Why Yoga ? Discover About its Multifold Benefits

Why Yoga?  Discover About its Multifold Benefits

 Yoga has changed my life for the better in many ways. It has not just helped ease aches and pains but has also helped me heal emotionally and grow. I do not suffer from low mood or depression anymore. No more panic attacks or anxiety. I sleep better and Yoga has helped me maintain my weight loss.

Yoga has not only given me strength, flexibility and balance on the mat but also off the mat. It has helped let go of many things that do not serve me any more.

All of these inspired me to write this article about the healing qualities of  regular Yoga practice. It is definitely not a surprise that Yoga has now been inscribed as an element in the UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2016.

With all the research and scientific studies going on, the medical science has come to realise that many diseases are of psychosomatic nature. Yoga not only has physical health benefits but it also has effects on the mind and the emotions and thus has the capacity to heal the psychological stresses.

I will be giving a brief explanation on how does Yoga affect  the various systems of our body?

Physical benefits:

• Improves flexibility – Due to muscle stretching which improves the range of motion the  flexibilityincreases with  regular practice.Increases muscle tone and strength – Holding poses  over a period of time, helps to tone the muscles, and build strength in them.
• Weight reduction and maintenance – Although Yoga may not directly help you lose weight by  burning calories; (unless you are practicing a vigorous style of Yoga like Power Yoga) it helps  you to alleviate stress and teaches the importance of  mindful eating, thus avoiding overeating  and helps you make healthy food choices. Yoga also helps reduce food cravings.
• Improves balance and coordination – With  regular practice, Yoga helps improve the sense of proprioception ( where our body needs to be without looking), it improves our body awareness and also helps distribute weight equally on both feet. This helps improve the balance and improves coordination
• Improves athletic performance.
• Prevents falls and injuries.

Cardiovascular System

Regular yoga practice is known to reduce blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels, body mass index and heart rate.

• Besides these direct results it also plays a key role in chronic stress reduction by way of simply breathing, stretching and relaxing into the poses.
• The breathing exercises also increase the oxygen supply, which reduces blood pressure.
• The relaxation techniques and meditation help calm the sympathetic nervous system, bring down stress and reduces the risk factors associated with heart disease.

Respiratory System

•  Yoga Asanas and breathing exercises improve the posture, strengthen the spinal and      respiratory muscles, which increases the lung capacity.
• Deep breathing during the holding of poses leads to diaphragmatic breathing, improving theoxygen supply to the organs, tissues and cells.
• Because of the increased oxygen, supply and conditioning of the lungs and respiratory tract, the lymphatic system is stimulated to remove all toxins and brace the immune system.
• Better immune function, increased lung capacity and deeper breathing, help relieve symptoms of Asthma and COPD

Digestive system

• In this fast paced, chronically stressed lifestyles that we all lead, the flight/fright response button is always set. This decreases the blood supply to the digestive organs and the major muscle group, and also decreases the release of digestive juices,  that are needed for digestion and assimilation.
• Yoga by way of its poses that compress and twist digestive organs,  help flush the body of accumulated waste products and fluids. Also some poses stretch and open up unreachable areas, to the new life giving nutrients to reach the cells.
• Deep breathing into these poses will massage the vital organs,  as they alternately compress and lengthen the intestines,  bringing fresh blood to the epithelial cells, which are responsible for healthy gut function.
• In essence all tools of Yoga work together to reduce the stress response, rebalance the autonomic nervous system and create a powerful relaxation response,  that allows the parasympathetic nervous system to set in, to heal.

Endocrine system

• Hypothalamus is that part of the brain that is responsible for the direct control,  of the hormonal balance through the pituitary gland. Hypothalamus is known as the seat of emotions. It is activated by strong emotions, powerful thoughts, laughter, stress, odour, taste etc.
• Pituitary gland is known as the master gland as it controls the functions of all other endocrine glands.
• Chronic stress and a hectic lifestyle can disrupt the hypothalamic pituitary- axis, causing  hormonal imbalances.
• Yoga by way of reducing stress, has a calming effect and helps in mood regulation, and    changing the thought perception, regulates the hypothalamic pituitary- axis for homeostasis.
• There are particular poses that stimulate each endocrine gland for optimum function

Reproductive system and fertility.

• Yoga helps lower the stress levels, induces a sense of calm and balances our mind and emotions. The hormones of the endocrine system like others can be imbalanced easily by stress.
• Yoga helps reduce Cortisol and Adrenaline (stress hormones) and increases the Oxytocin (love hormones), thus balancing the reproductive hormones.
• Increased blood flow and detoxification of the reproductive organs, improves health and function. Yoga also helps individuals to better connect to themselves and their bodies, improving relationship with their partner,  to experience greater relaxation that sets an optimal foundation for healthy pregnancy.

 Pregnancy and yoga

• Improves sleep quality by reducing stress levels.
• Stretches, strengthens and increases the endurance of muscles needed for child birth.
• Through yogic methods of deep and mindful breathing, helps the body to loosen and relax to overcome the fear of birthing.
• Decreases low back pain, nausea, carpel tunnel syndrome symptoms, headache and shortness of breath.

Yoga and Mental health
.

• Yoga shifts a person from flight/fright response,  to rest and digest state by deep breathing that helps calm the nervous system.
• There is an improved sense of self as yoga helps connect with yourself. This also enhances sense of social well being through a sense of belonging to others and improves symptoms of depression, attention deficit and hyperactivity and sleep disorders.
• Also improves symptoms of anxiety by increasing the release of Neurotransmitter GABA. It can improve symptoms of Schizophrenia when practised alongside drug therapy.
• It increases body awareness, relieves stress, sharpens attention and concentration and calms the centres of the nervous system.
• It also improves mood, behaviour and mindfulness.

The relaxation response  that accompanies these mind and body practices lead to many improvements in physical and mental health, thus improving longevity.



I am yoga teacher with a 200 hr Teacher Training Certificate from a Registered Yoga School in Rishikesh, India. It is my dream that one day at least one person in every family is practicing Yoga o yield its benefits who can inspire other family members to join in. my passion is to spread the awareness of the multifold benefits Yoga offers.