Did you know the term “Yoga” means union and can help you achieve a deep sense of oneness with yourself?
Yes, yoga is more than just the physical poses (Asana) you see on Instagram. In it's true essence, Yoga is about experiencing peace and oneness in your mind, body, and spirit.
It's really about connecting with your inner-most self and releasing the things that hold you back from being the best version of yourself. It also has a ton of physical and mental health benefits!
The 8 Limbs of Yoga
To better assist in you understanding Yoga in its entirety and origins, here is an article laying out the 8 Limbs of Yoga.
In the west, we focus primarily on the third limb, Yoga Asana. Yet, there are eight limbs! Each of them equally important and useful when you are eager to introduce Yoga to your life.
Practicing Yoga can:
Reduce Stress and Improve Your Mental Health
Yoga can help you feel more present with yourself and become less anxious, making it easier to handle whatever modern-world stress comes your way.
It is a great way to get in touch with your mind, body, and inner self. Practicing yoga daily quickly teaches you to be mindful while also promoting a deep sense of peace. By helping your body and mind relax, yoga allows you to have more control over anxiety and stress levels.
It can also help you to quickly identify any areas of tension or tightness in the body so that it doesn't eventually become a serious issue, such as scoliosis.
Yoga is an amazing modality to practice if you're looking for a way to calm down, center yourself, and reduce your mental chatter. That's because it teaches how to breathe deeply and slowly, which can drastically help reduce anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
It also helps with flexibility, strength, balance, and coordination—all essential for your overall health!
And while it might seem far-fetched, yoga has been known to contribute to a person’s self-esteem by helping them feel comfortable in their skin. The breath-body connection that yoga provides is an essential part of feeling present and confident in day-to-day life.
Increase Flexibility
Yoga increases your body’s flexibility, but it's not just about being able to touch your toes.
Because it involves a lot of stretching, yoga allows muscles to develop a natural elasticity. Giving thee body much more freedom and range of motion overall.
Do bear in mind that achieving a flexible body by doing yoga doesn't happen overnight!
If you're not used to stretching regularly, it may take a few weeks of consistent yoga asana for you to become noticeably more flexible and limber. But if you keep at it, your body will reward you with increased flexibility and a beautiful feeling of spaciousness in the body over time.
Improve Blood Circulation
Wandering how to improve your blood circulation?
Try yoga!
There are a few different ways that yoga can help support your blood circulation.
First, it helps to get your heart rate up and keep it at a steady, healthy pace. If you are looking to increase your heart rate through exercise, Yoga asana offers a very healthy approach to doing so.
Mind, Body, and Spirit
At Ascend Wellness, our favorite thing about the practice of Yoga is it's ability to reconnect you with all aspects of your being. For us, Yoga is a tool that offers a direct connection to the mind, body, and spirit. Each part being equally as important as the other.
Body
If you are new to Yoga, you will be using your muscles in new ways and utilizing all of your stabilizer muscles, leading to an increase in fundamental strength, especially core strength. This along with the increase of flexibility and balance makes Yoga asana and incredible practice for all body types.
Mind
Yoga asana is arguably the best practice for quieting the mind and training your ability to focus for long periods of time. When holding a yoga pose, you have to be fully present with the pose, your body, and your breath. This is an amazing practice for connecting with the body and bringing deeper awareness and presence into every day life. This directly correlates to higher levels of fulfillment and wellbeing in your everyday life.
Spirit
Did you know that Yoga asana (A sequence of yoga poses) was originally used to prepare yogis for sitting in meditation?
This fact really rings true to the 7th Limb of yoga, Meditative Absorption. At Ascend, we believe that meditation (In its many forms) provide a direct connection to our spirit and deeper meaning of what it is to be alive. Our spirit is directly connected to our Body and Mind, and when all three are in resonance and harmony, YOU feel amazing and satisfied with life. (Try some meditations created by Ascend Co-Founder here)
This is why we love Yoga!
Yoga's ability to really bring you back into your body, mind, and spirit is incredible... Especially when aspiring to live a healthy and abundant life!
Drop By Our Wellness Studio!
Ascend Wellness Studio, based in Lafayette, Louisiana, is dedicated to your health and wellness. Our goal is to improve your physical and mental well-being with genuine and loving care. Drop by our studio today to learn how we can support your lifestyle with the help of yoga!
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