Health Benefits of Yoga Asanas | Yoga Poses

What is the purpose of yoga?

Yoga comprises of physical exercises or postures (asanas), proper breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation (dhyana). It must also be accompanied by proper diet and thinking. The combination of all these brings about benefits to the body as well as the mind. Each yogasana (yoga posture) and each breathing technique is scientifically formulated to bring about certain health benefits physically, mentally, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually.

Physical and physiological health benefits of yoga:

• Improves flexibility and strength, and also tones all our muscles and joints such as the back, shoulders, hamstrings and hips.

• Dexterity and eye-hand co-ordination also improves.

• It improves posture, and also reduces and prevents pain because it promotes better alignment of the body.

• Improves our respiratory efficiency. By promoting deep breathing, it expands our lungs, and increases the intake of oxygen into our body.

• It increases our cardiovascular efficiency, and improves circulation of blood. This allows more blood and oxygen to reach all the organs of the body, thus improving their function.

• More oxygen also means more energy.

• Helps to bring down our pulse rate.

• Helps to brings down blood pressure.

• Gastrointestinal function becomes better. The working of the organs in the abdominal region, like the stomach, intestines, kidneys, liver, spleen and pancreas improve, leading to better digestion.

• The better function of these organs also ensures better elimination of waste and toxins from the body.

• Since the yogasanas massage the glands as well, the endocrine function improves, leading to better balance of hormones.

• It stabilizes the equilibrium of the nervous system and improves sleep.

• Increases immunity.

• Helps to lower weight.

Bio-chemical health benefits of yoga:

• The practice of yoga has been known to lower the levels of triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol, while at the same time increasing the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.

• The yoga posture promote greater intake of more oxygen, which increases the hemoglobin in the blood.

• It also helps to decrease levels of glucose and sodium in the blood.

• Yoga improves the function of the endocrine glands, which in turn helps to release more endorphins (feel good hormones) into the blood

Psychological, emotional and mental health benefits of yoga:

• Since yoga stabilizes the nervous system, it leads to greater powers of concentration.

• Memory also improves.

• This in turn improves efficiency in learning.

• The practice of yoga helps to release tension and stress. This brings about a marked improvement in moods, and helps to reduce depression and anxiety levels.

• Since yoga brings about a mental and emotional equilibrium, it brings about a feeling of well being.

• Yoga helps to release tension and thus calms the mind. This brings about a feeling of self-acceptance, and helps to improve social skills, and decrease hostility.