What is Yoga? 

Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice that has become increasingly popular in today’s society. For many people, yoga provides a retreat from their chaotic lives. The best part is you can do it from the comfort of your home.  Studies show that yoga can improve physical health by lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease, and aiding digestion. It may also help practitioners sleep better and manage stress. Not to mention, recent studies indicate that mind-body practice supports mental health, specifically; one study found regular yoga may help ease depressive symptoms.

Types of Yoga 

Hatha Yoga is the most common and introductory yoga style most individuals experience when attending a yoga class for the first time. This class is for beginners and focuses heavily on form, detail, precision, and alignment from a series of yoga postures, also known as Asanas.

Restorative Yoga is the practice of asanas, each held for longer than in conventional yoga as exercise classes, often with the support of props like folded blankets to relax the body and to lower stress. This slow-paced practice with longer holds gives your body a chance to tap into your parasympathetic nervous system, allowing more profound relaxation. This type of yoga also helps individuals who experience insomnia, struggle with anxiety, or athletes on recovery days.  Ashtanga vinyasa yoga is a type of yoga as an exercise popularized by K. Pattabhi Jois during the twentieth century, often promoted as a dynamic form of classical Indian yoga. Ashtanga yoga consists of a very physically demanding sequence of postures. This style is not for the beginner.

Yoga is a mental, spiritual, and physical practice that is increasingly popular in society today. A regular yoga practice develops mental clarity and calmness, increases body awareness, relaxes the mind, relieves chronic stress patterns, sharpness concentrates, and centers attention. It also has benefits like aiding digestion. Everyone should try yoga at least once to see if this is an exercise that they could benefit from in their daily lives.

I hope you guys consider trying yoga after reading this article! Let us know how it goes!