Yoga: More Than Stretching

Yoga is a discipline and a lifestyle to many around the globe. For us, doing yoga can provide physical and mental benefits. Yoga is a more involved form of stretching and deep breathing to help circulation and promote vascular health.

It is easy to overlook how the mind can affect the physical body. When under stress, common physical symptoms may include, but are not limited to: muscle tension, rapid or irregular heartbeat, and even low energy. Yoga is special because it brings together physical activity, breathing, and meditation.

Because yoga is less strenuous than other kinds of exercise, it is easier to adapt to, and serves a greater audience. Doing a variety of yoga positions stretches and works our muscles. The deep breathing involved with yoga can help lower blood pressure and circulate more oxygen to the body. These activities may help prevent heart disease, and can help people with cardiovascular problems.

If stress and anxiety is impacting your mental health, mind-soothing meditation, a key part of yoga, quiets the nervous system and eases stress. Yoga appears to influence stress response systems. Because of this, yoga decreases physiological arousal, which ties into vascular health. This includes benefits such as reducing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and easing respiration. There is also evidence that yoga can help increase heart rate variability, the ability to adapt to stress-induced situations.

Yoga is a great method of staying mentally and physically positive. While it may sound intimidating, many classes are designed for beginners. Like any other form of exercise Yoga helps regardless of your skill level! Anyone can pick it up and begin to see the benefits of yoga.