A few months ago I started going to a yoga class near where I live in Los Angeles.
I had heard that yoga was a great workout for years, but never made going to a class a priority.
After feeling stagnant with my regular routine, I decided gave yoga a shot and started attending class.
After 6 months I’m still surprised by the mental benefits I’ve noticed. More clarity, more calmness, and overall just a better vibe.
This revelation caused me to dig into articles out there about yoga’s benefits beyond just the obvious, like being more flexible.
Below are my favorites from the reading I’ve done.
Namaste and enjoy!
The Yoga Poses Every Runner Should Do
http://www.runnersblueprint.com/the-9-yoga-poses-every-runner-should-do/
This article outlines the benefits of yoga for runners. The author emphasizes the importance of yoga as a performance improvement and injury prevention routine. This article focuses on the top 9 most beneficial yoga poses for runners: low lunge, downward facing dog, squat, boat, dancer’s pose, upward facing dog, head to knee, cow-face fold, and legs up the wall. The author wants readers to perform these poses before and after running and not rush through them. By practicing these poses, balance and form will improve.
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Yoga Reduces Depression in Veterans
This article is about a study that spotlighted the use of yoga as a depression reducer in male veterans. This study utilized 21 male veterans with an average age of 61. Many of these veterans were just practicing yoga for the first time. The overall findings of this study were that the veterans not only enjoyed the yoga classes, but found that they were able to better manage their depression through mindfulness and decreased experiential avoidance. The veterans also enjoyed the connections they made by attending the yoga classes.
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The Essential Yoga Poses
https://www.livestrong.com/slideshow/1011340-11-essential-yoga-poses-everyone-should-practice/
This article is presented as an educational and instructional slideshow about the 11 yoga poses that everyone should practice. Each page of the slideshow offers a brief description of the yoga pose in question and then lists instructions about how best to perform said pose. The poses included in the article are: downward-facing dog, garland pose, plank pose, forward bend, seated spinal twist, crescent lunge, child’s pose, warrior I, camel pose, cat-cow pose, and corpse pose.
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Yoga’s Healing Power
https://theheartysoul.com/yoga-healing/
This article is about 8 hand signs (or mudras) that can help you achieve better health. Mudras are hand signs or gestures that are used during meditation or breathing exercises. Mudras are said to help direct energy flow around the body and stimulate the brain. These different mudras are claimed to help with the following conditions: stomach upset, rheumatism, tiredness, stress, skin issues, hearing problems, insomnia, eye-sight problems, and cardiac strength.
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Yoga for Kids
https://www.top10homeremedies.com/news-facts/kid-friendly-yoga-for-a-healthier-generation.html
Yoga helps keep growing children’s minds and bodies healthy. It brings them more body awareness and strength, so when they try yoga, it is not about perfecting poses but about the benefits it brings over time. Here are ten poses for children: Mountain, Chair, Rag Doll, Child’s Pose, Tree, Downward Facing Dog, Butterfly, Happy Baby, Moon, and Corpse Pose. The Corpse Pose is crucial at the end of all yoga sessions because it allows the body and mind to process everything.
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The Complete Guide to Yoga/s Benefits
https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/26-amazing-benefits-of-yoga-a-complete-guide/
Yoga is a practice of self-care that has become very popular within the past decade that involves a series of physically challenging poses which relax the mind and body.
There are a large number of physical benefits from practicing yoga including increased strength and better posture.
Mental benefits include reduces stress and uplift in mood.
Combined, both aspects of yoga can produce the dropping of cholesterol, regulated levels of glucose and improved endocrine functions.
Overall, yoga is a great practice to improve quality of life.
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Yoga for Beginners
Meditation can be challenging for some due to the necessity of quieting the mind. Therefor, yoga is a good alternative because the process can be marked by physical milestones.
By focusing on breathing, yoga naturally quiets the mind gradually by following steps to reaching new bodily positions. Because of this, yoga is a great practice for both mental and physical health.
Following a routine is the easiest and healthiest way to practice yoga. There are a number of videos online that provide instructions on good yoga practices.
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Yoga Benefits for Children with Autism
https://yogainternational.com/article/view/yoga-generates-huge-benefits-for-children-with-autism
Due to yoga’s therapeutic effects on children with autism and special needs, yoga is becoming a more popular way to help reduce their pain, anxiety, and other behaviors they struggle with. It’s effective in helping children with autism and special needs maximize classroom time and engagement.
Louise Goldberg, author of Yoga Therapy for Children with Autism and Special Needs, has shared his first-hand experience in seeing yoga benefit them. He also emphasizes that yoga is not meant to be a cult or religion, but a creative relaxation tool.
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Yoga Meditation and the Human Body
This article explains the benefits of “relaxation response techniques” when it comes to overall health. “Relaxation response techniques” refer to any act of meditation, yoga, or prayer that helps create more positive thoughts and feelings about a person’s situation/world. It is stated that regular use of these techniques could lower the need for traditional health care services by 43%. This article also explains that there are many ways to practice meditation, prayer, and yoga, so everyone should be able to participate.
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