Celebrated on June 21, International Yoga Day celebrates the physical and spiritual prowess that yoga has brought to the world stage. While it is an important source of exercise and healthy activity millions join in and practice on a daily basis. For many, these routines are a way to connect the body, mind and soul in a way that has existed for centuries.
For International Yoga Day, people around the world are all set to take out their yoga mats and start exercising, but they might not be aware that yoga goes back centuries.
Yoga is considered to be an ancient practice that originated 5,000 years ago in India. Yoga was developed as a way to interconnect the mind, body and soul to step closer into enlightenment. As the practice became popular in the west, it became popularized as an exercise and relaxation method, with claims to help the body’s general well-being, alleviate physical injuries and chronic pain.
It can help you sleep well
For many people, the complete change in schedules resulted in a disruption in sleep cycles. Research has shown that yoga and its calming benefits can help people with insomnia. Regular practice can help in relaxing your mind and prepare your body to take rest. Standing forward bends, legs up to the wall (viparit karani), savasana, seated spinal twist and reclining butterfly are some yoga poses that can help you sleep well at night.
Weight loss
Regular practice of yoga can help in improving flexibility and can also help you with weight loss. Some yoga asanas that can help you lose weight are surya namaskar, plank pose, warrior pose, downward dog pose, shoulder stand, bridge pose, twisted chair pose and bow pose amongst others.
It can improve body strength
If you find it difficult to lift weights or do strength training, then some yoga poses can be a great way to strength train. Plank pose, headstands, handstands and side planks are some yoga poses that can help you do some strength training.
Relieves stress
Yoga is the ultimate stress reliever you can bank on. Studies have found that yoga can help in reducing stress and also help in controlling blood pressure. People with depression and anxiety can benefit by doing every day. Savasana, child pose, seated forward bend, standing forward bends and side stretches are some yoga poses that can help in offering relief from stress and anxiety.
Yoga can make your mind sharper
Regular practice of yoga poses like headstands, padmasana, half spinal twist pose and plow pose can help in making your mind sharper.
It can relieve pain
If knee pain and back pain have become a part of your daily lives, yoga can be beneficial. The practice can help in relieving chronic pain. The stretching and twisting poses can reduce and ward off pain if you do them regularly. Downward facing dog pose, low lunge with back bend, seated forward bend, surya namaskar, and bow poses are a few of the many yoga poses that can help you with chronic pain.
Better balance and flexibility
Yoga can improve balance and flexibility, improving your body's ability to function more efficiently on a day-to-day basis
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