5 Benefits of Yoga to Recall on this International Yoga Day
On this International Yoga Day, we bring to you several ways in which this ancient Indian practice can help you.
It is that day of the year when one of the most prominent mental, spiritual, and physical practices that originated in India is celebrated. The International Yoga Day was first declared by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on June 21, 2015. Being the beginning of the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the International Yoga Day is celebrated on the longest day of the year which enhances its importance in several countries across the world. In his speech at the UN, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared, “It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help in well-being. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day.”
Originating in ancient India, Yoga is considered to be one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu traditional practices. It is a group of mental, physical and spiritual practices which were mostly done by saints in order to attain complete enlightenment and mythologically it is considered that Lord Shiva was the hermit who attained ‘Moksha’ through yoga. As we enter into the fourth year of International Yoga Day, here are the top five benefits of Yoga that we should know about:
- Weight Loss: Yoga helps you lose all that extra, unnecessary fat without tightening your muscles. Postures such as Sun Salutation and Kapal Bhati are extremely useful since they not only help you shred weight but also make you more aware of your body. When that happens, you realize what your body needs and what it wants the most that way you are able to fix yourself a proper routine that is devoid of any kind of extra carb or fat food.
Yoga can help you in many ways. (Google Images)
- Flexibility: One of the biggest benefits of yoga is flexibility. Along with losing weight, you also develop a flexible muscle which usually does not happen with heavy weight lifting. The above mentioned postures, along with several asanas also help in losing lactic acid which helps flex the muscles and tone the body. It also helps in maintaining body posture, when you sit, stand and walk. This also avoids body ache due to unstable structure.
- Inner Peace: While this might sound a bit too cheesy, inner peace is extremely important. Especially those who work on a daily basis and undergo a hectic schedule during their chores. Peace, which has been a matter of concern for the world, can be found within and Yoga helps us attain that feet. Along with physical practices, meditation during yoga brings you closer to your inner self and that way you are able to attain inner peace.
- Reflex and intuition: As yoga helps you increase awareness on many levels, it plays a major role in developing your intuition. That way you know exactly what needs to be done and when, as in you are more aware of your surroundings and can quickly make a decision about what needs to be done. It also helps you get less stressed about things and deep breathing helps you focus your mind on things.
- Take Care of the Heart: Due to the constantly changing environment and work pressure, our generation is prone to heart attacks and it becomes difficult to stabilize blood pressure. Yoga is a great way to keep your blood circulation in check, on the other hand because it keeps your stress under control, it in a way that regulates your heart condition.
