Every day, more and more people are discovering the benefits of yoga. From improved health to being better equipped to successfully navigate the changes that life brings, yoga has been shown to help the body and mind become more resilient to stress and allow the individual to attain a more balanced and relaxed state of being. The benefits of yoga are expanding and many scientific and medical studies now prove the health benefits of breathing & asana (postures).

Components of yoga classes often include a combination of meditation & breathing techniques. These meditation techniques help to quiet the busy mind that often underlies stress while the deep breathing techniques focus the mind on the breath. Even beginners tend to feel less stressed and more relaxed after their first class. Many yoga practitioners also find it helpful just knowing that they are taking time out of their day to do something for their well-being, body and mind.

A regular yoga practice has been shown to improve strength and increase endurance benefits. Certain postures focus on specific muscle groups like upper body, core, legs or back. Based on the sequence in a yoga class, all of the major muscle groups can be engaged with while having a focus on a specific area. When practiced correctly, nearly all poses build core strength in the deep abdominal muscles, and burn calories while increasing cardiovascular health.

Yoga is an effective way to safely stretch your muscles along with all of the soft tissues of your body (including ligaments, tendons, and the fascia sheath that surrounds your muscles). This stretching releases the lactic acid that builds up with muscle use and causes stiffness, tension, pain, and fatigue. Performed correctly, yoga’s fluid movements allow swollen or otherwise painful joints to glide smoothly over one another, increasing mobility and strength without excess wear & tear. Studies conducted at Duke University Medical Center found that yoga is effective in the treatment of chronic pain, including fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and carpal tunnel syndrome.