Mind and Body Benefits: Reduce Stress and Restore Your Spirit With Yoga

Yoga is more than just a full body workout; it is a complete mind exercise, too.

What is Yoga?

Yoga is the art of discipline, meditation, and adoption of bodily posture and poise. It is an 8000-year old spiritual science that offers a direct method of stopping mental disturbances and promoting self-assurance, confidence, and mindfulness.

The Body’s Stress Response

A lot of us aren’t even aware of the tension we naturally carry within our bodies. In our busy, 24/7 connected world, the stress response is working overtime. The stress response is activated whenever work, life, and relationship stressors get too high - which they inevitably do. A stressed body is a tense body. Where there is tension (like clenched fists, locked jaws, and hunched shoulders), our body interprets the physiological holding pattern as emotional and mental stress. Personal trainer Elliott Hulse describes these neurotic holding patterns as “muscular armoring.”

A tight body is a body on high alert. Cortisol and adrenaline spike and your nervous system work overtime when we are “armored up” and the body feels under attack. You clench your musculature in preparation for a battle that may never come. Biologically, the fight or flight response is activated, and cortisol and other stress hormones flood the body.

How Does Yoga Reduce Stress?

Yoga combines physical and mental disciplines which aid in calming the mind, managing stress and promoting self-awareness. Through controlled breathing patterns and both physical and psychological meditation, yoga has the healing ability to reduce and eliminate stress and anxiety. Acupuncture, yoga, and meditation help to draw attention to the body and relax the clenched up muscles. Our minds, perceiving that our bodies have relaxed, begin to calm down, too. Studies have shown that a quick 20-minute yoga session every morning or every evening can drastically ease stress, lessen anxiety, and increase productivity. Practicing yoga:

• Encourages a positive, good mood
• Heightens mindfulness, so you are present and not focused on the past
• Releases endorphins, a chemical in the brain that is responsible for being 'happy,' thus promoting well-being

Positive Effects of Yoga On The Body

The unique thing about yoga is that it combines non-traditional ways to cure tension and stress, including breathing exercises, meditation, and guided imagery. It is an excellent alternative to pharmaceutical medication when looking to boost your mood and increase well-being.

Health benefits of yoga[04] include:

• Lowering heart rate
• Slowing the aging process
• Reducing muscle tension
• Relieving asthma symptoms
• Improving flexibility
• Building muscle strength
• Perfecting posture

Renew Your Mind, Body, and Spirit

Your environment and lifestyle play a definitive role in the level of peace and serenity you possess. With the proper dose of spiritual connectivity, you can renew your spirit and restore peacefulness. To relax your mind and body, you need peace and quiet. Yoga is a holistic way to rejuvenate your spirit through a mind-body connection. A study published in 2005 discovered that those women who felt “emotionally distressed” and who partook in two, 90-minute yoga sessions per week, reported anxiety levels dropping by 30%, with overall well-being increasing in participants by 65% after three months [01]. Specifically, hatha yoga [02] is a great type of yoga that is perfect for beginners due to its slower pace and ease of movements.

How to Maintain a Healthy Mind [03]

• Set aside time each day to meditate which will ensure a state of restful awareness
• Consume a healthy diet full of an eclectic variety of nutritious foods
• Move your body and engage in daily exercise
• Get a restful sleep each night