5 Benefits of Practicing Yoga

It is common knowledge that yoga is good for you, but what makes it good for you?

1. Health benefits are the number one reason that people state is the objective of their practice. In yoga you are not only stretching and toning you are strengthening your muscles by lifting your own body weight. If you are practicing Vinyasa yoga in a heated room, you are also getting a cardio work-out.
2. Mental health is the second reason most people practice yoga. Because yoga is a moving meditation, it calms the mind. I learned to deep breath my way through many challenging situations off the mat. It is an invaluable skill to learn.
3. Making a mind body connection is a great benefit of yoga. Most likely we go through our day without really paying attention to how our body is feels (what messages is it sending us) and what our body needs. In our "keep pushing" culture many times we stress our body by not sleeping enough or eating poorly until we become sick. At which point our bodies scream at us," you are not paying attention to me". A daily practice of yoga allows us to check in with ourselves.
4. Being part of a community is another benefit of yoga. I practice at the Center of Yoga and have made many friends there. I have been able to expand my circle of friends with people who share the same interest.  This is true for both face to face friendships and social media friends. There are many sites dedicated to practicing yoga and you can easily engage in conversation with your on line friends.
5. Lastly it is all about how you feel after you have finished a class. When I walk out of there I have sweated out the toxins, cleared my mind, and worked out my body. My body is physically relaxed and my mind is clear. Essentially, I feel great!

Try a few classes and let me know how you feel.