Improved flexibility is one of the first and most obvious benefits of yoga. During your first class, you probably won’t be able to touch your toes, never mind do a backbend. But if you stick with it, you’ll notice a gradual loosening, and eventually, seemingly impossible poses will become possible. You’ll also probably notice that aches and pains start to disappear. That’s no coincidence. Tight hips can strain the knee joint due to improper alignment of the thigh and shinbones. Tight hamstrings can lead to a flattening of the lumbar spine, which can cause back pain. And inflexibility in muscles and connective tissue, such as fascia and ligaments, can cause poor posture.
2. Builds muscle strength
Strong muscles do more than look good. They also protect us from conditions like arthritis and back pain, and help prevent falls in elderly people. And when you build strength through yoga, you balance it with flexibility. If you just went to the gym and lifted weights, you might build strength at the expense of flexibility.
3. Perfects your posture
Your head is like a bowling ball—big, round, and heavy. When it’s balanced directly over an erect spine, it takes much less work for your neck and back muscles to support it. Move it several inches forward, however, and you start to strain those muscles. Hold up that forward-leaning bowling ball for eight or 12 hours a day and it’s no wonder you’re tired. And fatigue might not be your only problem. Poor posture can cause back, neck, and other muscle and joint problems. As you slump, your body may compensate by flattening the normal inward curves in your neck and lower back. This can cause pain and degenerative arthritis of the spine.
4. Prevents cartilage and joint breakdown
Each time you practice yoga, you take your joints through their full range of motion. This can help prevent degenerative arthritis or mitigate disability by “squeezing and soaking” areas of cartilage that normally aren’t used. Joint cartilage is like a sponge; it receives fresh nutrients only when its fluid is squeezed out and a new supply can be soaked up. Without proper sustenance, neglected areas of cartilage can eventually wear out, exposing the underlying bone like worn-out brake pads.
5. Protects your spine
Spinal disks—the shock absorbers between the vertebrae that can herniate and compress nerves—crave movement. That’s the only way they get their nutrients. If you’ve got a well-balanced asana practice with plenty of back-bends, forward bends, and twists, you’ll help keep your disks supple.
6. Betters your bone health
It’s well documented that weight-bearing exercise strengthens bones and helps ward off osteoporosis. Many postures in yoga require that you lift your own weight. And some, like Downward- and Upward-Facing Dog, help strengthen the arm bones, which are particularly vulnerable to osteoporotic fractures. In an unpublished study conducted at California State University, Los Angeles, yoga practice increased bone density in the vertebrae. Yoga’s ability to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol may help keep calcium in the bones.
7. Increases your blood flow
Yoga gets your blood flowing. More specifically, the relaxation exercises you learn in yoga can help your circulation, especially in your hands and feet. Yoga also gets more oxygen to your cells, which function better as a result. Twisting poses are thought to wring out venous blood from internal organs and allow oxygenated blood to flow in once the twist is released. Inverted poses, such as Headstand, Handstand, and Shoulder stand, encourage venous blood from the legs and pelvis to flow back to the heart, where it can be pumped to the lungs to be freshly oxygenated. This can help if you have swelling in your legs from heart or kidney problems. Yoga also boosts levels of hemoglobin and red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the tissues. And it thins the blood by making platelets less sticky and by cutting the level of clot-promoting proteins in the blood. This can lead to a decrease in heart attacks and strokes since blood clots are often the cause of these killers.
8. Drains your lymph and boosts immunity
When you contract and stretch muscles, move organs around, and come in and out of yoga postures, you increase the drainage of lymph (a viscous fluid rich in immune cells). This helps the lymphatic system fight infection, destroy cancerous cells, and dispose of the toxic waste products of cellular functioning.
9. Ups your heart rate
When you regularly get your heart rate into the aerobic range, you lower your risk of heart attack and can relieve depression. While not all yoga is aerobic, if you do it vigorously or take flow or Ashtanga classes, it can boost your heart rate into the aerobic range. But even yoga exercises that don’t get your heart rate up that high can improve cardiovascular conditioning. Studies have found that yoga practice lowers the resting heart rate, increases endurance, and can improve your maximum uptake of oxygen during exercise—all reflections of improved aerobic conditioning. One study found that subjects who were taught only pranayama could do more exercise with less oxygen.
10. Drops your blood pressure
If you’ve got high blood pressure, you might benefit from yoga. Two studies of people with hypertension, published in the British medical journal The Lancet, compared the effects of Savasana (Corpse Pose) with simply lying on a couch. After three months, Savasana was associated with a 26-point drop in systolic blood pressure (the top number) and a 15-point drop in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number—and the higher the initial blood pressure, the bigger the drop.
