As a tool for physical and mental health, yoga can cleanse the mind as much as the body.
Yoga is a known practice that helps with anxiety, stress, and sleep issues. Yoga opens the relationship and awareness between the body and mind and allows them to work together.
Stress can hide in many ways, including the lower back, shoulders, hips, and even the neck. Yoga poses and movements target these areas and allow the body to release toxins naturally.
According to the American Osteopathic Association, “The purpose of yoga is to build strength, awareness and harmony in both the mind and body,” explains Natalie Nevins, DO, a board-certified osteopathic family physician and certified Kundalini Yoga instructor in Hollywood, California.
Yoga can improve balance, flexibility, and strength. Most yoga exercises and poses naturally release positive chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin in the brain. Although it seems contradicting, slow yoga poses still elevate one’s heart rate and trigger muscles to engage, according to WebMD.
Anyone can practice yoga regardless of physical or athletic ability, as it is low-risk and individualistic.
“Whether you’re a couch potato or a professional athlete, size and fitness levels do not matter because there are modifications for every yoga pose and beginner classes in every style,” says Nevins.
Yoga is beneficial to one’s overall health and well-being. Starting yoga, whether in an outside studio or even at home, can positively impact one’s body and mind.
