6 Great Reasons to Do Yoga

From Madonna to your next door neighbour, it seems like everyone is doing yoga these days. What’s all the hype about? Well, its benefits are numerous both for your mental and physical health—no wonder millions of people across the world are adepts of this ancient Indian practice! Check out six good reasons why you should do it, too.

#1: Yoga can increase your flexibility.
Many people have the misconception that you need to be flexible to do yoga. On the contrary, it has more to do with discovering your limitations and seeking improvement—the more you do it, the more flexible you can become.

#2: Yoga improves your strength and muscle tone.
Many yoga poses involve having to support your own weight using just one or certain parts of your body. Also, you are often required to slowly move in and out of poses, which also works your strength and muscle tone.

#3: Yoga betters your breathing.
Controlling your breath is an essential part of yoga, making you more aware of an action you do countless times per day. Focusing on breathing correctly and more deeply helps keep you relaxed, can reduce your stress level, and even increase your level of energy.

#4: Yoga helps with all kinds of aches and pains.
Yoga stimulates circulation, massages your organs, and increases the flow of oxygen to your blood—among other things—improving your general health and sense of well-being. Also, by working your strength and flexibility, it can help with certain common aches, including back pain.

#5: Yoga can help improve your posture.
Each position in yoga requires you to align your body correctly. These alignments can give you a better overall awareness of your body and posture both when doing yoga, and in your everyday life.

#6: Yoga helps reduce your stress levels.
Physical activity has been proven to help conquer stress, as has proper breathing—both of which are important parts of yoga. Also, focusing your attention on your body and breathing for your hour-long yoga session means you’ve spent one hour less worrying about your day-to-day troubles!