Yoga as a Healing Practice

Yoga can be used to create unity between the body and mind. When the two become disconnected, our body becomes out of balance; if left untreated, this can cause stress, fatigue, and even chronic illness. When you use yoga to unite the body and mind, the opposite happens. Your body will begin to heal and rebalance itself, allowing you to feel happier and healthier long-term. All you need to get started is a comfortable yoga sweatshirt. In this article, we explore yoga as a healing practice in more detail.

How Yoga Heals the Body

Brings Attention to Your Breathing

When used regularly, yoga brings attention to your breathing. Eventually, good breathing will be done subconsciously and allow you to reap the benefits each day.

Helps You to Stay Connected

Over time, yoga can help you to connect with your inner self and learn to put your own needs first. It heals the body by helping you to reconnect with your inner-knowing, your dreams, and your heart.

Allows You to Gain Clarity

Yoga allows you to gain clarity about the things that truly matter in life. Eventually, this will help you to prioritise and work through any issues that arise.

Helps You to Get Out of Your Head

Yoga helps you to get out of your head and into your body instead. This will allow you to heal without your mind getting in the way.

Helps You to Cope with Stress and Trauma

Yoga helps you to cope with stressful events and trauma by providing you with the necessary healing tools.

Rebalances the Body

Rebalancing your body with yoga can help with weight loss, Inflammation, Premenstrual Syndrome and other chronic health conditions.

Relieves Tension

Not only does yoga relieve built-up tension, but you’ll also learn how to recognise the tension before it becomes an issue. This way, you can release it before it affects your body in a negative way.

Allows You to Meet New People

Healing isn’t all about physical changes. To achieve optimum health, it’s important to be happy, too. Yoga classes are a great way to meet new, like-minded people to form a connection with.

Increases Flexibility and Strength

Through yoga, you can increase your flexibility and strength to achieve a healthy body.

Develops an Inner Strength

Yoga helps you to develop inner strength. This can help you to cope better with life’s unexpected turns.

Supports You in Making Healthier Choices

Yoga teaches you how to make better and healthier food choices. Eating a healthy, balanced diet will allow your organs to function optimally.

Conditions That Yoga Can Heal

Yoga can heal various different health conditions including asthma, migraine, and diabetes. Below, we explore some of these in more detail.

Asthma

One of the health conditions that yoga can relieve is asthma. While attacks can be treated with an inhaler, regular yoga practice can help to keep the condition at bay. Many GPs recommend a form of light exercise for natural asthma relief. However, those suffering from the condition may find some forms of exercise challenging, particularly if their asthma is exercise-induced. Unlike other physical activities, yoga only involves a small amount of movement. Instead, the practice uses breathing exercises and slow-paced stretches to heal the body. According to recent studies, regular yoga practice can even improve lung function to further reduce asthma symptoms.

Diabetes

While diabetes can be controlled with meditation, there is currently no cure for the condition. While yoga cannot magically cure insulin resistance, regular practice can help to control your blood sugar levels. Because of this, many people use exercise to keep diabetes under control. As well as controlling blood sugar levels, yoga can reduce stress, increase flexibility, and lower blood pressure. As these benefits are key in diabetes management, experts recommend the holistic practice to all diabetes sufferers.

Digestive Issues

Many digestive issues are exacerbated by stress. If you suffer from any type of stomach disorder, including irritable bowel syndrome, stomach ulcers, or Crohn’s Disease, practising yoga regularly can provide relief from the symptoms. As with any form of exercise, moving your body with yoga can relieve constipation. Certain asanas can encourage food and waste products to move quickly through your system, providing relief from constipation, bloating, and trapped wind.

Migraines

Over 6 million people in the UK suffer from regular migraines. While there are various contributors to a migraine, many are caused because there is not enough blood being supplied to the brain. If your migraine is caused by this, certain postures can provide relief from the symptoms. Practising regularly can even keep the condition at bay long-term. Studies have shown that those using yoga regularly experience fewer headaches than those who were not. Disturbances in the autonomic nervous system are thought to be linked to migraines. Throughout the study, yoga practitioners were also found to have fewer disturbances in this area.

Back Pain

Back pain is another condition that affects people all over the world. Those stuck at a desk all day often use bad posture, resulting in chronic back pain over time. If the pain is mild, it can probably be controlled with painkillers; however, some people prefer to stick to natural solutions – particularly if the pain is ongoing. Thankfully, regular yoga practice can relieve back pain and prevent the onset of the condition. Through various asanas, the practice strengthens the muscles in the back and abdomen. The muscles in these areas play a key role in the function of your spine, helping you to maintain great posture throughout the day. Certain postures can increase strength in these muscle groups and reduce or diminish back pain over time.

In Summary

Whether you’re suffering from a physical health condition or you’re looking to improve your mental health, use yoga as a healing practice to reap the benefits. If you’re using a yoga class, it’s important to have the right equipment. Before your session, pack your yoga bag with a large bottle and some comfortable clothes. That way, you can stay hydrated throughout the session.