11. Regulates your adrenal glands
Yoga lowers cortisol levels. If that doesn’t sound like much, consider this. Normally, the adrenal glands secrete cortisol in response to an acute crisis, which temporarily boosts immune function. If your cortisol levels stay high even after the crisis, they can compromise the immune system. Temporary boosts of cortisol help with long-term memory, but chronically high levels undermine memory and may lead to permanent changes in the brain. Additionally, excessive cortisol has been linked with major depression, osteoporosis (it extracts calcium and other minerals from bones and interferes with the laying down of new bone), high blood pressure, and insulin resistance. In rats, high cortisol levels lead to what researchers call “food-seeking behavior” (the kind that drives you to eat when you’re upset, angry, or stressed). The body takes those extra calories and distributes them as fat in the abdomen, contributing to weight gain and the risk of diabetes and heart attack.
12. Makes you happier
Feeling sad? Sit in Lotus. Better yet, rise up into a backbend or soar royally into King Dancer Pose. While it’s not as simple as that, one study found that a consistent yoga practice improved depression and led to a significant increase in serotonin levels and a decrease in the levels of monoamine oxidase (an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters) and cortisol. At the University of Wisconsin, Richard Davidson, Ph.D., found that the left prefrontal cortex showed heightened activity in meditators, a finding that has been correlated with greater levels of happiness and better immune function. More dramatic left-sided activation was found in dedicated, long-term practitioners.
Have you had a baby recently or do you have a friend who is looking for gentle post natal exercise? Holistic Yoga is a perfect place to gently introduce the body to exercise after giving birth.
Holistic Yoga is a wonderful way to build stamina, increase flexibility, build strength, reduce stress and exhaustion and deeply relax the body and mind.
Join me in the Medicine Garden every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 am to 12 pm at the Medicine Garden in Cobham.
When was the last time you were aware of your breathing during a busy day...? Most of us go about our business without being conscious of our breath. I recommend trying a Holistic Yoga class which is a great opportunity to slow your breathing down and let go of stress and anxiety. Holistic Yoga is designed to allow you to focus on breathing and go deeper into postures increasing flexibility and body awareness. Please join me in the Medicine Garden from 11 am to 12 pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for a great hour of focused breathing, gentle yoga and meditation. Namaste Luma
I would like to welcome all Teens to attend Holistic Yoga 11 am to 12 pm Monday / Wednesday and Friday in the Medicine Garden. Yoga classes will be held throughout the Summer! See you in the Dome!
Improves concentration, builds focus and improves attention
Improves body awareness
Relieves fear and anxiety
Improves self-esteem and self-confidence
Encourages harmony between the mind and the body
Soothes the mind and reduces mood swings
Reduces aggression and converts destructive energy to constructive
Inspires creativity and imagination
Maintains good health optimizing growth
Teaches discipline and focus
Increases flexibility and mobility of joints
Improved posture and posture awareness
Increases energy and optimism
Reduces hyperactivity
Builds strength in bones and muscles
Releases endorphines and improves mood
Please bring your Teen to Holistic Yoga in the Medicine Garden from 11 am to 12 pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for free. Give your Teen the benefits of yoga... Don't miss out!
Are you suffering from dry skin this summer? The wonderful warm weather can often cause skin to dry out more quickly than during the winter months. Most of us will be using products we have bought from the store to address dry skin. I would like to suggest taking a break from your normal beauty routine and try some natural alternatives to chemically based, store bought products.
I recommend mixing your own facial and body moisterisers using the following ingredients. It is great fun to experiment and discover which ingredients and what combinations work best for your skin.
Almond Oil
Coconut Oil
Avocado Oil
Raw Avocado
Cucumber
Aloe Vera
Oatmeal
Goats Milk
Yogurt
Honey
You can have a great time with your children mixing and applying your own home remedies. A healthy and creative activity to share.
Sweat... most people have negative associations with the word. But in fact the benefits of sweating during exercise might change your mind. Sweat is a powerful reaction to physical exertion but it is a very good sign that you are working hard and pushing your physical limits. The fact is sweat has many useful functions which will give you a new perspective. Chances are you won't be wiping away your perspiration so fast the next time you start to glow.... And here's why...
Heals wounds
Releases Toxins
Acts as a Natural Antibiotic
Helps prevent Kidney stones
Cleanses the Body of Environmental Pollutants
High Intensity Exercise Inducing Sweat Results in Higher Endorphin Production
