At its core, yoga is a form of physical movement. Like any other physical activity, yoga can cause injuries if done incorrectly.
It’s important to let your teacher know if you have any physical limitations or health issues before class begins. This allows them to help you avoid poses that might be too challenging or pose a risk of injury.
Improved Flexibility
Whether you’re an athlete or not, yoga is one of the best ways to improve your flexibility. Yoga stretches out tight muscles, which helps relieve muscle tension, and it also encourages the practice of breathing techniques that can help relax your mind.
In fact, studies have found that a regular yoga practice can actually increase the elasticity of healthy muscle fiber. And while it’s true that a person’s natural flexibility is influenced by their anatomy and age, research has shown that even those who are less flexible can improve their flexibility over time with practice.
The most popular type of yoga to improve flexibility is Yin yoga, which holds poses for longer periods of time to help improve flexibility. But Vinyasa yoga can also be very beneficial for increasing flexibility, because the movements are more dynamic, which warms up the muscles and helps them to stretch more deeply.
Increased Strength
Although yoga is often viewed as a gentle exercise, it requires surprisingly a lot of strength. This is because it alternates between muscle groups contracting and stretching to make full use of your muscles’ full range of motion. This is important because a lack of mobility can reduce your ability to move through life and lead to injury.
Some styles of yoga are more active and build strength by moving at a fast pace – think vinyasa and power yoga. Other yoga styles hold postures for longer periods of time, which builds muscle endurance.
Additionally, many poses require you to use your core and other muscles to balance. This strengthens your body and increases the efficiency of your movement, helping you run faster and walk more quickly. It also improves your balance and makes you less prone to injuries in the future. Practicing yoga regularly can even help you walk more upright and reduce back pain by increasing the space in your thoracic spine.
Improved Lymphatic Drainage
Lymphatic drainage is a vital part of keeping your immune system healthy. The lymphatic system is a complex network of vessels and nodes that transports fluid throughout the body. This fluid is then cleansed through the lymph nodes before re-entering the bloodstream. However, if the flow becomes sluggish or blocked, it can lead to inflammation and swelling. Yoga can improve lymphatic drainage by encouraging the flow of fluids and promoting good circulation.
Asanas with the legs in a ‘clam shell’ pose (Baddha Konasana) provide pressure differential around the ankle joints that stimulate the lymphatic draining. Breath-centric movements and deep diaphragmatic breathing in yoga also act as a pump for the deeper lymphatics.
As with any exercise, it is important to check with a yoga instructor or healthcare professional before beginning any new practice. They can help ensure your health and safety by providing guidance on suitable yoga poses for you. They can also suggest modifications that can accommodate your individual needs and health concerns.
Reduced Stress
Yoga focuses on the breath, which helps with relaxation and stress reduction. It also improves sleep, which is essential for health and well-being. In addition, yoga can help lower blood pressure and increase cardiovascular fitness by restoring baroreceptor sensitivity.
Yoga can also help you learn to focus on the present moment. When you’re stressed, it’s easy to ruminate about the past or worry about the future. However, yoga helps you to be aware of your thoughts and feelings so you can calm down the nervous system and manage stress more effectively.
One study found that practicing yoga increases mindfulness, interoceptive awareness, and spiritual well-being and reduces stress perception and reactivity. This is probably due to the practices in yoga that focus on self-compassion, nonjudgmental acceptance, and management of the effects of stress on the body. Other psychosocial benefits of yoga include reduced anxiety, depression, and self-criticism. The exact mechanisms are still being investigated.