Author Byline:

Drew Kobb, in addition to studying civil law, loves long distance running and considers himself a health and fitness enthusiast. His interests range all over the medical field, and Drew highlights that range on his blog, Dr. Ouch.