blog-international-yoga-day

The Benefits of Yoga Practice and Yoga Exercises 

International yoga day is just one day in the year, but what it brings with it is an energy of change.

If you are reading this you are most certainly looking for reasons to take up a yoga practice.

Now when you hear the word practice you would say OMG!! Now that seems like a tough workout regime. In fact, not at all after the first few weeks, it’s as easy as apple pie….haha!!!

A yoga session is not a workout, in the real sense but it will jump your breathing get you flexible, help you become aware and feel a lot healthier.

Later in the article, I will list basic exercises and how they help but first let me tell you how yoga benefits me in everyday life.

First and foremost it helps me breathe better

Remember breath is life. As per a research published in the Lancet, the magazine states the those who practice yoga breath in more with one breath and take fewer breaths per minute. This, in turn, means more oxygen in the blood leading to better health levels.

Moreover, it has also been proven that breathing exercises increase the effectiveness of the tiny filters in our noses and we breathe in better air. Given the fact that we live in polluted times, this is a boon like no other.

Secondly, you become more flexible 

An office chair, car seat, home couch and bed –  In our normal day, this is where our body rests for long periods, given our sedentary lifestyle.

My yoga teacher used to say a little yoga a day keeps that backache away.

It sure does!

Better posture and improved flexibility are one of the first and most obvious benefits of doing yoga. A few days of yoga practice and you will be able to touch your toes. A month of yoga and you will be able to bend backwards. Small aches and pains disappear. You will walk tall and straight, sit straight and lie down not worrying that in the morning you may wake up with a sore back.

Thirdly, yoga is calming 

Is stress getting to you more than ever before?

Yoga will help change that.

The basic exercises I perform help me to relax, slow my breath and focus on the present. This slowing down and calming decreases blood pressure, and increases blood flow throughout the body making me an island of calm in a world on the run. Want to feel like that, try yoga.

Fourth, it helps you Digest better 

Yoga practice syncs exercise with rhythmic breathing.

This light rhythmic churning during exercise helps clean the body of toxic materials and sediments formed because of unhealthy eating.

Half an hour of yoga and you feel hungry!

all the internal movement leads to better digestion of foods.

You will notice that month or so of exercise and flatulence and stomach aches and cramps have disappeared. For the ladies, this is a sure way to bust menstrual pain too! 

Fifth You sleep like a baby

A huge plus for the insomniac and there are a lot many of us out there!

Practice yoga and you will be less stressed and more relaxed during the day and because your body and mind are in a calmer state you will sleep better by night. 

A study performed at the Harvard Medical School found that the regular practice of yoga helped chronic insomniacs. This was due to improves sleep patterns,  sleeping better, and staying awake during the day and made them feel more energetic.

 Like everything else in life you will not take this up until you see the benefits and how it will help. It is for that reason that I went about spelling the benefits first.

I would now like to share with you some pointers on learning yoga.

How to Learn Yoga effectively

Firstly, find a teacher, this could be a real exercise!

Look for a teacher or guru in your neighbourhood or a virtual one if there are none near you. Get yourself a teacher in the beginning otherwise, you may injure yourself if you do the exercises wrong.

Secondly,  Exercise in the morning preferably outdoors for maximum benefit 

Thirdly, do your Yoga exercises slowly with as much awareness as you can bring to the moment.

Fourthly, once you have learnt the Yoga exercise /poses you can go for it at home However, be regular with whichever Yoga exercises/asanas you may choose. Start small with one or two exercises a day and then build upon your own.

I follow the world renowned #Sivananda system of Yoga! 

My Yoga exercises list is :

Six sets of breathing Yoga exercises- breathing:  

Yoga asanas 1 and 2: 

To begin with:

– Anulom Vilom Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing) 
– Kapalbhati Pranayama

Yoga Asana 3:

I follow this up with 6 sets of a complete body routine
Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation)

Step By Step Guide on How to perform Surya Namaskar Yoga Asanas or Pose https://youtu.be/mKie9krBvRM

Yoga Asana 4:

I end the session with 6 sets of leg raises
Uttanpadasana with both legs

 You can choose which set works best for you depending on which areas you want to stress

Happy yoga times to you! 

Do not forget that Yoga is all about the practice.