A lot of people think that Yoga is just for hippies. And, maybe back in the 60s that was true – but today we know that Yoga has been around for thousands of years, and there is a reason we are still doing it today.

Yoga really is beneficial for everyone – even people who think it doesn’t work. The goal of Yoga is to unite your entire being – your spirit, your body and your mind. Yogis (practitioners of yoga) believe that in the right environment your body can find harmony and heal itself.

Because of this, Yoga is considered therapeutic. It helps you become more aware of your entire self – your posture, your flexibility, your state of mind. When you have this awareness, you also have the ability to calm down and ease your stress levels in any environment.

Believe me; you will be shocked when you read the list of things that Yoga can help with. I know that personally, nothing helps me deal with PMS (bloating, cramps, and general grumpiness) like Yoga.

Check out this massive list of yoga benefits:

Physiological Benefits of Yoga

• Stable autonomic nervous system equilibrium
• Pulse rate decreases
• Respiratory rate decreases
• Blood Pressure decreases (of special significance for hyporeactors)
• Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) increases
• EEG – alpha waves increase (theta, delta, and beta waves also increase during various stages of meditation)
• EMG activity decreases
• Cardiovascular efficiency increases
• Respiratory efficiency increases
• Gastrointestinal function normalizes
• Endocrine function normalizes
• Excretory functions improve
• Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increase
• Breath-holding time increases
• Joint range of motion increase
• Grip strength increases
• Eye-hand coordination improves
• Dexterity skills improve
• Reaction time improves
• Posture improves
• Strength and resiliency increase
• Endurance increases
• Energy level increases
• Weight normalizes
• Sleep improves
• Immunity increases
• Pain decreases
• Steadiness improves
• Depth perception improves
• Balance improves
• Integrated functioning of body parts improves

Psychological Benefits of Yoga

• Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
• Mood improves and subjective well-being increases
• Self-acceptance and self-actualization increase
• Social adjustment increases
• Anxiety and Depression decrease
• Hostility decreases
• Concentration improves
• Memory improves
• Learning efficiency improves
• Mood improves
• Self-actualization increases
• Social skills increases
• Well-being increases
• Attention improves
• Symbol coding improves
• Depth perception improves
• Flicker fusion frequency improves

Biochemical Benefits of Yoga

• Glucose decreases
• Sodium decreases
• Total cholesterol decreases
• Triglycerides decrease
• HDL cholesterol increases
• LDL cholesterol decreases
• VLDL cholesterol decreases
• Cholinesterase increases
• Catecholamines decrease
• ATPase increases
• Hematocrit increases
• Hemoglobin increases
• Lymphocyte count increases
• Total white blood cell count decreases
• Thyroxin increases
• Vitamin C increases
• Total serum protein increases

Yoga Health Benefits versus Excercise Benefits

Yoga Benefits

• Parasympathetic Nervous System dominates
• Subcortical regions of brain dominate
• Slow dynamic and static movements
• Normalization of muscle tone
• Low risk of injuring muscles and ligaments
• Low caloric consumption
• Effort is minimized, relaxed
• Energizing (breathing is natural or controlled)
• Balanced activity of opposing muscle groups
• Noncompetitive, process-oriented
• Awareness is internal (focus is on breath and the infinite)
• Limitless possibilities for growth in self-awareness

Exercise Benefits

• Sympathetic Nervous System dominates
• Cortical regions of brain dominate
• Rapid forceful movements
• Increased muscle tension
• Higher risk of injury
• Moderate to high caloric consumption
• Effort is maximized
• Fatiguing (breathing is taxed)
• Imbalance activity of opposing groups
• Competitive, goal-oriented
• Awareness is external (focus is on reaching the toes, reaching the finish line, etc.)
• Boredom factor

In love and service,