7 Days of, Why Yoga?

In case you missed it, here are all of the 7 Days of, Why Yoga? in one location.  Yoga, meditation and breathing have done wonders for myself and my family.  The benefits are so numerous I could do 30 Days of, Why Yoga? and not run out of topics.  As with anything, yoga should be done for yourself, no one else.  Once you let go of all the external reasons and focus on YOU, your practice becomes even more beneficial and the results in the mind and body are, dare I say, miraculous.  So, without further ado, we are off to Day 1.

7 Days of, Why Yoga?

Okay, we all know, or have at least heard, the usual benefits of yoga like increased flexibility, balance, focus, but what if I told you there are other benefits outside that view. Over the next 7 days, I will share with you reasons that may surprise or intrigue you as to how and why you should consider adding yoga to your weekly, or even daily, routine.

Day 1: The Journal of the American Dietetic Association found a strong association between yoga practice and weight control. Why? Researchers attribute it to eating mindfully. Practicing yoga teaches us how to stay calm when faced with discomfort. This connection carries over into other areas of our lives, making it easier to incorporate healthier choices. What's more, the study found no such link between mindful eating and other types of physical activity.

Day 2: Depression can overtake our lives, leaving us feeling out of control. We all have down days and cloudy, rainy weather does not help to brighten our mood. When depression is trying to take hold, a study in the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, found those practicing yoga had decreased levels of depression after class. Yoga relieves stress from the body and mind by raising endorphin levels. This leaves a feeling of calm, happy centeredness. To truly kick depression to the curb, try incorporating yoga at least twice per week for 30 days and see how you feel.  

Day 3: Bye Bye digestive woes. Yoga activates the part of your nervous system responsible for relaxation. This, in turn, helps to reduce stress in the body which wreaks havoc on our bellies. No more spending countless hours in the bathroom. Studies show that regularly practicing yoga balances the nervous system, allowing you to maintain digestive health.

Day 4: Metabolism a little sluggish? Practicing yoga at least twice per week can give your metabolism just the boost it needs to get back in the game. Certain postures, such as inversions (downward dog) and those that bring the chin to the chest (bridge) help to stimulate the thyroid and parathyroid glands in the neck. Coming out of the postures brings a release and, therefore, sends more blood flow to the region in the neck which improves circulation and regulates metabolism.

Day 5: The National Sleep Foundation states 48% of Americans struggle with insomnia, 22% facing this struggle on a daily basis. Lack of sleep results in more than just leaving us feeling tired. The effects can create issues with safety on the job, at home, on the road, it can increase the risk of heart disease, depression, anxiety, weight gain and it destroys grey matter in the brain. So what are we to do? Various studies, including one from Harvard Medical School, found that having a regular yoga practice, combined with some form of meditation, greatly reduces sleepless nights. Participants in the studies reported that it took less time to fall asleep, they slept longer and they felt more rested upon waking up. Even better, these results were noticed almost immediately after incorporating yoga and meditation into their routine.

Day 6: Clear, Radiant, Glowing skin is an added perk to practicing yoga regularly. You don't have to practice Hot Yoga to create heat and warm up the muscles, tendons and ligaments. By flowing through any series of postures or breathing techniques you allow the body to rid itself of toxins, balance hormones and reduce stress, all of which leaves you with smooth, toned, supple skin. For the face in particular, inverted postures such as downward dog, forward folds or dolphin brings the blood flow towards the face resulting in a healthy, less wrinkled, complexion.  

Day 7: Although this area has lots of amazing things to offer, I think we can all agree that one of those things is not so great. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, more than 50 million American's suffer from Allergies, with Louisville, KY. always ranking in the top 5 for the worst. Allergies can appear as breathing issues, skin rashes, Asthma, eye conditions and more. They can cause auto-immune disorders to flare up, make us tired and just down right miserable. Stress increases the allergy response, but don't despair, there is hope! Research shows yoga poses that invert the upper body (downward facing dog), backbends (bridge) and chest openers (cobra), combined with breathing techniques (alternate nostril breathing) help in alleviating allergy symptoms. Yoga calms the individual and gets lymphatic fluids moving and draining, all of which can prevent allergy symptoms from becoming worse. So on your way home from yoga practice go ahead, "stop and smell the roses".