| Yoga combines mental focus and physical exercise to | | | | poses that require concentration and balance and can |
| help its practitioners achieve peace of both mind and | | | | draw one's focus from a chaotic busy day. |
| body. Its stress- and anxiety-reducing properties are | | | | * Improved fitness: Learning and refining yoga poses |
| well-documented. In India, as well as in many other | | | | helps improve flexibility, balance, strength, and range of |
| places in the world, yoga is studied using scientific | | | | motion, which makes it less likely that one will injure him |
| methods and used to treat many mental and physical | | | | or herself while performing routine daily activities or |
| ailments. Yogic science seeks to authenticate cause | | | | other physical endeavors. |
| and effect and develop principles based upon impartial | | | | * Managing chronic health conditions: This form of |
| observations. Yogic masters with credibility must have | | | | exercise often relieves fatigue, mood, and sleep |
| an extensive scientific education in the biological | | | | problems which in turn can help relieve some health |
| sciences and physics, among other disciplines. | | | | problems such as pain, depression, anxiety, insomnia, |
| Practicing yoga involves learning a series of postures | | | | and some studies suggest it can reduce discomfort in |
| to hold and meditate through, while at the same time | | | | those suffering from diseases such as cancer. It can |
| paying special attention to one's breathing - inhaling | | | | also help reduce one's heart rate and blood pressure. |
| during specific movements and exhaling with others. | | | | * Weight loss: Through deep stretching, yoga detoxifies |
| From a physical perspective, yoga improves flexibility, | | | | the muscles which can, in turn, cleanse the body and |
| strength and endurance while the carefully studied | | | | promote weight loss. The toning of muscles through |
| positions develop and promote lubrication of various | | | | poses can also reduce inches on the waistline and |
| ligaments and tendons in the body. Besides the mental | | | | increase muscle mass, which assists in weight loss. |
| benefit of stress reduction, many view it as a way to | | | | Through its stress reduction benefits, yoga can also |
| enhance one's spirituality. | | | | help someone hoping to reduce stress-related eating. |
| Yoga is also considered a body-mind kind of | | | | It has become clear, even in western medicine, that |
| alternative and complementary medicine, enhancing the | | | | physical and mental health go hand in hand, and a calm |
| practitioner's overall health and providing numerous | | | | and a harmonious mind is said to be one of the |
| other possible health benefits including: | | | | greatest health benefits of Yoga. |
| * Stress reduction: Using quiet, precise movements | | | | Reproduction permitted only when all active hyperlinks |
| causes the person to focus on the movement and | | | | are included. 2010 All Rights Reserved. |