Top 5 Unique Yoga Benefits— How Yoga Can Heal Us

It can be overwhelming trying understanding the multitude of benefits yoga provides, so we made a list of the top 5 unique benefits yoga provides for healing our bodies.

Yoga is a mind-body based movement. The practice of yoga incorporates postures, breathing techniques, and meditation. It originated in India about 5,000 years ago. It is now widespread in our Western society and appears to have many different benefits. Below are the top 5 unique benefits yoga provides us to help heal our body.

Top 5 Unique Yoga Benefits

1 Yoga lessens chronic pain 

Researchers have found that having a yoga practice reduces the activity in the part of the brain responsible for pain perception. What this means is that you could potentially experience less daily discomfort by simple hopping on your mat and striking some downward dogs. With the Western opioid epidemic, natural alternatives to pain reduction are becoming increasingly necessary.

2 It prevents cartilage and joint breakdown

As you bend, twist, and crunch during the different postures in yoga, your joints are experiencing a wide range of motion. More specifically, the cartilage between your joints is experiencing pressure from the tension. This process of tension and release on the cartilage allows for it to receive nutrients that it wouldn’t otherwise receive. Old nutrient fluid is repeatedly squeezed out. New nutrient fluid is therefore pulled in. This contributes to healthy joint function that doesn’t break down at an early age. 

3 It benefits your spine by correcting your posture

Yoga ensures proper posture by both strengthening back and neck muscles, as well as relieving the pressures on the spine and neck. When we are sitting all day on a computer working, or with our heads slumped over a book studying, we are compromising the alignment of our spines. Through repetitive emphasis on proper posture, yoga can strengthen and restore the original alignment of your spine. Additionally, it can strengthen the neck muscles that hold up your head.

4 Yoga reduces insomnia

The main way that yoga reduces insomnia is by relaxing the nervous system. The best type of yoga for insomnia-reduction is any kind of yin or restorative yoga. When we sit in a restorative yoga class, we are encouraged to focus on our breathing. This focus, and slowed breathing, calms the part of the nervous system responsible for high stress. With a less-stressed nervous system, we have a less-stressed body. A body that is less-stressed is able to more quickly relax and shut off, come time to sleep.

5 It boosts your immune system 

Researchers found that yoga helps boost the immune system by reducing inflammation in the body. With reduced inflammation, the immune system isn’t as chronically triggered. This allows for it to work optimally when it is actually needed. Additionally, this ensures we don’t suffer from chronic disease from chronic inflammation, such as arthritis.

In Conclusion

Overall, these benefits are only a small sliver of what yoga can actually do for us. It can also:

-provide inner calmness and clarity

-improve our attention

-relax our mind

-sharpen our concentration

-lower blood pressure

-strengthen our muscles

-improve respiratory function

-and more. 

No matter what you choose to heal and restore your body, be it yoga, massage, facials, or food, we encourage you to make it a regular part of your routine. Productivity with no rest makes for lower quality work. We all deserve to be at our best for ourselves and for others.