10 health benefits of yoga

Yoga is traditionally associated with exercise and meditation, but it also has a philosophic, spiritual and historical background in India. But did you know practicing yoga has health benefits for the body and mind? Read on to learn more.

1. Strength: Practicing yoga helps to build your body's strength. Many yoga exercises are based upon balancing on one leg, or other such situations, and this builds muscular strength. If you're interested in building strength, check out some local yoga classes in your region.
2. Organ massage: This might sound odd to many, especially Westerners, but many of the physical challenges of yoga actually work to massage all the organs of the body. This can help you become more aware and in tune with your internal organs, helping to alert you to any signs of illness. As with most forms of exercise, this also helps to tone the body and keep your organs in better health.
3. Flexibility: There's stretching in yoga. Lots and lots of stretching. And in some forms of yoga there are feats bordering upon the acrobatic. But don't worry, you won't have to start doing such difficult tasks. You'll work your way up to them if you stick with yoga long enough. What all this stretching does is to strengthen and firm the muscles of your body, as well as many of the tendons. After a while your body and its limbs will become more flexible, allowing you to be able to physically accomplish feats you once would have thought impossible.
4. Blood pressure: Regular practitioners of yoga have been shown in numerous studies to have lower blood pressure levels than of those who don't practice yoga. So, to keep that blood pressure low, talk to your doctor about yoga; perhaps he or she will tell you to seek out a yoga instructor.
5. Posture: Remember all that flexibility and strength building mentioned above? They can lead to a straighter, stronger posture. Why is posture so important? Proper posture tires one less when working and can help keep the body, especially the joints and bones, in better health.
6. Reducing stress: Exercise generally helps to reduce stress on the mind and body, thus the exercise capacities of yoga accomplish the same thing. But beyond the physical factors, the meditative qualities of yoga can help to induce a less troubled, stronger state of mind. Talk to a yoga instructor if you would like to know more.
7. Pain tolerance: Believe it or not, studies have shown those who regularly practice yoga have a higher pain threshold than others. For one thing, yoga aids its practitioners in becoming more aware of the body, so minor aches and pains are caught before they can become a serious illness. For another thing, being physically fit also helps to build pain tolerance.
8. Losing weight: Yoga is physical exercise, so it's obvious yoga can help you to lose weight. But did you also know yoga helps your body's metabolism? With a stronger metabolism, your body can digest and process foods more adequately, thus burning more calories from what you eat. You can't ask for much better than that! Exercise and burning calories?
9. Carpal tunnel syndrome: Been using the mouse and keyboard too much, causing your fingers to cramp and pain in your joints? If so, you might be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. Check with your doctor. If the doctor says you've got carpal tunnel syndrome, he or she might suggest you wear a splint. That's fine, but also talk to your doctor about yoga. Researchers have found that yoga helps, possibly even more than wearing a splint or medication, in reducing or eliminating the pains caused by carpal tunnel syndrome.
10. Allergies: Yoga often also includes breathing exercises, which builds your respiratory abilities and can actually help you cope with your allergies better. Want stronger lungs, try yoga!

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