You have committed to a regular strength and cardiovascular exercise routine weekly for your physical health. But have you considered dedicating 1-2 days to your mental and emotional health through a yoga practice?
Yoga is a useful tool and a key to psychological and emotional healing. The whole practice helps you work with the nature of the mind, the nature of being a human, how emotions live in your body, how they affect your behaviour and your mind.
Here are 5 ways that yoga can improve your overall health and well-being:
- It moves you from the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system. You typically have less anxiety and enter a more relaxed state. As soon as you start breathing deeply, you slow down out of fight or flight, which calms your nervous system.
- It helps you build your sense of self.Through yoga, you get to know yourself and cultivate a more nonjudgmental relationship with yourself. You are building self-trust. You exercise more and eat healthier, because your unconscious mind tells you; I’m worthy of this effort and me time.
- It improves your romantic relationship. When you’re more centred and more peaceful with yourself, you’ll be the same way with your partner. You’ll view them through the same lens of compassionate, unconditional love. You’re less reactive.
- It regulates your hormones through a system of poses and breathing techniques, which can also strengthen and tone your muscles, detoxify your organs and improve circulation.
- It improves your flexibility, which can improve your posture, strengthen your core muscles, fascia, ligaments and connective tissue to alleviate aches and pains.
Try a yoga practice and commit to improving all areas of your health. It will leave you feeling amazing and you will view yourself and others in a more positive light. It will change your life!
If this is something you are interested in, you can contact a Exercise Physiologist near you by using the doctors.com.au search.
This article was provided by Louisa Sammartino, an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, Exercise Scientist and Exercise & Sports Science Member.
Louisa has created 2 online programs, which help people awaken your physical health. A 4 week posture and movement Program and an 8 week program specialising in type 2 diabetes management, metabolic syndrome, women’s health and hormone health. She also works in private practice in Lower Templestowe, Victoria.