How Does Yoga Reflect on Your Lifestyle?

Today, more people than ever are using yoga to benefit their physical and mental health. Hitting the yoga mat for just 5 minutes each day can have a positive effect on your lifestyle by relieving stress, boosting energy levels and even strengthening the immune system. With this in mind, regular yogis can enjoy a fitter and healthier lifestyle. In this article, we look into this and explore the question – how does yoga reflect on your lifestyle?

Improves Fitness Levels

Regular yoga practice can improve your fitness levels. Whether you already work out regularly or you’re a novice when it comes to exercise, yoga can boost your fitness level drastically. In turn, this can impact your lifestyle by making it easier to walk to work instead of taking the car, or even allowing you to walk upstairs without getting out of breath! With so many styles of yoga out there, try out a few different ones and pick your favourite. If you want to improve your fitness levels, a dynamic style such as vinyasa flow may work well. If you want to try something a little different, dance yoga is also a great option. Available in most major cities, dance yoga is exactly what it sounds like – a mixture of dance and yoga.

Controls Weight

Regular yoga practice can also control your weight. If you’re hoping to burn calories, hot yoga is a great option. Practised in a heated studio, hot yoga induces a sweat to help you release toxins and lose weight in the process. Best practised in a temperate of 40 degrees plus, a 45-minute hot yoga session can burn as many calories as an hour at the gym. In addition to controlling your weight, yoga practice can change your outlook on food, too. When you practice regularly, you’ll become more in tune with your body and be more sensitive to the kind of food that it needs. This can encourage you to eat a healthy, balanced diet.

Reduces Anxiety

Yoga can be hugely beneficial to those who suffer from anxiety. A popular breathing exercise known as yogic breathing can encourage the body to stay calm and improve your mental well-being. Rhythmic breathing is a natural stress reliever and can help to calm your mind in moments of fear or anxiety. Knowing how to breathe through a stressful situation can have a drastic effect on your mental health. Knowing that you’ve got control over your body and mind can greatly reduce anxiety and help you to live a happy, carefree lifestyle.

Improves Self-Confidence

Regular yoga practice can also improve your self-confidence. Throughout a yoga class, you’ll learn to create strong poses with your body which can naturally help you to feel more confident in yourself. Also, yoga can help to control your weight and keep everything trim and toned. During a yoga class, you’ll learn that everybody is different, and that’s ok. Regardless of your shape, size or gender, in the yoga studio, everybody is equal. As you’re surrounded by people of all sorts, you’ll see that the “perfect body” doesn’t exist and that everybody is beautiful in their own way.

Improves Immune System

With winter fast approaching, many people search for ways to improve their immune system. Thankfully, regular yoga practice can improve the immune systems lymphatic circulation, helping you to steer clear of any nasty bugs that are doing the rounds. Through a series of dynamic movements, yoga encourages the lymphatic fluids to flow through your body. While dynamic yoga styles work best, static poses can also be beneficial if you’re tensing your muscles throughout. For best results, increase your blood flow by incorporating deep breathing techniques into your routine.

Improves Relationships

Whether you want to become closer to your family, partner or even your friends, yoga can work wonders when it comes to relationships. When we feel calm and content, our mind can focus on delicate relationships more effectively. By relieving built-up tension in the body, yoga can prevent you from taking out stress on your nearest and dearest.

Boosts Energy Levels

When Friday rolls around, even the smallest tasks can feel exhausting. Practising yoga for 5 minutes each day can drastically improve your energy levels, helping you to feel fresh throughout the week. Deep breathing exercises can also boost our energy levels, and they can be practised anywhere. If you’re feeling fatigued, take a few minutes to sit and breathe deeply – you’ll be amazed by the results!

Improves Flexibility

Though flexibility is one of the more obvious benefits of yoga, it shouldn’t be overlooked. Increased flexibility can affect your day-to-day life by preventing injury and helping the muscles to bounce back after trauma. Most asanas stretch a key muscle group and make those muscles strong, supple and flexible. Not only will this prevent injury, but it will also help you to maintain correct posture throughout the day.

Improves Sleep

Finally, yoga practice can improve your quality of sleep. As well as helping you to fall asleep quicker, yoga helps you to sleep for longer and fall back to sleep quickly if you wake during the night. Studies have shown that yoga can even reduce insomnia – particularly amongst pregnant women. If you’re struggling to fall asleep, practice a relaxing yoga sequence before heading off to bed. To make things cosy, dim the lights and use a scented candle.

In Summary

So, how does yoga reflect on your lifestyle? Essentially, it improves your mental and physical health to make day-to-day life that bit easier. With more energy and a strengthened immune system, you’ll be ready to take the world by storm, even when Friday rolls around. If you want to practice at work, pack a yoga bag with some suitable clothing and take it with you. That way, you’ll be ready to practice whenever the opportunity arises.