The Effects of Yoga (In Short...)

The practice of yoga is special – yoga has been around for the past 5,000 a years! The effects of yoga as a path and a system can be far reaching. The yoga sages have established certain principles that hold the potential for a radical transformation of our mind and body and can fill our lives with peace and joy.

But what is so special about yoga?

Well, if you look at yoga as merely an exercise method, it’s the most intelligent method. Yoga develops the body in a balanced way – it strengthens both muscles and flexibility. Beyond that (and much more importantly) Yoga not only works on the muscles, but it also works on all systems of the body: digestive, respiratory, circulatory, immune, hormone secretion, and more.

Our health depends on the proper and balanced functioning of the internal organs and the efficiency of our waste system’s transportation and disposal. Yoga, by the actions of stretching, squeezing, extension, reaches all the internal organs and rejuvenates them. It maintains the flexibility of arteries and thus balances blood pressure, it expands the lungs and helps supply fresh oxygen to all parts of the body (especially the head and brain – in inversions). Yoga balances the hormones and glands operation, retaining all normal bodily functions (including women’s menstrual cycle).

Yoga does wonder for reducing stress and creating mental peace enhancing the action of the parasympathetic nervous system. Many studies have found links between stress and diseases therefore creating harmony and peace of mind also helps in maintaining health.

But Yoga is not just an exercise method, yoga develops one holistically, operating on different dimensions of ourselves: physical, mental, emotional, intellectual, moral and spiritual .

Physical yoga helps to develop strength and flexibility maintaining the integrity of our internal systems and therefore our health, over the years. It helps us to develop mentally, yoga promotes features like persistence, patience, power – desire, joy, and peace; Mental Yoga helps achieve emotional stability and balance, and satisfaction. It helps mental concentration, improves memory, focus and clarity of thought, balanced perspective of reality, and good judgment; Moral Yoga opens our hearts to love people and therefore makes us better people, more sensitive to our environment, more considerate, and willing to contribute to our environment; Spiritual Yoga tells us the truth about our existence in this universe. The effects of yoga in our lives can be thoroughly transformational!